RCOT and Foundations project to transform housing policy and practice
Foundations, the national body for home improvement agencies in England, has been commissioned by The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) to work on a collaborative project that broadens the scope beyond adaptations.
The ‘Housing Without Delay’ project aims to integrate the home environment into all occupational therapy interventions. It also focuses on the role of occupational therapists in housing and their potential to influence housing outcomes across varied needs.
The project is sponsored by the inventors of the wash dry toilet, Closomat.
Around 20 years ago, the initiative ‘Minor Adaptations Without Delay’ revolutionised access to simple home adaptations for older and disabled residents of Housing Association properties. This paper helped practitioners reduce delays and improve quality of life by enabling housing staff to assess and install adaptations rapidly.
In 2019, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), alongside Housing LIN, expanded this vision with “Adaptations Without Delay,” focusing on more significant adaptations and making best use of occupational therapists’ knowledge and skills.
The project comprises three components including a ‘strategic document’, which will target health and social care leaders. The document will highlight how occupational therapists can shift from a reactive to a preventative care model by utilising the home environment as a health intervention. It will showcase occupational therapist contributions across housing design, allocation, and skill development for maintaining homes.
Additionally, ‘operational tools’ will offer resources for operational managers, this section provides practical examples to optimise occupational therapist skills across housing, social care, and health sectors. It will include guidance on competencies and frameworks for implementation.
Also, ‘practitioner resources’, the final component will provide tools and frameworks for practitioners interested in expanding their practice into housing, supporting direct client work.
Research from the King’s Fund and Public Health England emphasises poor housing’s significant public health costs, estimated at £1.4 billion annually for the NHS. Occupational therapists’ understanding of housing’s impact on physical and mental health highlights the need for this expanded focus. Housing Without Delay will address these broader determinants by promoting housing as a critical element in health and wellbeing.
The timing of ‘Housing Without Delay’ aligns with significant shifts in health and social care policies, emphasising community care and proactive prevention. With Integrated Care Systems (ICS) recognising housing’s role in reducing hospital admissions, the initiative is timely. By 2035, a projected 35 per cent increase in those over 65, mostly with multiple health conditions, highlights the urgency of appropriate housing solutions.
In the upcoming months, RCOT and Foundations will develop evidence-based resources, gather impactful case studies, consult with experts, and design practical tools for strategic leaders, managers, and practitioners.
RCOT and Foundations invite professionals to participate in this transformation by sharing experiences from the intersection of housing and health; to attend upcoming webinars and workshops; explore incorporating housing considerations into current practices, and collaborate with colleagues across sectors to explore new working methods.
The project aims ensure timely and appropriate housing solutions that support health, wellbeing, and occupational performance for all.
Housing Without Delay marks a key point in addressing housing as a health determinant, says Foundations. By expanding the focus beyond adaptations, the project recognises the comprehensive role occupational therapists play in creating housing solutions that promote health and wellbeing across the entire system.
Foundations recently set up the Home Adaptations Installer Network, which aims to ensure that essential modifications for older adults and people with disabilities are carried out by reliable and skilled professionals.
