Equality of Opportunity Committee

Committee Inquiry into Home Maintenance and Adaptations Services for Older People in Wales.

To consultees on attached list

October 2008

Dear Colleague

The Equality of Opportunity Committee of the National Assembly for Wales is undertaking an inquiry into the home maintenance and adaptations services for older people in Wales.

In this inquiry the Committee will be looking at the effectiveness of home maintenance and adaptations services for older people living at home and at progress on improving these services since the publication of two reports:

• Review of Housing for Older People in Wales by the Assembly’s Social Justice and Regeneration Committee’s (2004);

• The Welsh Assembly Government’s Review of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and other Housing Adaptations (2005).  

To assist with its inquiry the Committee wishes to receive written evidence on home maintenance and adaptations services for older people, in particular on the following issues:

• Waiting times for adaptations provided through local authorities, including those funded by Disabled Facilities Grants;

• The process for applying for grants and minor adaptations;

• The usefulness of information and advice on home maintenance and adaptations services;

• The maintenance of installations and equipment;

• Resources for home maintenance and adaptations services;

• Performance management of home maintenance and adaptations services provided by local authorities and Care and Repair agencies;

• Equity of provision of home maintenance and adaptations services in different parts of Wales and for homeowners and tenants.

Invitation to contribute to the inquiry

Submissions do not need to address all the above areas and the Committee welcomes written evidence from both individuals and organisations, including older people’s groups. We will also be holding oral evidence sessions early in 2009.

Interested parties are invited to submit written evidence to the Clerk of the Committee at the address below, to arrive no later than Friday 19 December 2008. If possible, please supply an electronic version in MS Word or Rich Text format, either by e mail to equality.comm@wales.gsi.gov.uk or on a disk. 

For your information, the Committee has invited submissions from those on the attached distribution list. They would be grateful if you could forward a copy of the letter to any individuals or organisations that are not included but might like to contribute to the review. A copy of this letter has been placed on the National Assembly’s web-site with an open invitation to submit views.

Disclosure of Information

It is normal practice for the National Assembly to publish evidence provided to a committee. Consequently your response may appear in a report or in supplementary evidence to a report. The National Assembly will not publish information which it considers to be personal data.

In the event of a request for information submitted under UK legislation, it may be necessary to disclose the information that you provide. This may include information which has previously been removed by the National Assembly for publication purposes.

If you are providing any information, other than personal data, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, it is up to you to stipulate which parts should not be published, and to provide a reasoned argument to support this. The National Assembly will take this into account when publishing information or responding to requests for information.

Ann Jones
Chair, Equality of Opportunity Committee

Consultees  

Community Health Councils

Board of Community Health Councils in Wales
Brecknock and Radnor CHC
Bridgend CHC
Cardiff CHC
Carmarthenshire CHC
Ceredigion CHC
Clwyd CHC
Conwy East CHC
Conwy West CHC
Gogledd Gwynedd CHC
Gwent CHC
Meirionnydd CHC
Merthyr and Cynon Valley CHC
Montgomery CHC
Neath / Port Talbot CHC
Pembrokeshire CHC
Pontypridd & Rhondda CHC
Swansea CHC
Vale of Glamorgan CHC
Ynys Mon - Isle of Anglesey CHC

Councils

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Bridgend County Borough Council
Caerphilly County Borough Council
Cardiff County Council
Carmarthenshire County Borough Council
Ceredigion County Council
City and County of Swansea
Conwy County Borough Council
Denbighshire County Borough Council
Flintshire County Borough Council
Gwynedd Council
Isle of Anglesey County Council
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Monmouthshire County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Council
Newport City Council
Pembrokeshire County Council
Powys County Council
Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council
Torfaen County Borough Council
Vale of Glamorgan Council
Wrexham County Borough Council

Local Health Boards

Anglesey Local Health Board
Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board
Bridgend Local Health Board
Caerphilly Local Health Board
Cardiff Local Health Board
Carmarthenshire Local Health Board
Ceredigion Local Health Board
Conwy Local Health Board
Denbighshire Local Health Board
Flintshire Local Health Board
Gwynedd Local Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil Local Health Board
Monmouthshire Local Health Board
Neath Port Talbot Local Health Board
Newport Local Health Board
Pembrokeshire Local Health Board
Powys Local Health Board
Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Health Board
Swansea Local Health Board
Torfaen Local Health Board
Vale of Glamorgan Local Health Board
Wrexham Local Health Board

NHS Trusts

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust
Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust
Cwm Taf NHS Trust
Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust
Hywel Dda NHS Trust
North Wales NHS Trust
North West Wales NHS Trust
Velindre NHS Trust
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

Charitable Organisations

Abbeyfield Society
Age Alliance Wales
Age Concern, Cardiff and the Vale and Healthy Living Centre Wales
Age Concern Cymru
Alzheimers Society
Cancer Research UK
Care Forum Wales
Care and Repair Cymru
Charities Aid Foundation
Citizens Advice Bureau
Community Housing Cymru
Counsel & Care
Crossroads caring for carers
Contact a family Wales
Carers Wales/Carer Alliance Wales
Disability Wales
Disabled Living Foundation
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Help the Aged Wales
Joseph Rowentree Foundation
Macmillan Cancer Support
Mencap Cymru
Mind Cymru
Motor Neurone Disease Association
Older People’s Advocacy Alliance
RNIB Cymru
Scope Cymru
Shelter Cymru
The Stroke Association Wales

Housing Associations

Aelwyd Housing Association
Baneswell Housing Association Ltd
Bro Myrddin Housing Association
The Cadaran Housing Group Ltd
Cadwyn Housing Association Ltd
Cardiff Community Housing Association Ltd
Cymetheithas Tai Cantref Cyf
Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd Cyf
Cymetheithas Tai Dewi Sant
Cymetheithas Tai Eryri Cyf
Cymetheithas Tai Hafan Cyf
Cynon -Taf Housing Association Ltd
Eastern Valley Housing Association Ltd
Family housing Association (Wales) Ltd
First Choice Housing Association Ltd
Gwalia Housing Group Ltd
Gwerin (Cymru) Housing Association
Hafod Housing Association Ltd
Linc Cymru
Llamau Ltd
Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association Ltd
Mid Wales Housing Association
Newydd Housing association (1974) Ltd
North Wales Housing Association Ltd
Opportunity Housing Trust
Pembrokshire Housing Association Ltd
Pennaf Housing Group
Polish Housing Society Ltd
Pontypridd Housing Association Ltd

Other Organisations

Welsh Local Government Association
Association of Directors of Social Services Wale
Care Council for Wales
Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales
Older People’s Commissioner
Wales Council for the Blind
Wales Council for the Deaf
Cardiff Accessible Homes
BMA Cymru
Royal College of Nursing Wales
British Association of Social Workers
Welsh Language Board
Centre for Social Carework Research at Swansea University
Institute of Medical and Social Care Research at Bangor University
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
National Public Health Service for Wales
The Welsh NHS Confederation
Wales Women’s National Coalition