Reasonable Adjustments

A reasonable adjustment involves making a change to the way we usually do things to take account of your individual needs.

This may be a physical alteration in your home, a change to the way in which we deliver our services, or a change to how we communicate with you. There is no set list of options as each reasonable adjustment is suited to meet your individual needs.

For each request, we’ll speak to you to discuss what is reasonable in your circumstances.

Some examples of the adjustments we can make include:

• Adaptations to your home, such as grab bars, handrails, lever taps etc.
• When we meet with you, we can provide auxiliary aids or a portable induction loop if you wear hearing aids, allow for rest or comfort breaks where helpful or communicate through a representative on your behalf
• When communicating with you, we can provide information in alternative formats such as large print, or in your preferred methods such as email, phone or letter.

At the start of your tenancy we will ask you if you have any additional support needs or communication preferences. We’ll record what you tell us on our internal systems and proactively ensure your information remains up-to-date, so we can meet your specific needs throughout the duration of your tenancy with us.

You can contact us by phone, email, post or in person, details below:

Call us on 0161 393 7117

Email us at websiteenquiries@fcho.co.uk

Write to us at First Place, 22 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1BE explaining what the adjustment is and why it’s needed, or visit us in person at the above address.

You can nominate a representative to enquire about a reasonable adjustment on your behalf if you prefer. This could be a family member, friend, social worker or support worker if you have given us permission to deal with them.

Step 1

We ask you to complete a Reasonable Adjustments Request Form and our team can support you to do this, if you need help.

You can also request a form from our team.

The form is to help us understand your disability or health condition so we can see why you need reasonable adjustment(s) and can make the appropriate arrangements.

Please note, if your request is for an aid or adaptation to your home you will need to have an Occupational Therapist from the local authority assess your needs first before you complete a Reasonable Adjustments Request Form.

The therapist can see what adaptations are needed to make your home more suitable for your needs.

You can contact the Community Occupational Therapy Team via Oldham Council for an assessment on 0161 770 2300 or Request an assessment by the Community Occupational Therapy Team - Oldham Council.

Step 2

Once we have received your Reasonable Adjustments Request Form, and the assessment from the Community Occupational Health team if needed, our team will review it and contact you if they need any further information.

Your request will then go to our Reasonable Adjustments Panel for review.

In most cases, we will be able to agree the requested adjustment quickly. However, sometimes, it may be necessary for us to carry out a more detailed assessment and seek advice from expert partner organisations to make sure we provide the best possible solution.

In the event where a reasonable adjustment is unable to be made, we will work with you to find the most appropriate alternative solution.

The Equality Act does not define what is ’reasonable’, but guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests the following considerations when deciding whether an adjustment is ‘reasonable’ or not:

• The effectiveness of the adjustment in preventing or reducing the disadvantage
• The practicality of FCHO making the adjustment
• The availability of resources, including external assistance and finance
• Any disruption to services that making the adjustment(s) may cause

In most cases, we will be able to agree the requested adjustment quickly. However, sometimes, it may be necessary for us to carry out a more detailed assessment and seek advice from expert partner organisations to make sure we provide the best possible solution.

In the event where a reasonable adjustment is unable to be made, we will work with you to find the most appropriate alternative solution.

If necessary, we will adjust our complaints service, to ensure you are not disadvantaged should you wish to make a complaint.

During the process, we will discuss any reasonable adjustment requirements with you and commit to using your preferred communication preference throughout.

We aim to deal with all customers in a fair and non-discriminatory way. If you are unhappy with a reasonable adjustment decision we have made, you can appeal the decision by contacting us on the details above, listed under ‘How to request a Reasonable Adjustment' and we will respond in line with our Complaints Policy.