Dorset Accessible Homes Service
The Dorset Accessible Homes Service is locally based with offices in Dorchester and Blandford Forum. It works on behalf of Dorset County Council and is available to anyone in the Dorset County Council area.
As well as providing practical help with home adaptations, repairs and improvements, the service offers free advice, support and information on:
- Checking whether you are entitled to any financial help.
- Your housing options.
- Deciding on home adaptations that might help you.
- Carrying out minor repairs.
- Making your home more energy efficient.
“I recently spoke to a lady who was under our care and she wanted to pass on her thanks to a member of the fitting team, Tony, who was apparently very considerate and did a lovely job of fitting hand rails in her garden. I thought you would like to have some feedback, especially for the gentleman in question, or circulate this amongst your team.”
Dorset | October 2024
“Colin has been brilliant. My mother was very hesitant and anxious about having the work done but has warmed to Colin who has been very patient with her, taken time to clearly explain everything in an understandable way and clean up after himself. I would recommend him to anyone.”
Dorset | September 2024
Home adaptations
If you need a home improvement or adaptation to your home, the Dorset Accessible Homes Service can help you:
- Decide exactly what work you want done to your home and prepare drawings and schedules of work. Typical jobs include door widening, installing hand rails and bathroom adaptations, insulation improvements, roofing, replacement windows, damp proofing and rewiring.
- Obtain prices, advise you on reliable contractors and inspect works on site.
- Get information on the different ways of paying for the work, including grants from your council, home insulation grants and charitable assistance, etc.
The service will then manage the process for you. This involves everything from advising on options, deciding the work to be completed, designing the work, selecting and appointing a contractor, managing quotations, obtaining landlord permissions, obtain planning permissions, overseeing the work on site, snagging and provision of warranty information and advice on looking after the adaptation.
Depending on your need and eligibility to access different sources of funding, it might be that you are asked to make a contribution towards the cost of major works. This will be explained and is on a case-by-case basis.
Handyperson service
It can be very difficult to get small repairs and improvements carried out at a reasonable cost by a reliable contractor. The Dorset Accessible Homes Service can do this work for you. The operators are reliable and DBS (previously CRB) checked for your peace of mind.
Examples of work that can be carried out include:
- Security improvements such as locks, key safes, door chains, etc.
- Minor joinery work.
- Minor plumbing repairs such as changing tap washers, cistern washers, ball valves etc.
- Fitting grab rails and small ramps.
- Minor electrical work such as changing light bulbs, fuses, etc.
- Fixing shelving and assembling flat pack furniture.
Charges for work will be explained before work is undertaken. Anyone can contact the service directly. If the repair is to a rented property, the landlord/housing association will need to be contacted first to make sure they are happy for work to be done. The service will do this for you, or you may prefer to go directly to your landlord yourself.
Housing options
The Dorset Accessible Homes Service will help those who are thinking about moving from their home into a residential care home. The advice and support given is free, although costs will be incurred for services such as removal companies, solicitors, etc. The service may be able to access funding or grants to help you with these costs. The service will assign a member of staff to help support you in the process of finding out what is available, planning the move, getting trustworthy removal contractors and arranging transfer of utilities.
Get in touch
Customer services opening hours: 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
Service Centre Manager: Richard Pearce
Millbrook Healthcare Home Services Blandford Forum
Blandford Forum
Millennium House
2A Sunrise Business Park
Higher Shaftesbury Road
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8ST
t 033 300 300 10
Millbrook Healthcare Dorchester
Greenwood Centre for Independent Living
Maiden Castle Road
Higher Shaftesbury Road
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 2ER
t 033 300 300 10
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