Nottingham City Council has joined a quality assurance scheme launched to help local authorities source trusted home adaptation contractors.
The HAIN (Home Adaptations Installers Network) has been developed by Nottingham-based accreditation scheme specialists Diversity Customer Management, in partnership with Foundations – the national body for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) in England.
READ MORE: Laying the Foundations for Strategic Asset Management
HAIN provides local authorities with a vetted list of registered contractors, aiming to ensure quality, compassionate, and reliable work for DFG funded home adaptations. The scheme was designed following a series of meetings with local councils and home improvement agencies across the country. These were held to help Diversity and Foundations explore the challenges local authorities face in procuring competent installers for DFG work.
This research highlighted that:
- Forty-one percent of local authorities did not operate an approved contractor list.
- There is no centralised standard for authorities, so each authority has different criteria.
- Most authorities need more contractors to meet the demand of adaptations.
- The management of contractors has been flagged as time consuming for under pressure departments.
To address these issues, HAIN was developed to provide a nationally consistent framework that would support local authorities and meet homeowner demand.
Sam Lucas, managing partner at Diversity Customer Management said: “HAIN isn’t just a contractor list; it’s a network made up of installers who understand that adaption work is different and vital. They’re experienced in executing inclusive design, follow the client-first code of conduct and meet clear standards for safety and quality. The intention of HAIN is to nurture a new national quality standard that benefits both local authorities and residents. It’s designed to remove the strain from local authorities seeking to procure reliable professional installers at a time when their own resources are stretched. And it provides residents with the peace of mind that their adaptation needs are being met by vetted, trustworthy contractors.”
Nottingham City Council’s Ruth Stallwood, Team Manager for Adaptations and Renewals added:
“Using HAIN helps streamline how we source and manage contractors for DFG-funded work. It reduces the administrative burden for the DFG delivery Team while ensuring that only suitably qualified and vetted contractors are delivering adaptations for our residents. As early adopters of HAIN, we’re proud to be helping shape a more consistent, national approach to delivering home adaptations.”
