4.1. Referrals for assistance can be made by contacting the council via our contact number or our webform (www.norwich.gov.uk/healthyhomes).
4.2. People can self-refer or a referral can be made by a family member or friend or any professional.
4.3. With the exception of urgent cases, such as hospital discharge work, we aim to respond to referrals within 5 working days by telephone. At times when the service is under high demand, a letter will be sent acknowledging the referral and advising that we will be in contact as soon as possible.
4.4. All referrals are triaged and dealt with according to urgency and risk, for example cases involving MND, palliative care and those circumstances that the council reasonably considers to be high risk will be prioritised.
Decisions on when a case is prioritised is at the discretion of the council.
4.5. During the initial telephone conversation some checks will be made to establish eligibility for any of the assistances outlined in this policy.
4.6. Once eligibility is established, a visit will be arranged with a designated caseworker at a mutually convenient time.
If the enquiry is about a disabled adaptation an occupational therapist or similarly trained professional will also be arranged to identify what adaptations would be needed.
4.7. In some instances, a visit will not be booked in but works will be arranged. This will typically be for emergency or small-scale works such as boiler repairs or installation of grab rails.
4.8. Clients will be given their designated caseworkers direct telephone number. They will then be their single point of contact until completion of assistance.
