Requesting installation of a rail at my home
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RAILS APPLICATION
GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS
- Occupational Therapy operates a "self-assessment" procedure for the provision of internal and external rails to people aged 65 years or over with a physical disability.
- The following notes are provided to assist you to complete the application form and to assist us to provide you with a speedy response. Please read these notes carefully before completing the form.
- Completion of this form does not guarantee provision of a rail. South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership may contact you or your representative for further information, or we may need to visit you to carry out an assessment of need.
- This application is only available to properties that reside within South Ayrshire.
ELIGIBILITY
Under this scheme, South Ayrshire Council will arrange to install handrails at internal stairs or external steps at no cost to you. We will only do this if you need rails because of a disability. If you want to install rails and you do not have a disability, you must arrange and pay for them yourself.
There are some restrictions on the rails that can be provided at no cost to you.
- We will only provide ONE rail at the entrance you use most often. If you require more than one rail due to your disability, then you should detail the reasoning for this on the form. Provision of additional rails will be subject to further assessment.
- We will not normally provide rails on a path unless the path is very steep or has steps.
HOUSE OWNERSHIP
If you have a disability we will provide you with the rails that you need no matter who owns your house, although the way we arrange the installation of the rails will depend on who owns your house.
- If your house belongs to South Ayrshire Council, Housing Services will arrange and pay for the work.
- If your house belongs to a Housing Association, we will ask them to arrange and pay for the work.
- If your house belongs to you or someone in your household, or if you rent from a private landlord/ your employer, we will arrange for the work to be done by a contractor chosen by us, and we will pay for the work. You must provide us with written permission from your landlord.
PERMISSION
If your house belongs to someone else e.g. a landlord, a relative who does not live with you, your employer, you must obtain written permission from the owner of the house for the work to be done. This can be uploaded on the form.
Sometimes, the permission of the owners of other properties is required for alterations like erecting handrails. Usually, only the owners of properties that share a staircase or set of steps need to give permission. Sometimes, with outside steps, the owners of nearby properties have rights that mean their permission is also required. You should check carefully whether this applies.
You do not need to get permission if your neighbour is a tenant of South Ayrshire Council or of a Housing Association.
PROBLEMS WITH THE FORM?
If you have difficulty filling in the form, someone else can fill it in for you but you should sign the box at the end of the form. If you are unable to sign the form, someone else can sign on your behalf provided they explain their relationship to you and provide a contact number.
Share this page
