Housing Services
At Help and Care we know how daunting it can be when home repairs need to be done. Who do you trust? What work is necessary?
We are here to help you stay warm and safe in your own home. Help and Care is an accredited Home Improvement Agency (HIA) and manages over £1 million worth of work for local people every year.
Our experienced and professional staff can provide the support to help you remain in your home. Our work ranges from installing hand rails and ramps to renewing roofs, upgrading kitchens and installing level access showers.(
We may be able to help you if:
- live in Bournemouth and are a home owner or private tenant
- are over 60 years of age or
- have a disability or
- are on a low income
In most cases the help you receive from Help and Care will be free, but if you do need to make a contribution this will be explained and agreed with you before you sign anything.
We provide a complete one-stop service and aim to make sure that all work is completed smoothly with the miniumum of fuss. We can:
- Visit you at home to find out what kinds of adaptations, repairs or improvements your home needs
- Help you to apply for grants, loans, or provide you with details of any financial assistance that may be available to undertake works
- Liaise with other agencies, such as occupational therapists who may be involved in the work
- Provide a range of technical support including surveys, arranging for competitive quotes from our list of approved contractors and managing any works on your behalf
- Deal with any problems that arise, even after work is completed.
- Make you that you are getting all of the benefits, services and support that you are entitled to.
To find out how our Home Improvements Team can help you, call Help and Care on 0845 4500 418 or email on housing@helpandcare.org.uk Alternatively read our leaflet to find out more about our Home Improvement Agency.
There are a variety of different grants or loans available to assist you in undertaking works to your home. These may be dependent on your personal circumstances and the nature of the works that are requried. We can provide you with informaiton and advice, please contact us on 0845 4500 418 for assistance.
Disabled Facilities Grants
If someone living in your property is disabled, you may qualify for a Disabled Facilities Grant to help towards the cost of adapting your home. The grant is payable when your council considers the adaptations to your home are necessary and appropriate to allow the disabled person to continue to live there. This could include provision of a ground floor bathroom, stair-lifts, level-access showers, ramps or wider door openings.
Applications are considered on a mandatory basis for owner-occupiers and private tenants who confirm they intend to reside in the property and use it as their main residence for the next five years.The grant is, however, means-tested (unless the disabled person is under 19) and you may have to make a contribution towards the cost of the works.
Housing association and council tenants should contact their landlord in the first instance.
For more information on Grants and Loans, call Help and Care on 0845 4500 418.
Heating and Insulation Grants
If your home l;acks adequate heating or insulation, or your currnet heating system requires repair, you may qualify for a grant to make your home warmer and more energy efficient.
There are a number of national and local initiatives that offer grants to improve the warmth of your home. Help and CAre do no give grants directly although we can help you to apply for funding from other schemes. We can assist you with an application, process grants on your behalf and arrange surveyors and other technical assistance.
For more information, call Help and Care on 0845 4500 418.
Private Works
If you do not qualify for a grant or loan but still wish to undertake works to your property we can still help. Our technical staff can project manage your work for you, taking all the stresses away and ensuring you get the adaptions or building works that you want. We know how difficult it can be to undertake a building project; knowing where to find a reliable contractor, overseeing the work itself and making sure you get the end result that you want. Let us do it for you. Read more about how we can help.
Handiworks is a low-cost home repairs service for people over 60 and their carers who live in Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck. Read our leaflet to find out more about the service.
For a small annual fee and a low hourly rate, membership of the scheme provides Dorset residents with reliable help with minor DIY jobs around the home and takes the worry out of finding reliable contractors. Complete an application form and return it to us at;
Handiworks Application, Help and Care, 896 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH7 6DL.
Handiworks currently operates throughout North Dorset, Christchurch, East Dorset and the Purbecks.
(For residents of Poole and Bournemouth please see the section on Handiworks Plus)
No job is too small for Handiworks. Some of the work we do includes:
- small areas of plastering and tiling, cracks and holes filled
- fitting shelves
- easing doors and repairing windows
- draught proofing and insulation
- curtain tracks and blinds
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- replacing and repairing taps
- replacing ball valves
- washing machines plumbed in
- hand/grab rails
- key safes
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- changing light bulbs, switches and plugs
- door and window locks, chains and viewers
- smoke detectors
- and much, much more
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There are some jobs that we are unable to do, these include decorating, repairs to appliances, major electrical works, central heating breakdowns and work above step ladder height. However, we can provide details of skilled tradespeople who can.
Take a look at our Service Guide for more details including our Customer Charter and charges.
If you have already received a Handiworks Service complete our Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire and let us know about your experience.
Handiworks Plus is a new and improved scheme for Bournemouth and Poole residents, aimed at
providing older people, disabled people and carers with a safe and reliable home repairs
service by police checked contractors.
Handiworks Plus is an affordable home repair and maintenance service. Members of Handiworks Plus (residents of Bournemouth or Poole) can call one number 0845 4500 418 and report repairs or home maintenance jobs and we will arrange for an appropriate police checked contractor who is skilled in their trade to visit their home.
Handiworks Plus can help Bournemouth and Poole residents who are;
- Aged over 60
- Carers
- Disabled people
Works we can do include;
- Plumbing
- Carpentry
- Electrical Works
- Gardening
- Painting and Decorating
- Central Heating Repairs
- Safety and Security Works
Becoming a member of Handiworks Plus will give you peace of mind as all works are underaken by police checked contractors. Please see our Service Guide for all the benefits of becoming a Handiworks Plus member.
There is no call out fee for works
Our members only Support Advisor can;
- ensure you are getting all the financial benefits, services and support to which you are entitled
- advocate on your behalf to resolve any issues you may have with other service providers
- provide information on other services that are available to meet your needs
We will give you clear 'due by' dates to get jobs done
If you have any problems with the works we will sort them out on your behalf
We can assist you to access Help and Care's Home Improvement Agency for advice on larger scale adaptations to your home e.g. converting your bathroom to level access
We will send you a twice yearly newsletter providing you with information on local news and services.
Download our Service Guide , information about Membership Fees and Membership Form.
Email us with your name and address and we will send you more information.
Finding a good, reliable tradesperson (such as a builder, plumber, electrician etc) can be very difficult.
Help and Care manages the Fair Building Trades Scheme on behalf of the local Consumer Support Network. All tradespeople registered on the scheme have been checked by trading standards and have to comply to a code of practice. Read our leaflet to find out more.
If you are over 55, choose a contractor with confidence:
Call Help and Care on 0845 4500 418 or email contact@helpandcare.org.uk
ROOTS
Roots is a gardening service for older people in Bournemouth and Poole. Our Roots Garden Services Co-ordinator works with a team of volunteers in the gardens of older people who are otherwise unable to maintain them. This not only enhances the appearance of the property, but also improves safety in the garden and security of the property.
Unfortunately Roots is currently unable to take on any new clients. If you would like to speak to someone about Roots, or if you would like a gardener from the Fair Building Trades Scheme then please call Help and Care 0845 4500 418 Aternatively why not consider joining Handiworks Plus to use one of our police-checked gardeners.