Contents
- Introduction
- The Equality Act 2010
- Offering Reasonable adjustments
- Requesting a reasonable adjustment
- Version control
Introduction
This procedure is viewing ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ in the context of Bassetlaw District Council Housing providing ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ as a service provider to remove barriers of access between its tenants, residents or people wishing to access their housing services. The Council’s commitment to ensuring that everybody has equal access is set out in the Council’s Customer Standards and The Equality & Diversity Strategy 2021-2025. This procedure sets out the measures in place to ensure fair, consistent, and equal access to our housing services for all customers.
This document is a Housing procedure under the Council’s corporate Vulnerability & Reasonable Adjustments Policy. Where there is any inconsistency, the corporate policy prevails. Housing may apply stricter standards where required by landlord regulation or statutory time frames.
Where an individual may not have equal access to our services, for example if they have a disability or are unable to access an office facility due to lack of technology or transport, we are willing to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to remedy this potential barrier to accessing our landlord services. This procedure is not exclusively intended for people who have disabilities- it is a statement of intent showing the Council Housing Services flexibility and adaptability to all customers, in ensuring equal service access. This procedure does not seek to explain how we will approach every situation; it is intended as a general statement of our policy and:
- Confirms our commitment to improving accessibility for everybody that we deal with
- Sets out some of the basic principles of our commitment to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled people
- Sets out the factors that we will consider in dealing with requests for reasonable adjustments.
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides a legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and to advance equality of opportunity for all. Bassetlaw District Council is a public authority and service provider under the Equality Act 2010 and is subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty. We will meet our duty and follow the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Services, Public Functions and Associations Code of Practice.
Under the Act the legal duty to make reasonable adjustments arises in three circumstances:
- Where there is a provision, criterion or practice which puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter in comparison with persons who are not disabled
- Where a physical feature puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled
- Where a disabled person would, but for the provision of an auxiliary aid, be put at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled.
Substantial disadvantage is defined in the Equality Act 2010 s.212(1) as ‘more than minor or trivial’.
Definitions for reasonable adjustments and vulnerability are as set out in the corporate Vulnerability & Reasonable Adjustment policy following the Equality Act 2010 and EHRC Services Code. This procedure implements those definitions in Housing contexts.
Offering reasonable adjustments
Housing follows the corporate Recognise–Record–Respond approach; the steps below show how this works in landlord services.
At each contact, officers must state any existing reasonable adjustments being used and ask whether any additional support needs or adjustments are required (for example, communication, appointments, access). This is not for the purposes of reconfirming an existing need, but simply to ensure existing adjustments are appropriate and identify any new ones. Always safely record and share agreed actions so that customers do not need to repeat sensitive information in the future. Share only what officers and contractors need to know to deliver the agreed adjustment; and ensure you as an officer review and update records periodically.
What reasonable adjustments can the housing service offer?
There is no prescribed list of reasonable adjustments which the Housing Service can provide to ensure equal access; the adjustment will depend on the individual’s needs. The Housing Service will discuss the requirements with the person concerned and seek to reach agreement on what may be reasonable in the circumstances. Avoid making assumptions about whether a person requires any reasonable adjustments or about what those adjustments should be. Instead, officers should seek to anticipate the need of the person based on prior or emergent information and check with them if it is appropriate unless this has already been confirmed. In many situations, a reasonable adjustment will be identified in by an officer working within the Housing Service, and this should be recorded in accordance with our Recognise-Record-Respond model.
For example:
A tenant arrives at reception and wishes to discuss a letter they are having trouble reading due to reduced eyesight. The officer at reception checks if larger font would be helpful and the tenant confirms it would be. A letter with larger font is produced and after the interaction the officer safely records that this tenant has reduced eyesight, with a note that future letters should be typed in a larger font, and alternate methods of contact may be required. This ensures an officer who checks the tenant’s information for in future is aware and can also make this reasonable adjustment.
Some examples of the adjustments that staff can make include:
- provision of auxiliary aids
- provision of information in appropriate alternative formats (e.g. large print, Braille, coloured paper etc)
- use of email or telephone in preference to hard copy letters
- use of plain English or Easy Read service
- communication through a representative or intermediary
- customer service staff assisting to fill out forms
How do we decide what is reasonable?
The Equality Act does not define what is ‘reasonable’ but guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission Suggest that the most relevant factors are:
- The effectiveness of the adjustment(s) in preventing or reducing the disadvantage for the disabled person who is trying to access the Housing Service.
- The practicality of us, as the Housing Service, in making the adjustments taking our environment, staff and resources into consideration.
- The availability of our resources including external assistance and finance.
- Any disruption to the Housing Service that making the adjustment may cause.
Effectiveness
The adjustment provided by the Housing Service should be designed to fully address the disadvantage it is meant to overcome. For example providing an audio version of documents may not properly overcome the barriers faced by the disabled person if there are other requirements that need to be overcome, for example if the customer also has a hearing impairment. This also highlights the crucial role effective record taking and keeping plays. If important information is already on our systems, whether taken at sign up or during a routine visit, adjustments made can be as effective as possible due to correct and up-to date information being held.
Practicality
It may not be possible for us to provide additional time to customers if there are legislative deadlines to meet. For example, a gas service is a required service and by law has to occur – we can try to work with the tenant to ensure the appointment and it’s time are as convenient as possible for the tenant, but we cannot allow these appointments to be over-due to an extent the boiler then becomes non-compliant.
Resources
For an adjustment to be reasonable, it should be effective. However, it is important to remember that an adjustment which is deemed effective, may not be considered reasonable. For example resourcing is not just about the cost, but it may involve other factors for example recruiting additional staff with specific skills. If an adjustment costs a significant amount, it is more likely to be reasonable to make the adjustment if the organisation has substantial financial resources.
The reasonableness of an adjustment will be evaluated against the resource available to our Service. In practice many reasonable adjustments involve little or no cost or additional resourcing requirements and are relatively easy to implement.
In changing policies, criteria or practices we are not required to change the basic nature of the service we offer.
Potential disruption to Housing Service activities
For example, it would not usually be reasonable for a caseworker to cease work on all other cases and devote all their time to one person as others will inevitably suffer. The amount of extra time provided must therefore be ‘reasonable’ in all circumstances.
Monitoring
Housing contributes data to the Council’s corporate vulnerability and reasonable adjustments monitoring as outlined in the Vulnerability and Reasonable Adjustments policy.
Requesting a reasonable adjustment
In the first instance, for reasonable adjustments to be applied by staff, it is important that all necessary and relevant information regarding vulnerabilities and mental and physical health issues are provided to the Council so this can be stored on your tenancy file, ensuring all officers who may wish to make contact with you can view this information and ensure adjustments are applied accordingly.
We will let people know that we can provide reasonable adjustments, for example in the following ways:
- By including a paragraph in written communications (e.g. complaint acknowledgement letters)
- By asking whether a reasonable adjustment might be required over the telephone during regular communications
- By including a note in our published documents indicating that we can provide the document in an alternative format on request
- By publishing our procedure on our website
Complaints
If you are dissatisfied with how a reasonable adjustment has been handled by the Housing Service, you may use the formal complaints process and, if unresolved, the Housing Ombudsman route.
Version Control
Version No. 1.2 - 12.03.2026.
Contact: Housing.Customer-Services@bassetlaw.gov.uk
Owning Department: Housing Strategy & Engagement.
Next Review Date: 30/09/2026.
Last Updated on Monday, April 13, 2026