Local authority occupational therapists (OTs) have seen increasing demand and are struggling to meet people's needs.
Those were among the findings of a Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) survey of the workforce, which was conducted from November 2024 to January 2025 but whose findings were released this week.
The research received responses from 321 local authority OTs, a large majority of whom (80%) reported working in social care.
Most OTs face increasing demand
Over four in five respondents (83%) said there had been an increase in demand for their services over the previous 12 months, above the rate for all OTs who answered the survey (67%).
Also, just over half of councils OTs (52%) reported being "unable to provide equipment or adaptions when needed", which was also higher than the average for the whole sample (33%).
They also highlighted relatively high waiting times for their services, with 15% saying these were 12 months or more and the most common response being 3-6 months, compared to less than 12 weeks for the full cohort of survey respondents.
£50m boost to disabled facilities grant funding
The news followed the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) announcing a £50m boost to disabled facilities grant (DFG) funding, taking the total for 2025-26 to £761m.
DFGs fund home adaptations for disabled people, such as widening doors, installing ramps or putting in stairlifts, up to a maximum cost of £30,000, on a means-tested basis. OTs generally assess people for DFGs and determine eligibility.
Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the funding boost "could support around 5,000 more people to make these vital changes to their homes so they can remain independent and comfortable rather than face a hospital stay or a move into residential care".
Investment in OTs urged
However, while welcoming the increase, both the RCOT and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) warned that its impact would be limited without additional investment in OTs.
For the college, director of practice and innovation Karin Orman said: "Without urgent investment in occupational therapists too, people risk waiting longer for expert assessments, which means people can get the changes they need to make their homes safe and accessible. Without occupational therapists, the right support can’t reach the people who need it most, when they need it."
ADASS chief executive Sally Burlington said: "Our members tell us that occupational therapy services who are administering the grant still face multiple challenges such as increasing demand, lengthy administration processes including unnecessarily lengthy paperwork, restrictions on what the money can be spent on, and limits to how much can be spent per person meaning local authorities can’t support people quickly enough with this grant."
As well as boosting investment in OTs, Burlington called on the government to urgently complete and publish a review of the £30,000 funding limit, which has been in place since 2008. She said this would "ensure the grant can go further to improve people’s health and wellbeing".
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