TL;DR

We need to raise £57,000 to bridge the gap between a £30,000 Disabled Facilities Grant and the £87,000 cost of essential adaptations to our home. These works are required so our son Luke, who has complex disabilities, can live safely at home with us, his family, rather than face the risk of hospital or institutional care.

We are raising funds

To cover a £57,000 shortfall towards essential adaptations to our family home so that our son Luke can continue living at home.

Luke is 17 and has complex care needs. He is autistic, non-verbal, has epilepsy and significant learning disabilities. He requires constant supervision and support, day and night. Despite this, Luke is mostly settled at home, and as a family we are committed to keeping him with us for as long as possible.

Our current home is a small 2½-bedroom house and is no longer suitable for Luke’s needs. Moving house is not a practicable option due to the nature and intensity of his care, the adaptations required, and the stability he needs.

Following a full assessment by the local authority’s Occupational Therapist, it was determined that Luke requires:

- A dedicated and appropriately sized bedroom

- A safe downstairs de-escalation space

- A level-access shower, as his epilepsy makes standard bathing unsafe

To achieve this, an extension and internal reconfiguration are required. The total cost of the works is £87,000. We have been awarded the maximum Disabled Facilities Grant of £30,000, leaving a £57,000 gap that we must fund ourselves.

We have been navigating assessments and social care processes for over ten years in an increasingly challenging funding environment. Over the last two and a half years, we have personally funded and managed the design work, architectural drawings, planning permission, structural engineering and building regulations approvals required to make the project deliverable. Due to funding constraints, the local authority is unable to carry out or oversee the works, and no further statutory funding has been made available to us at this time.

In the meantime, difficult compromises have been made. A bedroom has been given up so Luke can have his own space, and the family now sleeps in shared living areas. Luke currently showers over a bath. While this is safer than bathing, it still carries risk due to his epilepsy, size and need for constant supervision. These arrangements are not sustainable long-term.

These adaptations are about providing the right environment for Luke to remain at home with us, his family, and to reduce the risk of him needing hospital or institutional care.

Any support you are able to give will go directly towards making this possible. If you are unable to donate, sharing this page is just as appreciated.

How the funds will be spent

All funds raised will go directly towards the building works required to meet Luke’s assessed needs, including:

- Demolition of the existing conservatory to make way for the extension

- Construction of a two-storey rear extension

- Reinstatement of a safe ground-floor deescalation space

- Reconfiguration of the first floor to accommodate bedrooms appropriately

- Relocation of the WC to create space for a level-access shower

- Installation of a level-access shower facility

Quotes, drawings and Occupational Therapist reports can be provided where appropriate.