4.5.19.4 Determine reasonable home modifications

An Agent when determining the reasonableness of home modifications should take the following steps into consideration:

Initial home modifications meeting

The occupational therapist must provide the home assessment report to the Agent and the BPM Building Project Manager before the meeting.

The meeting includes the Occupational Therapist, BPM, worker and their family and Agent representative.

The meeting must occur within 10 business days of the BPM accepting the referral. The Agent should ensure they are involved in the home modifications to ensure the process is followed.

Determine reasonableness of modifications

Considerations from the OT Occupational therapy is a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to or are expected to do or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement . report should include:

whether the injury is stable/permanent
whether the modifications are required due to the work-related An injury/disease is work related if it arose out of or in the course of employment and the scope of employment. injury
whether there are any other suitable options or alternatives to modification
whether the worker will be returning to the home permanently.

Considerations from the BPM should include:

whether the home is suitable for the proposed modifications
options with regard to the modifications
the estimated cost of the modifications.

All aspects of the home modifications must be supported by the occupational therapist and BPM and be required as a result of the work-related injury or illness.

Reasonable home modifications

A request for home modifications may be reasonable when:

the worker meets the eligibility criteria outlined in the policy and
the OT and BPM report/s support the proposed modifications and
the home is able to be reasonably modified and
where applicable the home owner has agreed in writing for the modification to proceed and (in principle) to sign a Capital Services Agreement.

Unreasonable home modifications

If a home owner refuses to agree to home modifications or the home is unsuitable for modification, the worker should be advised of the alternatives, which are:

Agent contribution towards a semi-detached unit for the worker or
contribution to relocation costs (including real estate Agent and removalist fees) to enable the worker to move to a suitable home or a home that is able to be suitably modified.

The alternatives to home modification are available to workers who:

due to their work-related injury cannot reasonably access their home or
do not live in a home that can be reasonably modified.

If the worker refuses to accept the alternative modifications, the Agent should contact the WorkSafe Equipment Team at equipment@worksafe.vic.gov.au.

Building project manager

The BPM will provide the Agent with three quotes for the proposed modification or suitable alternative. The Agent should select the most appropriate quote when determining reasonable costs.

Determine liability

Liability must be accepted or rejected in writing to the worker once a determination is made. The letter must include:

what has been accepted/rejected
the respective contributions of the Agent/worker
the information relied upon in making the decision
any other information that is generally required in a formal notice.

The BPM must be informed of the Agent’s decision regarding liability. If liability is accepted the OT report and the acceptance should be forwarded to the BPM who will draft and return a project plan for the proposed work.

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