AQW 27729/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 27/05/2025
Answered On Date: 11/06/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health how many occupational therapists have received training on Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation design principles, to ensure appropriate age-friendly and accessible standards are included when considering housing adaptations as part of their assessment for the Disabled Facilities Grant.

Answer:

The principles of the Housing Aging Population for Innovation Design Principles (HAPPI) are embedded in core training provided to Occupational Therapists at undergraduate level in Ulster University.

However, there is no specific training related to HAPPI principles. Consequently, it is not possible to quantify the number of occupational therapists who have received training.

The Department has also worked with Ulster University in the development of a postgraduate module covering Housing Adaptations and Design for Community Living which is delivered for 20 Occupational Therapists each year. This module focuses on internal and external access to/from and within the home to help therapists identify design solutions to inform their clinical decision making as part of the assessment process for housing adaptations. It is relevant to all housing tenures and is not explicit to the assessment for Disabled Facilities Grant which is available for private sector homes only.