The problem most people come to us with
Almost nobody starts by wanting a level-access shower. People start because washing has become difficult, frightening or undignified. A bath that used to be fine is now too high to climb over. A shower over the bath means holding on to something that was never meant to take your weight. Someone is helping a parent in and out of a bathroom that simply is not designed for it.
The next problem is process. You are told to contact the council. You are told there is a wait for an Occupational Therapist. You are not sure who to ring, what to say, or what information they need — and in the meantime, nothing changes in the bathroom.
We can look at the difficulty you are having, set out the practical options, and — with your authority — take the conversation with the council off your hands.
What Bathroom Adaptations Ltd can do for you
- 1Assess the difficulty you are actually having — getting in and out of the bath, standing in a shower, stepping over a threshold, or managing safely on your own.
- 2Assess the existing bathroom: layout, floor construction, walls, drainage and what is practically possible in the space.
- 3Document the proposed straightforward adaptation in writing, with measurements and a clear specification.
- 4Obtain your written authority before we communicate with anyone on your behalf.
- 5Submit the measurements, photos and specification to the relevant council or HSCP.
- 6Liaise with council staff and answer their technical questions about the proposed work.
- 7Request direct-access consideration where the adaptation is genuinely straightforward and that route is appropriate.
- 8Install the adaptation once the appropriate route has been agreed.
Do I need an Occupational Therapist?
Not every straightforward adaptation needs the same assessment route. The final Scottish Government guidance, published 17 January 2023, recommends maximising direct access to standardised solutions where needs are straightforward and non-complex. Its housing chapter and key actions specifically discuss standard shower adaptations in local-authority and housing-association homes. This is guidance for service pathways, not automatic permission, a funding award or a guarantee that a local direct-access route is available. Ask your council or landlord which assessment route applies; complex needs may require an OT or another specialist.
The guidance is issued under section 53 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014: the relevant public bodies must have regard to it. That is not the same as every recommendation being a new legal entitlement. Its proposals for wider tenure-neutral provision and removing owner-occupier grant applications should not be read as a universal current right to fully funded work.
Being straight with you: this does not mean OTs are unnecessary, and it does not mean the council must do what we suggest. Councils and Integration Authorities keep their own eligibility and funding decisions, local processes differ, and complex or specialist cases may quite properly need an Occupational Therapist or other specialist involvement. Where we think your situation is complex, we will say so and support that route rather than push around it.
Private work, funding and landlord consent
An owner can ask BAL to survey and quote for privately commissioned work separately from a council funding application. The scope must still suit the person and property, and any required permissions must be checked. A tenant should contact their landlord and obtain the necessary written consent before commissioning alterations. If you want grant help, obtain the funder's written approval before work starts rather than assume privately arranged work will be reimbursed. BAL's practical survey is not an OT assessment or a funding decision.
For an assessment enquiry, have your postcode, ownership or tenancy status, the difficulty using the bathroom, any existing recommendations and any council or landlord reference ready. Photos and measurements can help describe the room; share personal or clinical information only when needed for the agreed process.
What we are — and what we are not
- We are not an Occupational Therapy service and we do not carry out OT assessments.
- We do not say nobody needs an OT — complex or specialist needs should go to an OT or other specialist, and we will tell you when we think that applies.
- We cannot approve a council grant or guarantee funding. Those decisions belong to the council or Integration Authority.
- A council does not have to accept our recommendation.
What we are is a specialist accessible bathroom installer based in Hamilton. We assess straightforward, non-complex practical adaptation needs, help you engage the council or direct-access process, escalate genuinely complex needs appropriately, and carry out the installation once the route is agreed.
How the process runs
1. You tell us the difficulty
A call or the form below. No jargon needed.
2. We assess the bathroom
Free visit — layout, floor, walls, drainage, options.
3. We classify and specify
Straightforward or complex, and the adaptation that fits.
4. You give written authority
Only then do we contact anyone on your behalf.
5. Council liaison where applicable
Specification, photos, measurements and technical answers.
6. Installation
Once the appropriate route is agreed — council-funded or private.
Request an Adaptation Assessment
Tell us what you are struggling with and we will arrange a free assessment visit. This form is an enquiry only — it does not give us authority to contact your council or share your details with anyone.
Common questions about council bathroom adaptations
Do I need an Occupational Therapist for a bathroom adaptation in Scotland?+
Not every straightforward adaptation needs the same assessment route. The final Scottish Government guidance, published 17 January 2023, recommends maximising direct access to standardised solutions where needs are straightforward and non-complex. Its housing chapter and key actions specifically discuss standard shower adaptations in local-authority and housing-association homes. This is guidance for service pathways, not automatic permission, a funding award or a guarantee that a local direct-access route is available. Ask your council or landlord which assessment route applies; complex needs may require an OT or another specialist.
Can Bathroom Adaptations Ltd deal with the council for me?+
Yes, with your written authority. We assess the difficulty you are having and the practical options in your existing bathroom, document the proposed adaptation, and then — once you have given us written authority to act on your behalf — contact the relevant council or Health and Social Care Partnership, submit measurements, photos and specification, and answer their technical queries. We are not an Occupational Therapy service and we cannot approve or guarantee any council funding.
I am already waiting for an OT assessment. Is it worth contacting you?+
It can be. We can survey the practical bathroom options now. With your written authority, the specification can be put to the council or landlord to ask whether a suitable direct-access route exists. This does not replace their assessment or promise a shorter wait. Complex needs may require an OT or another specialist.
Does asking for an assessment commit me to anything?+
No. The assessment enquiry is just a request for us to look at the bathroom and the difficulty you are having. Nothing is shared with your council until you have separately given us explicit written authority to contact them on your behalf.
What if the council does not agree with the proposed adaptation?+
The council or landlord decides whether the proposed work meets its assessment and funding requirements. BAL cannot approve an award. A separately commissioned private option may be possible, but suitability and required permissions still need checking; tenants must obtain the necessary landlord consent.
Does the guidance guarantee direct access or full funding?+
The guidance is issued under section 53 of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014: the relevant public bodies must have regard to it. That is not the same as every recommendation being a new legal entitlement. Its proposals for wider tenure-neutral provision and removing owner-occupier grant applications should not be read as a universal current right to fully funded work.
How is privately commissioned work different from a funded adaptation?+
An owner can ask BAL to survey and quote for privately commissioned work separately from a council funding application. The scope must still suit the person and property, and any required permissions must be checked. A tenant should contact their landlord and obtain the necessary written consent before commissioning alterations. If you want grant help, obtain the funder's written approval before work starts rather than assume privately arranged work will be reimbursed. BAL's practical survey is not an OT assessment or a funding decision.
Which councils do you deal with?+
We work across Lanarkshire, Glasgow and Central Scotland, so most enquiries involve South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, East Kilbride's South Lanarkshire area, Falkirk, Stirling, West Lothian or the surrounding partnerships. Tell us your postcode and we will confirm which council or HSCP covers you.
Sources and checks
Sources checked 14 October 2026 (). Guidance and local procedures are not a personal funding decision.
- Scottish Government: final equipment and adaptations guidance, published 17 January 2023
- Assessment and provision: straightforward, non-complex direct access
- Adaptations and housing solutions: tenure, assessment and proposed improvements
- Summary of key actions: standard housing-association adaptations, including showers
- Statutory responsibilities and policy context
- Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, section 53
- Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 73: mandatory assistance
- Scheme of Assistance Regulations 2008, regulation 3: qualifying essential work
- Scheme of Assistance Regulations 2008, regulation 4: minimum percentage grants
- Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 76: approved expense
- Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, section 79: grant amount