Your adjustment and access needs

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Introduction and background

At Leeds Federated, our goal is to tailor our services to meet each customer’s individual needs effectively.

Within the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard set by the Housing Regulator landlords are required to:

  1. understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers, and additional support needs; and 
  1. assess whether their housing and landlord services deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants. 

Historically, while we have collected information on customers' disabilities, we haven't always collected details on specific adjustments needed to enable customers to access our services fairly.

Early in 2024, a project group was formed to look at what we currently do and how we can improve this to ensure we're providing customers with a service that meets their needs and our regulatory obligations.

Findings and way forward

The project group developed a Needs and Adjustments Policy to formalise our approach. We also agreed that new procedures needed to be introduced to ensure we were asking customers the right questions, recording the information in a meaningful way and ensuring it was accessible for all colleagues/contractors etc.

To support the procedures, we updated the housing management system we use. This will help us to record the adjustments each customer needs.

We:

  • updated and streamlined disability descriptors, ensuring consistency through a standardised pick list. We chose a pick list option to prevent ad hoc additions and to allow an element of consistency for reporting and monitoring.

  • made some changes to the way we record customers' advocate details and made it easier for colleagues to access this information to prevent unnecessary barriers for our customers.

Further information:

What is a reasonable adjustment?

A reasonable adjustment is where we make a change to the way we usually do something at Leeds Federated, to make sure any customer can access our services to the same level as anyone else. We don’t want customers to be at a disadvantage or miss out because we didn’t think about how their individual needs make it more difficult for them.  

How will we decide what is reasonable?

1. Effectiveness - We will think about how effective the adjustment is and if it fully meets the customer's needs.
For example, we wouldn’t arrange to translate something into sign language if a hearing-impaired customer didn't know sign language.  


2. Practicality - We will think about how practical the adjustment is.
For example, it wouldn’t be practical to install a wheelchair accessible toilet on every floor of our office, but we could make sure there was at least one accessible toilet available for wheelchair users.  


3. Cost - We will have to balance the cost of the request against the business need.
For example, if someone would only ever communicate with Leeds Federated by requesting a face-to-face appointment and lived a long way from the office, we may need to look at the cost of providing this option and whether there was a suitable alternative way to communicate.  


4. Disruption - We will consider how disruptive the adjustment would be.
For example, we may suggest a portable ramp for wheelchair users to access our offices rather than altering every step in the building.


 We will listen to what our customers need. We will be as flexible as we can be and where we can’t make an adjustment, we will be honest about that and look for an alternative solution.  

Examples of current reasonable adjustments

  • Letters in large print
  • Letters printed on pink or yellow paper
  • Allow extra time to answer the door or telephone
  • Knock loudly on the door
  • Telephone call prompt for appointments if someone won't hear a door knock
  • Visit in twos
  • Telephone interpretation
  • British Sign Language
  • Provide written instructions or visual cues
  • Repetition of key information
  • Preferred contact times for telephone calls  - am / pm / avoid school run times
  • Emergency evacuation assistance
  • Medication storage requirements

Introduction and background

At Leeds Federated, our goal is to tailor our services to meet each customer’s individual needs effectively.

Within the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard set by the Housing Regulator landlords are required to:

  1. understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers, and additional support needs; and 
  1. assess whether their housing and landlord services deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants. 

Historically, while we have collected information on customers' disabilities, we haven't always collected details on specific adjustments needed to enable customers to access our services fairly.

Early in 2024, a project group was formed to look at what we currently do and how we can improve this to ensure we're providing customers with a service that meets their needs and our regulatory obligations.

Findings and way forward

The project group developed a Needs and Adjustments Policy to formalise our approach. We also agreed that new procedures needed to be introduced to ensure we were asking customers the right questions, recording the information in a meaningful way and ensuring it was accessible for all colleagues/contractors etc.

To support the procedures, we updated the housing management system we use. This will help us to record the adjustments each customer needs.

We:

  • updated and streamlined disability descriptors, ensuring consistency through a standardised pick list. We chose a pick list option to prevent ad hoc additions and to allow an element of consistency for reporting and monitoring.

  • made some changes to the way we record customers' advocate details and made it easier for colleagues to access this information to prevent unnecessary barriers for our customers.

Further information:

What is a reasonable adjustment?

A reasonable adjustment is where we make a change to the way we usually do something at Leeds Federated, to make sure any customer can access our services to the same level as anyone else. We don’t want customers to be at a disadvantage or miss out because we didn’t think about how their individual needs make it more difficult for them.  

How will we decide what is reasonable?

1. Effectiveness - We will think about how effective the adjustment is and if it fully meets the customer's needs.
For example, we wouldn’t arrange to translate something into sign language if a hearing-impaired customer didn't know sign language.  


2. Practicality - We will think about how practical the adjustment is.
For example, it wouldn’t be practical to install a wheelchair accessible toilet on every floor of our office, but we could make sure there was at least one accessible toilet available for wheelchair users.  


3. Cost - We will have to balance the cost of the request against the business need.
For example, if someone would only ever communicate with Leeds Federated by requesting a face-to-face appointment and lived a long way from the office, we may need to look at the cost of providing this option and whether there was a suitable alternative way to communicate.  


4. Disruption - We will consider how disruptive the adjustment would be.
For example, we may suggest a portable ramp for wheelchair users to access our offices rather than altering every step in the building.


 We will listen to what our customers need. We will be as flexible as we can be and where we can’t make an adjustment, we will be honest about that and look for an alternative solution.  

Examples of current reasonable adjustments

  • Letters in large print
  • Letters printed on pink or yellow paper
  • Allow extra time to answer the door or telephone
  • Knock loudly on the door
  • Telephone call prompt for appointments if someone won't hear a door knock
  • Visit in twos
  • Telephone interpretation
  • British Sign Language
  • Provide written instructions or visual cues
  • Repetition of key information
  • Preferred contact times for telephone calls  - am / pm / avoid school run times
  • Emergency evacuation assistance
  • Medication storage requirements

  • Look out for our text message or email

    Share Look out for our text message or email on Facebook Share Look out for our text message or email on Twitter Share Look out for our text message or email on Linkedin Email Look out for our text message or email link

    From 11 November, we’ll be texting and emailing customers who we’ve not spoken to yet about any needs they have or adjustments they want us to make – like phoning before we visit, leaving extra time to answer the door or giving information in a different format.

    If you receive a text message or email, get in touch to tell us about any adjustments you need us to make. If you don’t need us to make any adjustments, you can just reply to confirm no changes are needed.

    If we’ve not spoken to you about adjustments you might need and you haven’t received a text message or email, don’t worry we’ll be sending more over the next few months. You can also update your own details anytime by:

    • Logging into MyAccount
    • Calling us on 0113 386 1000 and choosing option 4
    • Emailing us at hello@leedsfed.com – make sure you include your full name and address, as well as what you need from us and why

  • Our new website includes an accessibility toolbar

    Share Our new website includes an accessibility toolbar on Facebook Share Our new website includes an accessibility toolbar on Twitter Share Our new website includes an accessibility toolbar on Linkedin Email Our new website includes an accessibility toolbar link

    Last week we launched our new Leeds Federated website. We hope you like it and you can find what you need more easily. We've added an accessibility toolbar to the new website. The new toolbar allows you to change the website and any downloads into a format that works better for you - whether that's increasing the font size, changing the font, adding a screen mask, translating the content into another language or reading it aloud.

    Visit our website to try out the toolbar. If the toolbar isn't showing for you, all you need to do is click on the person icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the website to turn it on!

    Accessibility isn’t just good practice it’s essential. By removing digital barriers we’re making our services are more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.


  • Get in touch to update your details

    Share Get in touch to update your details on Facebook Share Get in touch to update your details on Twitter Share Get in touch to update your details on Linkedin Email Get in touch to update your details link

    Thanks to everyone who’s already told us about any needs or adjustments that can help. So far, we've been in touch with 432 customers to find our what needs they have or adjustments they need us to make.

    If you want to tell us about any needs you have or adjustments you’d like us to make so you can benefit more from our services, you can:

    • email us at hello@leedsfed.com with your full name and address to let us know what you need from us and why. We will try to make this happen and where we can’t, we will let you know. 

    • call us on 0113 386 1000 and choose option 4

Page last updated: 03 Dec 2025, 01:34 PM