Application Support – Helping Hands

The Helping Hands team receives over 500 expressions of interest for garden makeovers every year. Sadly, although we would like to reach everybody, this isn’t possible.  To ensure that we are reaching the families who need our help the most, we have set up an online application process to guide families and health care professionals in understanding whether they are eligible to apply for our service and to give us the necessary information we require.

Who can apply for a Helping Hands makeover:

If you are interested in applying for a Helping Hands project to provide a safe, accessible, sensory garden for a child or young person, please complete our short eligibility form to check whether they meet our criteria.

Applications can be completed by either:

• A parent or main carer for the child or young person.
• A health, social care, education or charity professional who is involved in the ongoing care and support for the child or young person.

What type of help can I apply for?

WellChild may be able to provide help to make a garden safe, accessible and sensory for a child or young person by completing a Helping Hands project.

Please note that WellChild cannot complete work:

• Which is unsuitable for unskilled volunteers to complete, for example brickwork, retaining walls, or installing large areas of patio slabs, or concrete.
• Which includes structural changes to the house, such as an extension or conservatory.
• If there is an outstanding Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) application or building work which will affect the garden, for example an extension for a ground floor bedroom or bathroom. Please wait until this work has been completed before you apply for a Helping Hands project.

What do I need to do to apply?

If you are a parent, main carer, health or social care professional for the child or young person, here are the things that you will need before you complete the application form:

• Complete our eligibility form to find out if you are eligible to apply in just a couple of minutes. If you are eligible, you will receive a unique reference number – please note you will not be able to complete an Application Form without this number.
• Details of the property owner if that isn’t you.
• Details for a health or social care professional who is involved in the ongoing care of the child or young person, who can support your application.
• A minimum of two photographs of the garden which you are applying for help with, one taken from standing just outside the back door looking down the garden, and another taken standing at the bottom of the garden looking back towards the house.

You will not be able to submit your application unless you have included all of the above. If you need any help or guidance on what to include, please contact us before you start your application. Email the team [email protected] and someone will get back to you.