Supported Independent Living

Supported Independent Living with the NDIS can include:

• Help with personal care activities, such as showering, dressing, grooming and toileting

• Help with building skills for everyday life, such as preparing healthy meals, cooking, cleaning your home and developing an everyday routine
• Help with actioning any behaviour support plans you may have in place
• Help with developing social skills so you can engage with others
• Support with supervision, personal safety and security, including 24/7 support
• Support with taking medication and attending medical appointments

• Transport to and from community access activities, according to your preference (e.g. attending hydrotherapy sessions or visiting your friends and family away from home)

Supported Independent Living does not include everyday living costs such as:

• the cost of groceries
• the cost of rent, board or lodging
• utilities such as electricity, phone, water, gas or internet
• vehicle costs

It also does not include:

• supports such as household budgeting or bill paying activities

• expenses related to holidays, such as travel costs
• supports that are more appropriately funded or provided by another service system (e.g. paid personal supports when you are admitted to hospital)
• day-to-day living expenses
• health-related supports such as nursing, medical, palliative care

If you think you need another type of NDIS support, we’d love to help. Please give us a call on 1300 875 377 for a free consultation.

Whether you are familiar with the NDIS or beginning your disability care journey, you may have come across the terms SIL and SDA and wondered how they relate to each other.SIL stands for Supported Independent Living and SDA stands for Specialist Disability Accommodation. Both of them are related to disability accommodation, but they are different.

Specialist Disability Accommodation is housing that enables people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs to live comfortably and receive their daily supports. It can include shared supported accommodation, community residential units, or self-contained homes that are fitted with specialist housing solutions.

Supported Independent Living refers to the on-site support services you receive to help you live independently. If you require both SDA and SIL because of your disability, the NDIS will fund them separately. This is to give you more choice and control, as you can choose to live in an accommodation that you like, and access another SIL provider that suits your needs.

Supported Independent Living is designed for people who have higher support needs because of their disability. This might mean you require care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or that you need a significant amount of help throughout the day  to live independently. You can access SIL services if you live on your own, or if you live in shared accommodation with other NDIS participants.

The process of getting SIL starts with providing information to the NDIA through your NDIS planner. This will help determine which home and living supports will suit your needs best, and your eligibility. You may have to provide the following information:

• your current circumstances, along with your goals
• where you live now, and the future home and living goals you want to pursue
• what supports you are currently receiving, and what you might need in the future
• what home and living supports you have explored in the past
• your independent living skills, and how you could build on them
• your everyday support needs
• assessments or reports from registered allied health professionals or a behavioural support practitioner that describe your functional capacity (you may be asked to get an assessment if you haven’t done one already)
• other information about your support needs

Once you are approved for SIL funding, you will get a copy of your plan, outlining how much funding you have, and the hours/ratios of support you can access.Then it’s time to choose which provider you would like to provide you with SIL support. You can talk to your support coordinator for help, or your friends and family. If you would like to explore your Independent Living options under the NDIS with Home Caring, please get in touch for a free consultation.

Your Supported Independent Living support will generally continue each year – unless your situation, disability support needs or living goals change.

Once you have chosen your SIL service provider, you will make a service agreement for your Supported Independent Living supports. This is an agreement between both of you that sets out what supports you have agreed to, and how they will be provided. It should also include how Supported Independent Living providers will deliver your support.When you make a service agreement, it is also a good time to discuss the price of your SIL supports, your provider’s responsibilities, how long the agreement goes for, how it can be changed, how you and your provider will resolve disputes, and the amount and intensity of your supports.

Yes you can. SIL is not just for NDIS participants in shared accommodation with housemates. You can access Independent Supported Living support while living in your own house or apartment, a private rental, accommodation provided through the Department of Housing or other accommodation options.

Everyone’s needs are different. Supported Independent Living funding is split into three different levels, which depend on how much support you need and the number of people living together. The 3 levels available are:

• Lower need – support or supervision that is not usually provided 24/7
• Standard need – this is 24/7 support, including active assistance and/or supervision of everyday tasks
• Complex need – highly level of assistance to individuals, such as managing behaviours, continual active assistance with all daily tasks, complex medical needs, 24/7 and overnight care.

To help you manage your SIL services, the NDIS will also provide funding for a Support Coordinator. They will help you understand, process and implement the funded supports in your plan – including linking you to community, mainstream and other government services – so you have genuine choice and control over the way you are supported.You have choice over who is your Support Coordinator, so it’s worth taking the time to choose someone who you trust. Qualities to look for include:

• Someone who listens and puts you first – they should respect your decisions and work with you to develop a mix of supports you are happy with.
• Someone dedicated to great service – look for someone who is committed to treating you as an individual and doing their best for you
• Someone who is knowledgeable about the NDIS – they need to understand the scheme’s rules, Price Guide and be on top of any changes that occur
• Someone who is local – if a Support Coordinator is familiar with your area, they’ll be better equipped to connect you to great local services
• Someone who communicates well – the NDIS involves a lot of reporting, so it’s important for your Support Coordinator is a good communicator so they can advocate effectively for you.

If there is a significant change to your situation or your support needs, you can ask the NDIA to review your plan. They will require current information about your situation and disability support needs to do this.