What Supported Independent Living Looks Like in a Shared Home

This article provides general information only about Supported Independent Living (SIL) under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It is not advice, it does not take account of the circumstances of any individual reader, and decisions about eligibility and funding rest with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

In summary, SIL is best understood as a funded roster of support inside a shared home. It is not the housing itself, and it does not guarantee social connection. How much independence and community a participant gains depends on how the support is directed day to day.

1. What SIL is, and what it is not

1. SIL is a category of NDIS funding for help with, or supervision of, daily tasks in a shared home, so that a participant can live as independently as possible.
2. SIL funds the support, not the dwelling. Day-to-day living costs such as rent, groceries and utilities are ordinarily the participant’s own responsibility and are not met by SIL funding.
3. SIL is distinct from Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), which relates to the design of the home for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. The rules for that category are set out in a separate article on Specialist Disability Accommodation.
4. SIL is also distinct from short or transitional housing arrangements, which are addressed in a separate article on medium-term accommodation.
5. SIL is not available to every participant. It may be included in a plan where the NDIA is satisfied that the support is reasonable and necessary for the participant’s goals.

2. A day in a shared home (a hypothetical)

Take a hypothetical shared home with three participants and a roster of support workers. This is an illustration only. It is not a description of any particular provider, and the actual pattern in any home depends on each participant’s plan.

Two points follow from the table.

1. Support may be shared between housemates for some tasks and individual for others. A roster that is shared by three people is not the same as three separate rosters, and a participant should understand which hours are theirs.
2. The right-hand column matters as much as the middle one. The NDIS guidance on home and living emphasises choice and control, and a home in which tasks are done for people rather than with them is not meeting that aim, however tidy it appears.

3. The social side

A shared home creates the possibility of connection. It does not create connection automatically. The following matters bear on whether it happens.

1. Existing relationships. Support to stay in touch with family, friends and community groups is commonly part of what a participant’s plan is directed towards.
2. Interests. Support to pursue hobbies, volunteering, study or work can be built into the roster, subject to the plan.
3. Housemates. The people a participant lives with shape most of their daily social life. A reader may reasonably ask how housemates are matched, whether the participant had a say, and what happens if the arrangement is not working.
4. Dignity of risk. Independence includes the right to make choices that others might not make. A provider should be able to explain how it balances safety with the participant’s right to decide.

A reader should treat any provider statistic about wellbeing, mental health or quality of life with care. A percentage with no named study or date is a claim to be asked about, not a finding.

4. The pathway, and what to confirm

The steps below are a general outline and may differ in individual cases.

1. SIL is raised during planning or a plan review. A participant who believes SIL may be appropriate should discuss it with their planner or Local Area Coordinator.
2. Supporting evidence, such as functional assessments from allied health professionals, may be requested to show why the support is needed.
3. A provider can work with the participant to create a roster of care, which describes the support the registered provider will deliver. It does not decide the amount or type of support funded; the NDIA decides that from the participant’s information and assessments.
4. The participant selects a provider. It is reasonable to confirm the provider’s registration status with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission before agreeing to any arrangement.
5. Before committing to a home, a participant or their family may wish to ask:

• how many people live in the home, and how housemates are chosen;
• how continuity of support staff is managed;
• how the participant’s choices and preferences are recorded and acted on;
• how complaints are handled and who can be contacted outside the provider.

Timeframes vary with the individual circumstances and the availability of providers, and this article does not predict them.

5. Other models

SIL is one of several ways the NDIS can support home and living. Some participants prefer to remain with family, to live in their own rental with individual support, or to use arrangements described in the NDIS guidance as Individualised Living Options. Each has different implications for privacy, cost and flexibility, and none is the correct choice for every person. A participant is entitled to ask the NDIA and their planner to explain the alternatives before settling on SIL.

Matters to confirm with the NDIA

Readers are referred to the NDIS Operational Guidelines on Supported Independent Living and to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission for current requirements. A participant, family member or nominee who requires an assessment of a specific situation is advised to contact the NDIA, a Local Area Coordinator or a registered support coordinator. Nothing in this article should be treated as a substitute for that advice.

Sources: NDIS Operational Guidelines, Supported Independent Living (https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding-ndis/about-ndis/our-guidelines); NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Provider registration (https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/provider-registration); National Disability Insurance Agency, NDIS (https://www.ndis.gov.au)