While quite similar, Specialist Disability Accommodation is the funding for the accommodation in which those services are delivered.

An SDA provider:

Provides for the actual house, similar to a landlord or property management agency. SDA is (mostly) used when someone has very high needs. It’s designed to ensure that people don’t have to pay more for their homes because of their disability. (It’s worth noting that only a small percentage of NDIS participants will get SDA funding in their plan).

A SIL provider:

Manages the actual support workers. A SIL provider supplies the workers to support people in the house with daily living tasks. The focus is on developing the participants’ skills so that they can live as independently as possible.

Structured break down:

Can a provider be both?

Absolutely. The Endeavour Foundation is an example of an organisation that is both a SIL provider and SDA provider.

To be applicable to receive SIL funding from the NDIS, it needs to be deemed reasonable and necessary. You will need to explain why to your planner. To have a chance of success we recommend that you:

Be Prepared

The more preparation you do, the better your chances of receiving your best funding package.

Be thorough

An important factor when attending your meeting is that the NDIS Planner does not know you or what you’re after. Explain everything. Be thorough. If your needs are urgent or pressing, you must express this clearly.

The funding is applied individually. The supports may be shared amongst everyone in the house.

A provider will put in a quote for each person within the house. They will examine what their typical week looks like.

The NDIS will cover the reasonable and necessary costs of SIL, including SIL supports. In most situations, the SIL provider will liaise directly with the NDIS.

While it does depend on the level of support required, SIL funding is divided into three levels. It also depends on how many people live in the shared setting. There are three levels available;

Lower need: Provides supervision of living arrangements. Not full time (24/7)

Standard need: Provides full-time support. Supervision of most daily tasks, overnight sleepovers

Complex need: Provides highly frequent assistance to the individual with continual assistance with all daily tasks. Includes managing challenging behaviours that require intensive support. Managing complex medical needs, full-time active support including overnight.

For full descriptions of these categories, please consult the NDIS Price Guide

No. This support was called Supported Accommodation before the NDIS came in. Now it’s officially called Supported Independent Living.

There are many requirements, such as;

The ratio needs to be right
In your assessment, they will determine the support worker to housemate ratio. That can be anywhere from 1:1 or 1:7. Everyone in the house will need to have similar ratios to be compatible.

An Occupational Therapist (OT) needs to approve the house for you
The OT will do an assessment to understand your requirements in a living arrangement. This will help form part of the SIL application. An OT won’t approve each property, however, the assessment they do will in part, determine whether a customer can be accepted for a property.
You will most likely work with your Support Coordinator to achieve this.

You need to be compatible with the other tenants
Like with any house, the people in the house need to be compatible with each other. You wouldn’t move in to a house where you aren’t compatible with people. It’s the same with the NDIS.
It’s rare but people may be approved for two support workers if the NDIS deems it reasonable and necessary.

The most important person that you will need help from is the Support Coordinator. They’re paid by the NDIS to help you through the process and communicate directly with allied health and service providers. They do most of the work. It’s rare for someone to be approved for Supported Independent Living without Support Coordinator funding.

Supported Independent Living funding can be used in many places including private rentals, special disability accommodation, a house you own, shared or group accommodation and housing through the department of housing and other similar services.