Supported Independent Living

Supported Independent Living (SIL) FAQs

• What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?

  SIL is the assistance you receive at home from support workers that helps you live as independently as possible. It can include physical supports like helping you get in and out of bed every day, as well as any support you need to keep you safe at home.

  Eligibility for SIL funding does not depend on where you live. You may be eligible for SIL funding, whether you rent privately, own your own home, live with others, or live in Specialist Disability Accommodation.

  There are three levels of SIL funding:

  1. Lower needs: provides regular supervision of living arrangements.
  2. Standard needs: provides active assistance of most daily tasks, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  3. Higher needs: provides continual and more complex active assistance to the individual.

  The SIL provider is the person or organisation who employs the support workers that help you live as independently as possible at home. We are the SIL provider in all CPA homes.

• What is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?

  SDA refers to the physical ‘bricks and mortar’ of disability accommodation. Only people who have very high physical support or safety needs are eligible for SDA funding from the NDIS.

  SDA funding is to allow residents to pay rent to the person or organisation who owns the SDA building where they reside.

  While CPA is the SIL provider in all of our homes, the homes where vacancies are listed on our website are owned and/or managed by one of five independent SDA providers: CP Foundation, Compass Housing, Link Housing, Hume Housing or Evolve Housing.

• What are the levels of SDA and what do they mean for me?

  There are five levels of SDA. To determine which level you are eligible for, your Support Coordinator will arrange for you to receive an OT Functional Assessment and other assessments if required to support your application. They will then help you apply to the NDIS for an assessment of your individual SDA level.

  The five levels are:

  1. Basic – housing without special design features but with a location or other features that cater for the needs of people with disability and assist with the delivery of support services.
  2. Improved liveability – housing that has been designed to improve ‘liveability’. This includes a reasonable level of physical access and some features for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment, such as luminance contrasts, improved wayfinding or lines of sight for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
  3. Fully accessible – housing with a high level of accessibility for people with significant physical impairment, allowing wheelchair access to the bathroom, kitchen and external areas.
  4. Robust – Robust housing must allow good physical access and is also designed to be very resilient and safe. The design must include retreat areas for participants and staff, and the materials used must be impact resistant and reduce the need for repairs and maintenance.
  5. High physical support – housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical accessibility for people with significant physical impairment and requiring very high levels of support. New buildings must have structural provision for ceiling hoists, be assistive and communication technology ready, and have emergency power solutions and wider than usual door openings.

• How can I apply for SIL and SDA funding in my NDIS Plan?

  Applying for SIL and SDA funding is complex, and we recommend engaging a Support Coordinator. If you don’t already have one, contact your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) and let them know you need funding for a Support Coordinator to help you explore housing options.

  Your Support Coordinator will explore all housing options to identify the right housing to suit your individual goals and care needs. They will also help you gather all the evidence (including OT Functional Assessments and other specialist reports) to demonstrate the level of funded supports you need.

• Is it common to have SIL but not SDA funding?

  Yes. Many people will only receive SIL funding, and only some participants will receive both SDA and SIL funding.