Supported Independent Living

Yes, our service is open to all.

SIL is the assistance you receive at home from support workers. The goal is to help you live as independently as possible. It can include physical supports such as helping you get in and out of bed every day, as well as any support you need to keep you safe at home. The SIL provider is the person or organisation that employs the support workers that help you.

Eligibility for SIL funding is not dependent 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 a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) property.

1. Low needs: Regular supervision of living arrangements.
2. Standard needs: Active assistance of most daily tasks, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
3. High needs: Continual and more complex active assistance to the individual.

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

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 in a location or with 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: Housing that allows for good physical access and 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.

Applying for SIL and SDA funding is complex, and we recommend engaging a Support Coordinator (link to our SC page). 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.

SIL funding pays for all on-site care services provided to you within the home. These include transfers in and out of bed, to and from a wheelchair (if required), toileting, showering, dressing and grooming, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping and meal preparation, meal time assistance etc.

NDIS SDA funding pays the SDA provider to provide and look after the ‘bricks and mortar’ of homes where CatholicCare residents live. The SDA provider is the owner/property manager of the home. They are responsible for repairs and maintenance of the home. SDA is funded by the NDIS under ‘Capital Supports’ and is paid directly to the housing provider by the NDIS.

Living Expenses:
50% of the participant’s Disability Support Pension + 100 Energy Allowances Living Expenses direct debit to CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay. This covers:

• Shared groceries (if the client uses the medically prescribed meal replacement, then the contribution will be reduced according to their individual circumstances)
• Household cleaning products
• Council, water, electricity bills
• Access to whitegoods and laundry facilities
• Furniture and furnishing in the common areas.

Rent Contribution:
25% of the participant’s Disability Support Pension + 25% of the Pension supplement + 100% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance. Rent is payable to a 3^rd party or direct debit to CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay. This covers:

• Reasonable repairs and maintenance (excluding repairs that can be directly attributed to damage by the resident)
• Building insurance (where applicable by ownership of lease condition).