Confused about Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Accessing home services under the NDIS can be a complicated thing.
We get tons of questions about how it all works. In this blog we’re going to answer those questions as best we can.
This is such a big topic we’ve had to cover it off in two blogs. Our other blog What is Supported Independent Living (SIL) answers:
- What’s the difference between Supported independent living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)?
- How do I get Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding?
- What kind of supports are offered in Supported Independent Living?
- How does the Supported Independent Living funding work?
- Is there a difference between Supported Accommodation and Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
- Why is it so hard to find a SIL house?
- Can you use your SIL funding in your own home or private rental?
So if you’re looking for the answers to those questions, make sure you check out our blog first.
If you’re looking for the answer to a different question, keep reading.
Do you have any disability housing vacancies near me?
Best way to check this is to head along to our vacancies page.
We provide housing to hundreds of Australians with disability in Queensland, so if you call the sunshine state home there’s a very good chance we have something near you.
We are also launching an initiative called My Home, My Life. This initiative will see more than $35m invested in refurbishing existing homes and building new accessible homes over three years.
You can submit an expression of interest for one of these new or renovated homes.
What do the acronyms mean?
If you’re new to the game it can be a bit confusing. Actually, even if you’ve been in this space for a while it can still be confusing.
But while you’re here, here’s a quick run-down:
- SIL = Supported Independent Living
- SDA = Specialist Disability Accommodation
- SC = Support Coordinator
- STA = Short Term Accommodation (used to be called respite)
What does the NDIS pay for, and what do I personally pay for?
This is another great question, and it has a relatively simple answer.
Would someone without disability be expected to pay for it? If so, chances are that it won’t be covered under the NDIS. The NDIS is designed to make sure that people don’t have to pay more for their homes because of their disability. In most instances, you will pay for rent and board, because someone without disability would be expected to pay for these costs out of their own money.
The NDIS funding for home services is called Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Supported Independent Living is the funding for support services, and the Specialist Disability Accommodation is the physical accommodation in which those services are delivered.
What is covered by rent and board?
Here’s a table that shows what typical living costs are included in “rent and board”.
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
|
Rent |
Independent activities outside of the house |
|
Household groceries |
Medications/medicated or specialised groceries |
|
Bills (including internet) |
Personal subscriptions (like Netflix) |
|
Basic kitchen appliances |
Specialised kitchen appliances |
|
Furniture in shared spaces |
Furniture in your bedroom |
|
Shared devices (like a TV) |
Personal devices |
How much does rent and board cost at Endeavour Foundation?
For the latest information, it’s best to get in touch with us.
We do our absolute best to make rent and board as affordable as possible. Our rent and board costs are never more than the base DSP amount.
How does it work for meals and cooking?
Great question!
This is something that differs from house to house. This is because different houses have different preferences. The decision on how this works is one that’s made by the housemates.
Most housemates choose to meal plan, shop, cook and eat together. Sometimes they like to make a roster and sometimes it’s a whole group effort. Dietary requirements and allergies are always factored in. While support is always readily available, it’s the housemates that get to make these decisions, not the support staff.
Of course, if someone in the house prefers to do their own shopping and cooking, that is perfectly fine and the house will most likely be able to cater to this.
I see that it says 24/7 support, what does this actually mean?
All our houses offer 24/7 support. This means that there is always someone in the house to help you out if you need it. We want you to feel safe and supported.
Some people hear 24/7 support and imagine staff in your space the whole time but this is very much not the case. The staff are there when you need them, but are very aware of giving you privacy and independence.
How does it work with household group activities?
We get this question a lot! It depends on whether the whole house is doing the activity or not.
If the whole house is doing the activity
If the whole house is going out to do an activity, the support costs for that activity would theoretically be covered under Supported Independent Living funding.
If not everyone is doing the activity
If some people in the house are wanting to do an activity, but others don’t, the activity most likely won’t be covered under Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding. This is because the Supported Independent Living supports are primarily based in the home, and if there are any housemates in the home the support staff member would need to remain there.
That’s not to say that the housemates can’t do that activity though. It would mean that they would have to use some of their other NDIS funding for community access.
Can I still use my own support worker?
Absolutely! Here’s how that works:
If the support worker is NOT being paid from your Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding
You can use any support worker you like. This is often the case for things like community access. The support worker does not need to be an Endeavour Foundation employee, even if the support is taking place inside the house.
If the support worker is being paid from your Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding
It will be an Endeavour Foundation employee supporting you.
What are the housemates like?
The best way to find out is to get in touch!
We don’t put any identifying information online to protect privacy, but we can chat to you in general terms if there’s a particular house you have your eye on.
We make sure you have plenty of opportunities to meet the housemates before you move in. As part of the Supported Independent Living process, you will complete a trial. This trial is a great opportunity to see how well you all get along before you decide to move in.
Getting along with your housemates is such an important thing, and we always make sure the house dynamics work for everyone who lives there.
If I move in and want to go to a Learning and Lifestyle Centre too, how do I get there?
Our Learning and Lifestyle hubs have safe transport options available. When they mapped out the transport routes they made sure that all the Endeavour Foundation houses were included in this plan.
I have a different question that you haven’t answered…
We would love to know!
You can get in touch with us by calling 1800 112 112 or emailing hello@endeavour.com.au
