0414 851 688 Make a referral

Somewhere to live · SIL

Supported accommodation

Supported Independent Living in a shared home, with staff on hand for as much or as little as you need, and housemates chosen on whether you will actually get on.

Make a referral Call 0414 851 688
Housemates serving a shared meal together around a bright kitchen table.

What it is

A home, not a placement.

Supported Independent Living means you live in a shared house with one to four other people, and support staff are there to help with daily life: cooking, personal care, medication, getting to appointments, sorting out a disagreement about the dishes. Depending on what people in the house need, staff might be there part of the day, all day, or overnight as well.

The single biggest predictor of whether SIL works is whether the housemates get on. So we match on compatibility, not vacancy: routines, noise, sleep patterns, pets, interests, whether someone wants a busy house or a quiet one. If we do not have a house where you would fit, we will tell you that rather than fill a bed.

SIL is the support. The house itself is separate. You may rent privately, through social housing, or live in Specialist Disability Accommodation. We can help you work through the difference.

What is included in SIL

  • Daily living support. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and the general running of the house, done with you rather than for you.
  • Personal care. Showering, dressing, continence and medication support, at whatever level you need.
  • Overnight support. Sleepover or active night staff where the people in the house need it.
  • Housemate matching. A structured process on compatibility, with meet-ups and an overnight stay before anyone commits.
  • Skill building. Cooking, budgeting, using public transport, managing your own appointments. Real independence, not busywork.
  • Community access. Support to keep your job, your course, your sport and your friendships going.
  • Health coordination. Working with your GP, allied health and specialists, and getting you to appointments.
  • Your own tenancy. Your room is yours. Your rules about who comes in, what is on the walls, and when you go to bed.

Not sure this is the right support? That is a normal place to start. Ring us on 0414 851 688 and describe an ordinary week. We will tell you which supports fit, including when the answer is a different provider.

Two people talking in a warm, window-lit lounge room of a shared home.

Working out what fits

SIL, SDA and MTA are three different things.

  1. Supported Independent Living (SIL)

    The support, funded in your Core budget. Covers the staff who help you live in a shared home. This is what we provide. It is quoted from a roster of care and reviewed annually.

  2. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

    The building. Purpose-built or modified housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Funded separately in your plan, and only if you are assessed as eligible. We do not own SDA, but we deliver SIL inside SDA homes and can work with SDA providers on your behalf.

  3. Medium Term Accommodation (MTA)

    Up to 90 days somewhere to live while your long-term home is being sorted, after a hospital discharge, a modification build, or a tenancy falling through. See our respite and short stays page.

Getting started

How it works

  1. You get in touch

    Call, email or send the referral form. Participants, families, support coordinators and allied health are all welcome. You do not need anyone's permission to contact us.

  2. We talk it through, free of charge

    What you need, when you need it, and what your plan funds. In person, on the phone or over video. We will be straight with you about what we can and cannot do.

  3. You meet your worker

    We shortlist support workers who suit your needs, your interests and your household. You meet them before anything is locked in.

  4. Support starts, and keeps adjusting

    We put it in writing, then check in at four weeks and quarterly after that. Change the hours, the days or the worker whenever you need to.

Paying for it

Where this sits in your NDIS plan

Core: Assistance with Daily Life (SIL) Your SIL funding, quoted from a roster of care based on the support the whole house needs.
Capital: SDA The dwelling itself, if you are assessed as eligible for Specialist Disability Accommodation.
Capacity Building: Improved Living Arrangements Support to find and keep housing, and to work through tenancy issues.

SIL is quoted, not priced off a menu. The amount depends on how many people share the house and what each of you needs. You also pay your own rent, food, utilities and a reasonable share of household costs, the same as any other tenant. We will set all of it out in writing before you decide.

Questions

Things people ask us

We start with a long conversation about how you actually live: when you sleep, how much noise you can stand, whether you want people around or your own space, pets, food, smoking, visitors, culture and faith. Then we introduce you to the household over several visits, including a meal and an overnight stay, before anyone commits. If it is not right, nobody has lost anything.

Vacancies change constantly, so ring us on 0414 851 688 for the current position rather than relying on a web page. If we do not have the right house for you, we will say so and, where we can, point you toward providers who might.

Yes. It is your room and it should look like your room. Most people bring their own bed, furniture and belongings. Anything structural, such as mounting a TV or changing fittings, needs the property owner's okay, which we will help you get.

It happens in every share house. Staff are trained to work through conflict, and we hold house meetings so things get raised early rather than festering. If a placement genuinely is not working we will support you to move rather than expect you to put up with it.

No. You can keep your existing therapists, support coordinator, GP and community supports. If you would like us to also provide your community participation support we are glad to, but it is not a condition of SIL and we will not bundle it.

Visitors are welcome. It is your home. We ask for a heads-up about overnight guests purely out of respect for the other people living there, the same courtesy you would expect in any share house.

We review your support with you at least annually, and any time something shifts. If you need more support we will re-quote the roster of care and help you evidence it for your plan review. If you need less, we say so, including if you are ready to move out into your own place.

Something not answered here? Call 0414 851 688 or send us a message. We would rather you asked.

You may also need

Other supports we provide

In-home support

Daily living, personal care, and building skills at home.

Learn more

Ready when you are

Let's talk about where you want to live.

No obligation, no sales pitch, and no charge for the conversation. If we are not the right provider we will say so.

Make a referral Call 0414 851 688