We are in the midst of a unique crisis that poses a particularly significant threat to the lives of people with disability and complex needs. Many of the people we support are already susceptible to chest infections and pneumonia because of their limited mobility. COVID-19 makes this threat considerably greater when people are stuck in hospital.
WELCOME TO OUR 2020 Autumn UPDATE
These are challenging and uncertain times for all due to the continuing spread of COVID-19.
We are changing the way we work to help ensure the health and wellbeing of everyone that we work with.
The entire team is now working from home and we are working hard to deliver many of our planned face-to-face events online. See our events page for details.
While our staff are now working from home we continue to be available to support you. You can contact us via email.
Our existing and on-going relevant projects include:
For hospital staff working with people with disability being discharged to the community:
- NDIS and discharge planning info and resources for hospital staff
- Leaving Hospital Well Community of Practice
For housing providers, housing seekers and the people supporting them:
For support coordinators and allied health professionals supporting people with disability and complex needs living in the community:
The NDIA has also created an information page to help prepare and support NDIS participants and providers at this time.
An NDIS Housing Options project is being run by the Summer Foundation for Queensland and WA this year.
This project aims to explain the housing options and supports possible under the NDIS to people with disability and housing providers.
It will also help everyone better understand the housing needs of NDIS participants including the needs of people who would be eligible for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
Over the next 12 months, the Summer Foundation will be working to provide:
- Information for people with disability about housing options
- Information for housing providers about NDIS
supports and SDA - Events to inform and connect NDIS participants and housing providers
- Special support for NDIS providers seeking to provide SDA in Indigenous communities, rural areas and for people in hospital or aged care
Although we had to suspend Housing Possibilities workshops we had scheduled for Queensland and WA, we presented some of the information and introduced our new housing and SDA related resources in webinars.
These resources are now available for download from our NDIS Housing Options project web page.
The project has been funded by the Australian Government.
Our second Specialist Disability Accommodation Supply in Australia report has just been published.
Produced with Social Ventures Australia, the latest report finds that there are more than 1,766 new SDA places in the construction pipeline as at 30 September 2019.
A new-look Housing Hub is on the way!
The revamped website will have a number of extra features, including improved search and matching functions and the ability for housing seekers to create their own profiles.
In December 2019 Tom Butler’s long journey to become his own provider of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) ended in success, when he moved into his purpose-built unit.
A new type of transitional housing funding was announced in December. Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) funding is intended to support NDIS participants while they wait for their permanent home to be ready.