My housing preferences

Tags: allied health, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, support coordinator

Description:

This tool helps you think about where you want to live, who you would like to live with and the type of housing that you would like to live in. You can use this tool to tell your housing story and work out your housing goals. You can cut and paste the information from this tool into housing application forms.

Last updated: September 2023

Sample NDIS plans

Tags: allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, nursing home, residential aged care (RAC), support coordinator

Description:

This guide includes five sample plans for people in differing circumstances with examples of how the NDIS can support participants to exercise choice and control to lead an ordinary life.

These sample plans are to give you a place to start. We have also included a pre-planning tool to help you to develop your own plan so you can keep a record of your planning meeting.
First published: March 2018
Last updated: July 2023

SDA eligibility criteria

Tags: allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator

Description:

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is a costly support that will be provided to only a small number of NDIS participants, so the rules the NDIS uses to determine a participant’s eligibility are rigorously applied. To be considered for SDA, a participant must provide evidence to support EVERY criteria along one of the pathways in this flowchart.

For the exact wording of each rule, refer to the Summer Foundation’s How to write a housing plan resource.

SDA payments guide

Tags: allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator

Description:

This guide explains what Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) payments are, who they are paid to and how they are accessed. For people who have SDA payments included in their NDIS Plan, it explains how to make the most of this funding.
 
First published: September 2018
Last updated: June 2023

Mainstream housing options

Tags: allied health, housing, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, support coordinator

Description:

Most people with disability will not get Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in their NDIS plan, but still want to choose where they live and who they live with. This guide is for you. It explains the different types of mainstream housing (any housing that is not SDA) and will help you look for housing that suits you.
 
First published: July 2018
Last updated: June 2023

Allied health housing assessments guide

Tags: allied health, hospital discharge, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, support coordinator

Description:

The aim of this guide is to assist support coordinators and allied health professionals collaborate on Housing Plans for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants. Housing Plans rely on appropriately framed allied health assessments and reports to support the participant pursue their goals and aspirations.
 
First published: April 2018
Last updated: June 2023

How to write a housing plan

Tags: allied health, housing, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator

Description:

How to write a Housing Plan – Guide and the Housing Plan Template have been created to help support coordinators write housing plans for NDIS participants who want to test their eligibility for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding. The purpose of a housing plan is to provide the NDIA with evidence that the person you’re working for requires SDA to reach their goals, maximise their independence, and social and economic participation. Download Housing Plan Template

The guide provides information on what to include to achieve the best possible outcome for the person you’re working for.

 
First published: March 2018
Last updated: June 2023

NDIS housing pathway

Tags: accessible housing, allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator

Description:

On this resource we detail one pathway to mainstream housing. If you have searched for mainstream housing and discovered you can’t access it because of your disability, you can test your eligibility for SDA on the second page.
 
First published: August 2019
Last updated: June 2023

Looking for somewhere to live

Tags: allied health, NDIS, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, support coordinator

Description:

This guide explains how you can access and make the most of NDIS funding to look for housing. It explains the capacity building funding available to NDIS participants who need support to search for suitable housing. It also includes information on choosing your support coordinator and how to make the most of the funding.

Note that this guide replaces ‘Exploring Your Housing Options’.
 
First published: December 2017
Last updated: June 2023

Support Coordinators – who are they and how can they support me

Tags: NDIS participant, NDIS plan, support coordinator

Description:

A support coordinator is someone paid by the NDIS to help you understand and implement your plan. They can help you with a range of of different things as outlined in this resource.

 
First published: September 2018
Last updated: June 2023

Using SDA to buy your own property

Tags: allied health, NDIS housing resources, NDIS plan, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), support coordinator

Description:

For people receiving SDA payments, home ownership may also be an option. The NDIS participant, or their family, can buy a property and use their SDA payments to cover the mortgage.This resource outlines the steps and requirements involved in using SDA payments to purchase your own property.
 

For a more detailed guide, please see the Housing Hub’s Building or buying your own SDA.

First published: December 2017
Last updated: June 2023

Living more independently

Tags: allied health, NDIS housing resources, support coordinator

Description:

‘Living more independently’ means living in a house (townhouse/duplex/apartment/other) where you get to decide what you do and how you live, and you only get as much support as you need.
 
This guide explains how to plan for and move from residential aged care (RAC), a group home or your parents’ home into appropriate mainstream housing or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
 
First published: March 2018
Last updated: May 2023

Participant housing statement template

Tags: allied health, NDIS housing resources, support coordinator

Description:

In response to feedback from the SDA panel, the Summer Foundation has developed a new resource to help support coordinators and allied health professionals prepare an NDIS participant housing statement.

The Participant Housing Statement Template seeks to ensure that the NDIA provides people with funding that reflects their preferred housing option.

Survey of support coordinators – Essential features of support coordination assistance for pursuing home and living goals

Tags: support coordinator

Description:

The Summer Foundation and the Housing Hub work with hundreds of NDIS participants with complex needs who have goals related to housing. Many report difficulties accessing support coordinators who have the necessary depth of disability housing knowledge and skills. This results in limited opportunities for exploration of suitable housing that reflects participants’ preferences in living arrangement and supports.

Based on this, the Summer Foundation is exploring how support coordinators can improve the quality and consistency of guidance provided to NDIS participants seeking funding for home and living supports, including SDA. In July 2022 it conducted a survey of support coordinators who currently work with participants considering their housing options. Findings from this survey describe the essential features of support coordination enabling NDIS participants to make an informed choice and move into new housing.

Moving to a new home checklist

Tags: disability support, support coordinator

Description:

This checklist is written from the perspective of a person with a disability who is wanting to move to a new home. We know moving is a big task. There are many things to do, and many people may be involved in assisting a person with disability to move to a new home. This form might be completed by the person with disability and/or a trusted person such as a family member or support coordinator

Support coordinators and allied health professionals can learn more about supporting someone to move into a new home by attending our UpSkill workshop on this topic.

Collaborative Support Approach: Working together to help young people leave aged care 

Tags: health professional, residential aged care (RAC), support coordinator

Description:

The Collaborative Support Approach Tool outlines the cooperation between Residential Aged Care staff, Support Coordinators, Allied Health Professionals and other stakeholders, working together to assist a younger person leave aged care.

This tool details the tasks and responsibilities – the “who does what” when assisting a younger person to leave RAC and live in the community.

This resource will be useful to RAC, NDIS providers and other stakeholders working at this interface.

Good practice guide

Tags: allied health, support coordinator

Description:

This guide has been written for support coordinators and specialist support coordinators who are working with people with complex needs. Throughout this guide we refer to the support coordinators’ role.

Participants with complex support needs usually require a more focused and skilled approach to connecting and coordinating supports and building capacity. This resource has been developed to provide practice guidance to support coordinators for purposeful and meaningful impact whereby participants with complex support needs have the opportunity to enjoy their rights and responsibilities as full and contributing citizens.

Choosing a support coordinator

Tags: disability support, NDIS plan, support coordinator

Description:

We have created a guide to help you choose a support coordinator. We have included ideas for important things you might want to know about your support coordinator, and questions you might want to ask them.

Chris’s story – everything’s changed

Tags: disability support, hospital discharge, support coordinator

Description:

Chris shares his journey from hospital to his new home and the value of having good support around you.

What is a support coordinator?

Tags: complex support, disability support, NDIS participant, support coordinator

Description:

Linda Rossow, Independent Support Coordinator, explains her role as a support coordinator and what this means for the participants she works with.

Support coordination: Exploring housing options

Tags: accessible housing, disability support, NDIS participant, support coordinator

Description:

Linda Rossow, Independent Support Coordinator, talks about the process she works through with participants who want to find somewhere different to live.

Chris’s experience with the health system

Tags: community, hospital discharge, support coordinator

Citation:

Chris was in hospital and rehab for 3 months. Chris’ explanation of that time was “I felt like a ping pong ball between the hospital and my care coordinator”.

Matthew’s story

Tags: community, support coordinator

Description:

Life can change in an instant. Matthew talks about his journey back into a new life in the community.

Deborah’s NDIS story

Tags: disability support, NDIS, support coordinator

Description:

It’s been a bumpy road, but the NDIS is making a world of difference for Deborah.

Living like everyone else

Tags: complex support, disability support, support coordinator

Description:

This comprehensive guide explains 24-hour support options for people with disability and complex needs, detailing how people can live more independently in their own homes. By coordinating factors such as housing location, design, advanced communication and environmental control technology – together with new ways of delivering support – best practice 24- hour support doesn’t need to involve a continual staff presence