On-site shared support in Specialist Disability Accommodation – Discussion paper

Tags: disability support, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Description:

In 2021 the Summer Foundation held a series of workshops and interviews with on-site support providers, specialist disability accommodation (SDA) providers, and tenants living in SDA apartments. Preliminary findings from the workshops were published in May 2022, and the main findings were that there is scope for service redesign and innovation to improve the quality and efficiency of support.

We are seeking input from support providers for improving the preliminary report and recommendations. Please contact [email protected] by 30 June 2022.

Supported Independent Living costs and impacts – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation

Tags: Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Description:

The Summer Foundation has released a position statement on the costs of Supported Independent Living (SIL) and its impact on the operation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The costs of SIL are an outsized contributor to NDIS budget growth, which is impacting home and living determinations made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), particularly Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). The cost effectiveness of SIL can be improved by maximising NDIS participants’ independence through accessible design and collaborative care or shared support models, thereby reducing the dependence on paid support staff.

Closed setting SIL homes – Policy Position Statement by the Summer Foundation

Tags: for policy makers, Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Description:

The Summer Foundation has released a position statement about the model of housing and support known as, closed setting supported independent living (SIL) homes. This is where the SIL provider owns or head leases a property and is responsible for tenancy management as well as SIL support delivery within the home. The closed setting SIL home model is outdated and does not resemble a contemporary approach to independent living but it is currently responding to demand for housing from NDIS participants who have been deemed ineligible for SDA or are facing SDA approval issues. The model brings risk to NDIS participant safety, compromises housing security and removes a participants right to exercise genuine choice and control.

The Summer Foundation believes that the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission must undertake a quality audit of existing closed-setting SIL homes and implement a regulatory framework as an interim measure, supporting SIL providers to conform to contemporary standards that uphold NDIS participants’ legal rights.

The NDIA must ensure SDA eligible participants do not live in, or are not reliant on, closed setting SIL homes.

Improving Outcomes for Participants who Require Supported Independent Living (SIL): Provider and Sector Consultation Paper

Tags: for policy makers, NDIS participant, Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Description:

The Summer Foundation has extensive experience working alongside people with high and complex support needs to understand how to ensure that housing and support solutions can be developed according to their needs and preferences. We have undertaken demonstration projects and extensive research. Based on the outcomes of the research our understanding of what it takes to effectively support people with complex needs to live in the community has evolved.

Drawing on this, the Summer Foundation has outlined key problems with the current dominant SIL practice and set out a vision for a reformed SIL market.