What is SDA housing?
Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is housing with features that meet your disability support needs.
An SDA home might include are:
- button-operated doors
- ceiling hoists
- wheelchair-accessible kitchen sinks
- wide doorways
You only need SDA if you need to live in a specialised home and you need very high levels of person-to-person support.
There are different types of SDA, so SDA can look different for each person. SDA can be a house, an apartment, a villa, a duplex or a townhouse.
The NDIS thinks about what an SDA house needs to suit your disability needs.
Who is SDA designed for?
SDA is for people with disability who meet the NDIS eligibility criteria for specialist disability accommodation, or who want to self-fund their SDA.
The NDIS says that SDA is a range of housing designed for people with extreme functional impairment or very high disability-related support needs.
Extreme functional impairment means you have a lot of difficulty doing daily tasks on your own, or sometimes may not be able to do them at all.
You can read more about how the NDIS thinks about SDA funding in the What is the NDIS’s approach to SDA funding? section, below.
Here are some practical examples of when you might be eligible for SDA housing:
- You need a home with reinforced ceilings so you can get a ceiling hoist installed
- You’d need help right away to leave your home in an emergency
- If you have behaviours of concern that are a safety risk to you or others around you
- You need walls and floors that are very easy to see
- You need living areas that mean your support workers can see you easily
- You need to use a manual or powered wheelchair at home or can’t use steps
- You need help managing complex and challenging behaviours
- You need a house with a backup power supply, or home automation and communication technology
We can help you understand if SDA is right for you. Contact our team for more information about SDA.
What is the NDIS’s approach to SDA funding?
Specialist disability accommodation works with a few different funded NDIS supports.
When the NDIS is deciding if SDA is right for you, it thinks about what other supports you need and how they will work together.
It only funds SDA if it is a better option for your disability support needs than other supports alone.
You only need SDA if you need to live in a specialised home and you need very high levels of person-to-person support.
What is extreme functional impairment?
Extreme functional impairment means you have a lot of difficulty doing daily tasks on your own or sometimes may not be able to do them at all.
NDIS will confirm you have an extreme functional impairment if you need lots of support from someone else to complete daily tasks on top of any assistive technology or other home modifications you have.
These daily tasks include mobility, personal care and self-management.
- Mobility includes walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a bed or a chair, carrying or moving items, and getting out of the house
- Personal care includes washing yourself, going to the toilet, getting dressed, eating, drinking, talking and taking medication
- Self-management includes housework, following routines, making friends and relationships and managing your behaviour
What are very high support needs?
The NDIS says very high support needs mean you need a lot of person-to-person support for a significant part of the day.
You need this support with you, or you need to be able to get this support straight away. It also needs to know that either:
- Your family or friends can’t give you this support or maintain the level of support you need. For example, you might not have enough informal supports, or your usual informal support network can’t support you anymore.
- SDA will help reduce any safety risks to you or to others around you. For example, if you’ll need help right away to leave your accommodation in an emergency. If you have behaviours of concern that are a safety risk to you or others around you, you’ll need to give us a current behaviour support plan or a restrictive practice plan.
You may also have very high support needs if you have lived in a place like specialist disability accommodation for a long time. This may mean it’s hard to move to other housing options.
What are the different SDA design categories?
The NDIS looks at 4 design categories for SDA funding: improved liveability, fully accessible, robust, and high physical support.
- Improved liveability – housing with better physical access. It has more features for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairments. For example, you may need walls and floors that are very easy to see, living areas that mean your support workers can see you easily, or very few stairs in your home.
- Fully accessible – housing with a high level of physical access features for people who have lots of physical challenges. For example, you need to use a manual or powered wheelchair at home or can’t use steps.
- Robust – housing that is very strong and durable, reducing the need for repairs and maintenance. The way it is built should make it safe for you and others. This type of design category may suit people who need help managing complex and challenging behaviours. NDIS thinks about the triggers for your behaviour and how often this may cause property damage, and the extent of the damage.
- High physical support – housing that includes a high level of physical access for people who need very high levels of support. For example, you may need a ceiling hoist, backup power supply, or home automation and communication technology.
NDIS also thinks about whether you’ll need different features in your home in the near future. For example, you may be getting older or your disability support needs are changing quickly.
It looks at how the features of each design category would make your other supports easier to access or use, and how all your supports work together.
When the NDIS works out your design category, it looks at reports from allied health professionals. It also looks at your goals.
Is SDA a support service?
No, SDA is not a support service. It is a type of NDIS home and living support for actual housing.
Housing is about the home you live in – the physical house.
Support services are about the in-person support you need to live as independently as possible in a home. It often includes help with things like personal care and support with household chores.
Sometimes organisations provide both these types of support. This means they are a support provider and a housing provider – like Afford. Afford is a support provider and a housing provider.
This means we can help you work out if SDA is right for you, help you find a SDA home you can love, and provide in-person support so that you can live as independently as possible.
Contact our team for more information about SDA housing and in-person supports.
What can and cannot be included in SDA funding
Here is a handy table of what can and cannot be included in SDA funding.
| What can be included in SDA funding |
What cannot be included in SDA funding |
- SDA housing
- SDA to live alone
- SDA to live with other people
|
- Rent
- Day-to-day living costs
- In-person supports
- Personal care supports
- Supported independent living
- Individualised living options
- Some assistive technology
|
How is a housing provider different from a support provider?
A support provider provides the in-person support you need to live as independently as possible. A housing provider provides the home you live in.
Sometimes organisations provide both these types of support. This means they are a support provider and a housing provider – like Afford. Afford is a support provider and a housing provider.
This means we can find you a SDA home you can love and provide the in-supports to live as independently as possible. Contact our team for more information about SDA.SDA must be provided by registered SDA housing providers.
Afford is a registered SDA housing provider with the NDIS.
What does having Afford as your SDA provider look like?
Afford is a friendly and experienced specialist disability accommodation (SDA) provider.
When you choose Afford as your SDA provider, we listen to you and support you the way you want us to.
Our SDA homes are all about supporting you to live safely and as independently as possible.
We will chat with you about what you want from your SDA home. We will ask about your goals, support needs, hobbies and interests. Together we will think about:
- What supports you need in your home
- What your unique situation and needs are
- If you need modifications
- Any reports and assessments you provide
- If you need significant person-to-person supports
- Other home and living options that might work for you
We can work closely with you, your support coordinator and your circle of support to understand what you need at home.
Then together we will find a home that feels just right for you.
Contact us today.
