Community housing tenants, community housing providers and support providers will all be impacted by the roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – a large, complex and evolving support funding and provision system for people with a disability including those with mental illness.
This impact will extend beyond the development and management of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
This is what community housing organisations need to know.
94%
of NDIS participants will not receive housing funded assistance (bar some home modifications).
460,000
people with a permanent disability that significantly affects their communication, mobility, self-care or self-management will receive NDIS funding
28,000
people are projected to be housed by SDA, up from 14,000
$22 billion
will be spent nationally on the NDIS
How will the NDIS change service provision?
Each NDIS participant will have a tailored, consumer influenced plan.
The NDIS is intended to replace the administration functions undertaken by the state and territory governments, transferring these roles to the National Disability Insurance Association (NDIA), a company owned by the Commonwealth Government in conjunction with the State and Territory Governments.
At its core, the NDIS is a ‘social insurance scheme’ that seeks to reduce the total cost of the services required by an NDIS participant over their lifetime.
The NDIS will move the current system from:
- a rationed funding model to an ‘as of right’ model (if the costs are ‘necessary and reasonable’ and ‘disability-related’)
- a short-term rationing of funding to whole-of-life costing
FAQs about SDA
What is SDA?
Specialist Disability Accomodation is NDIS funded housing (not support) for eligible NDIS participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs – typically those who require overnight support.
How is SDA funded?
SDA will be funded by the NDIS through payments to an approved SDA provider, commercially and recurrently, when the participant has SDA in their NDIS Plan.
It is adjusted for building type, location and accessibility level.
Who is eligible for SDA?
About six per cent of NDIS participants will be eligible for SDA.
The support associated with SDA is Supported Independent Living (SIL). In some cases, people may receive SIL without being eligible for SDA.
Who can provide SDA?
SDA funding can be used for new stock and existing stock (some of which may be of poor standard) and to private developers and investors as well as Government, not-for-profit providers and people with disability and their families
How do NDIS participants secure SDA?
Potential new SDA recipients must undertake a formal planning process (Investigating Housing Options [IHS]) to determine their SDA eligibility and funding levels.
What happens with support?
NDIS policies require housing and support to be delivered by different providers (though with allowance for single organisations to provide both in the transition period).
Resources
You can find links to key documents, relevant organisations and general NDIS/SDA resource below.
Note: this is a rapidly evolving area and care should be taken that the most current version of documents are being accessed.
Key documents
NDIS – Specialist Disability Accommodation – the key SDA overview page within NDIS website
Specialist Disability Accommodation Pricing and Payments Framework (2015) – provides a high level overview of SDA set by the Disability Reform Council, part of COAG
DSS NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation Pricing and Payments Framework Review Issues Paper (June 2018) – outlines the review approach taken by the DSS that is being undertaken by KPMG
Joint Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) Peaks Submission to the Framework Review (June 2018) – the submission made by the Joint Peaks to the Review
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (Specialist Disability Accommodation) Rules 2016 (SDA Rules) (March 2017) – define key elements of SDA
NDIS (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rule 2018 – Schedule 7—Module 5: Specialist disability accommodation – set out key requirements of SDA
SDA Operational Guidelines – provides guidance in relation to the preparation and review of a participant’s plan when Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is under consideration.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Guide to Suitability (10 April 2017) – informs providers about SDA
SDA Dwelling Enrolment Form – provides details of SDA enrolment
SDA Annual Attestation Form – details annual updating requirements
NDIS Price Guide Specialist Disability Accommodation Valid from: 1 July 2017 – the current SDA price guide
Specialist Disability Accommodation Provider and Investor Brief (April 2018) – includes references to price ceilings and limitations on one person dwellings
Supports
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is assistance with, or supervision of, tasks of daily life to develop the skills of individuals to live as autonomously as possible.
Note: SIL may also be provided on some occasions to people not living is SDA.
SIL has a specific form for its quoting for first plans and plan reviews which requires all providers will be required to use the new SIL pack and quoting tool.
DHHS documents
Offering residency in Specialist Disability Accommodation – Policy and Standards (Victoria) (May 2018)
DHHS Requirements for Fire Risk Management in NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
DHHS sample Disability Accommodation Collaboration Agreement illustrating a form of agreement acceptable under both NDIS and the Victorian Disability Act
Vacancy Coordination Practice Guide about how vacancies are to be filled during the transition period
Review of Rights in Specialist Disability Accommodation (2018) which is being undertaken to establish a long term rights frameworks for SDA
Consultation Report on the Review of Rights with families, carers, staff and providers (2018)
Consultation with SDA residents on the Review of Rights (2018)
Peak organisations
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
CHIA National’s NDIS information
Summer Foundation (and the associated Summer Housing)
National Disability Services (NDS) – national peak body of support providers