Supported Independent Living

SIL is the assistance you receive at home from support workers that helps you live as independently as possible. It can include physical supports like helping you get in and out of bed every day, as well as any support you need to keep you safe at home.

Eligibility for SIL funding does not depend on where you live. You may be eligible for SIL funding, whether you rent privately, own your own home, live with others, or live in Specialist Disability Accommodation.

There are three levels of SIL funding:

1. Lower needs: provides regular supervision of living arrangements.
2. Standard needs: provides active assistance of most daily tasks, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
3. Higher needs: provides continual and more complex active assistance to the individual.

The SIL provider is the person or organisation who employs the support workers that help you live as independently as possible at home. We are the SIL provider in all CPA homes.

SDA refers to the physical ‘bricks and mortar’ of disability accommodation. Only people who have very high physical support or safety needs are eligible for SDA funding from the NDIS.

SDA funding is to allow residents to pay rent to the person or organisation who owns the SDA building where they reside.

While CPA is the SIL provider in all of our homes, the homes where vacancies are listed on our website are owned and/or managed by one of five independent SDA providers: CP Foundation, Compass Housing, Link Housing, Hume Housing or Evolve Housing.

There are five levels of SDA. To determine which level you are eligible for, your Support Coordinator will arrange for you to receive an OT Functional Assessment and other assessments if required to support your application. They will then help you apply to the NDIS for an assessment of your individual SDA level.

The five levels are:

1. Basic – housing without special design features but with a location or other features that cater for the needs of people with disability and assist with the delivery of support services.
2. Improved liveability – housing that has been designed to improve ‘liveability’. This includes a reasonable level of physical access and some features for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment, such as luminance contrasts, improved wayfinding or lines of sight for people with sensory, intellectual or cognitive impairment.
3. Fully accessible – housing with a high level of accessibility for people with significant physical impairment, allowing wheelchair access to the bathroom, kitchen and external areas.
4. Robust – Robust housing must allow good physical access and is also designed to be very resilient and safe. The design must include retreat areas for participants and staff, and the materials used must be impact resistant and reduce the need for repairs and maintenance.
5. High physical support – housing that has been designed to incorporate a high level of physical accessibility for people with significant physical impairment and requiring very high levels of support. New buildings must have structural provision for ceiling hoists, be assistive and communication technology ready, and have emergency power solutions and wider than usual door openings.

Applying for SIL and SDA funding is complex, and we recommend engaging a Support Coordinator. If you don’t already have one, contact your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) and let them know you need funding for a Support Coordinator to help you explore housing options.

Your Support Coordinator will explore all housing options to identify the right housing to suit your individual goals and care needs. They will also help you gather all the evidence (including OT Functional Assessments and other specialist reports) to demonstrate the level of funded supports you need.

Yes. Many people will only receive SIL funding, and only some participants will receive both SDA and SIL funding.

Only participants with SIL funding in their NDIS plan are eligible to live in a CPA home.

If you require short- or medium-term accommodation, please see CPA Respite Services. These services do not require SIL funding as respite is funded from your Core Supports funding.

Yes. Most but not all of CPA’s homes are registered for SDA.

CPA does provide SIL services in 10 homes that do not require you to have SDA funding. These homes are at Castle Hill, Chester Hill, Granville, Merrylands, Narraweena, Ryde, Casula and Warwick Farm.

SIL funding pays for all on-site care services provided to you within the home. These include transfers in and out of bed, to and from wheelchair (if required), toileting, showering, dressing and grooming, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping and meal preparation, mealtime assistance, and so on.

NDIS SDA funding pays the SDA provider to provide and look after the ‘bricks and mortar’ of homes where CPA residents live. The SDA provider is the owner/property manager of the home. They are responsible for repairs and maintenance of the home.

SDA is funded by the NDIS under ‘Capital Supports’ and is paid directly to the housing provider by the NDIS.

CPA provides the SIL, or care, services to all residents in all of our homes. While we do not own all of these physical properties, approximately 15% of our homes are owned and managed by CP Foundation.

The homes where we only provide SIL services are owned and/or managed by the following independent housing providers:

• Compass Housing – all residents require SDA funding (higher levels)
• Link Housing – all residents require SDA funding (basic level)
• Evolve Housing – no SDA funding required
• CP Foundation – all residents require SDA funding (various levels)
• Hume Community Housing – no SDA funding required

• Board and Lodging*: 50% of the participant’s Disability Support Pension. Payable to CPA.
  • Board and Lodging covers Groceries, Household cleaning items, Usage charges for utilities (electricity, gas, water) and phone line, internet, Motor vehicle expenses, Subcontractors for gardening and cleaning and Minor domestic purchases (additional kitchenware, whitegoods etc.)
• Rent* – 25% of the participant’s Disability Support Pension. Payable to the housing provider.
  • 100% of the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment – provided by Centrelink who pays the housing provider directly.
  • Rent covers Rental payment to live in the home, Repairs/maintenance of the home, furnishings and appliances, Utility connection – electricity, gas, water, phone, internet, Shared area furniture incl. whitegoods and window coverings, Council rates and Building insurances
  • Personal items – spending at discretion of the participant.

*Direct debit payments are set up to occur on a fortnightly basis.