Supported Independent Living, or SIL, is NDIS funding for help or supervision with daily tasks for people who need a high level of support, including overnight. It pays for support workers rather than the home itself.
If you’re exploring home and living options, start with the assistance you need throughout an ordinary day and night. SIL is one option the NDIA may consider, rather than the name for every kind of support at home.
What the assistance can involve
Support may include personal care, preparing meals and household routines. The arrangement needs to reflect the person’s assessed needs and the support funded in their plan.
Workers can provide individual or shared assistance depending on the arrangement. Ask how the roster covers your own needs and how shared support is calculated.
Housing is a separate question
Rent, groceries and ordinary household bills are separate from SIL funding. A tenancy agreement and a support service agreement can involve different organisations and terms.
SDA, or Specialist Disability Accommodation, is another funding type for eligible people needing specially designed housing. A person may have both SDA and SIL, but neither automatically establishes eligibility for the other.
How suitability is considered
The NDIA SIL guidance describes support across 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lower-hour assistance at home may be considered through other arrangements.
The NDIA looks at the individual circumstances and evidence. A provider can explain a proposed service, but cannot approve SIL funding.
Questions for a provider
Ask who would support you, how overnight needs are covered and how your preferences affect the roster. In a shared home, discuss housemate compatibility, privacy and the way individual needs are met.
Read the costs and agreements carefully. Find out how to request a change and what happens if a worker is away or an essential service is disrupted.
Vana Care accepts SIL enquiries in Adelaide. We’ll discuss the household, funded support and suitable staffing before confirming whether we can provide the requested arrangement.
