What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?

Supported Independent Living is around-the-clock support for individuals with disabilities or higher accessibility needs, helping them live independently and enhance their skills through assistance and supervision in daily tasks. 

Participants can receive this service, whether residing independently in their own homes or in shared accommodations.

Supported independent living is one of the many home and living support options such as:

• Specialist disability accommodation
• Medium-term accommodation
• Short-term accommodation
• Home modifications
• Younger people in residential aged care
• Individualised living options (live with non-participant people)
• Personal care supports (live with non-participant people)

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What does SIL include?

As long as it meets the NDIS funding criteria, supported independent living may include support with:

• Personal care tasks.
• Building skills in things like meal preparation and cooking, cleaning, and developing a routine.
• Helping to action any behaviour support plans you have.
• Developing social skills.
• Supervision, personal safety and security.
• Giving participants medication.
• Medical appointments.
• Community access that is not routine or regular, for example, support to complete.
• Personal tasks.
• Getting to and from community access activities, where this is the participant’s  preference (attending hydrotherapy sessions, or visiting family or friends outside of the home).

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What does SIL not include?

Support Independent Living does not include rent, board and lodging, or other daily living expenses such as food and activities. It also excludes the capital costs of a participant’s accommodation.

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Two types of claiming for regular SIL supports

Weekly claiming

The weekly claim covers the package of daily life support assistance provided within the funded amount, applicable to shared and individual supports. This support bundle encompasses all planned weekly supports in a shared living environment, as agreed upon through a standard schedule. No adjustments are made for weekdays, weekends, or public holidays.

This support item (Assistance in Supported Independent Living - Weekly - 01_821_0115_1_1) is subject to a service agreement between you and the participant (or their nominee) specifying:

• An agreement to claim weekly amounts; and
• The agreed schedule of support is to be provided for the weekly amount claimed.

It can also be used to claim for Short Notice Cancellations and Irregular SIL Supports, besides Direct Service. 

The price limit for this support is the total regular SIL funding in the participant's plan divided by the number of weeks in the plan period. After the annual plan indexation, you can discuss with participants any adjusted remaining SIL funds. If the participant agrees, the weekly claim amount can be adjusted based on the remaining weeks in the plan and the total available plan funding for SIL.

Importantly, you must choose either Weekly SIL support or Hourly SIL support and not use a combination of both.

Hourly claiming

Similar to Weekly claiming, the hourly claim covers support with daily tasks in a shared living environment, aiming to help develop the skills of each participant to live independently. The support items, come with a UOM as Hour, which can be used to claim for:

• Direct service
• Non-Face-to-Face Support Provision
• Provider Travel
• Provider Travel - Non-labour Costs
• Short Notice Cancellations
• Claiming for Irregular SIL Supports

The line items’ price limits vary by the Time of Day and Day of Week on which the support is delivered, and also by whether the supports are High Intensity. You can see the full list of support items in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

You must either use the Hourly SIL support item or the Weekly SIL support items, but not both methods. 

Also, you should apply the apportioned prices for the hourly-claim SIL support item. For more information, please visit this blog. 

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Claiming for Irregular SIL Supports

Irregular SIL Supports are unexpected events that can interrupt the planned supports outlined in a participant's SIL plan budget. 

Situations where Irregular SIL Supports might be needed include a participant falling ill or the cancellation of a day program, resulting in them requiring additional SIL supports at their home for a period that was not initially planned or rostered for.

To claim Irregular SIL supports, use the appropriate support item and select the "Irregular SIL Support" option in the myplace portal. 

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Claiming for Exit SIL Accommodation Support

This support (Assistance in Supported Independent Living - Exit Accommodation Permanently - 01_822_0115_1_1) is for participants who need to leave their accommodation permanently due to personal health and safety concerns for themselves or others. 

You can claim this support weekly through the Portal, following certain conditions:

• Both you and the participant (or their nominee) need to agree on notice periods for any unplanned exits.
• If a participant gives notice to leave early and then does so, you can only claim for the remaining time of the notice period.

It's recommended to have a formal Service Agreement in place, but other written agreements can also work. You can only make one claim for 28 days or four weekly claims per participant during a plan period.

This support follows the rules outlined in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. You should choose either Weekly or Hourly SIL support, not both.

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NDIS Programs of Support

A Program of Support is a formal agreement between you as a group-based support provider and a participant. It outlines the specific supports to be delivered to the participant, focusing on achieving specified outcomes.

Eligible categories for Program of Support include:

• Any support in the Assistance in Shared Living Arrangements – Supported Independent Living section of the Assistance with Daily Life Support Category;
• Any support in the Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation Support Category, including Supports in Employment; and
• Any support in any Capacity Building Support Category.

A Program of Support eliminates the need for constant recalculations of minor changes during each session while providing greater certainty in managing cancellation risks. This, in turn, contributes to the sustainability of group supports and enhances the profitability of your business.

The NDIA acknowledges that Programs of Support may not be suitable for all providers, activities, or participants. They are not obligatory, and deciding to offer Programs of Support is a business decision based on your business's specific needs and the participants you serve.

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Roster of Care

The Roster of Care (ROC) is a detailed plan showing the hours and services provided to SIL participants weekly. It ensures participants get consistent and reliable support from trained staff, considering participants’ preferences and schedules. 

You need to work with your participants (or their nominees) to make this plan and then send it to the NDIA when starting SIL. This helps the NDIA decide on the funding and if the plan is right for your participants in Supported Independent Living (SIL).

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Differences between SDA and SIL

The SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funding covers the cost of the specially designed accommodation catering to the needs of users with extreme functional impairments. 

In contrast, SIL (Supported Independent Living) funding covers the support services available to participants who need help daily.

A person may receive funding for both housing support (SDA) and daily support (SIL) if eligible.

Through this blog, we hope that you understand the NDIS Supported Independent Living and how it differs from Specialist Disability Accommodation.

If you are looking for a care management software that allows your team to deliver person-centred care at scales, we invite you to book a demo to explore how Comm.care can help.