One of the most important decisions for an adult is where to live, and it’s an additional consideration for NDIS participants. Do you prefer having your own front door, or does going home to the housemates who know your schedule sound better?
The NDIS Shared Living model seems to be the preferred approach to community-based support for many Australians, and it involves a range of support services that enable Australian communities to offer residents each person what they need, instead of a single model of a group home.
This booklet explains what shared living is, how it is funded, who is successful at shared living, and the practical issues that families ask themselves before signing a contract. Whether you are a participant considering your options or a family member assisting somebody to plan their next step, you will discover a straightforward breakdown without any jargon here.
What is “Shared Living”?
Shared living is about the living part of the equation; it’s about living together with a person or persons, and disability support is part of the living as well.
The NDIS can come in a few forms:
- living in a shared house or flat with other people participating in the NDIS;
- living on the premises of a host family or a family member who is a participant and offers reduced housing costs in return for some support and/or company.
NDIS Shared Living is not a plan item. It’s more commonly known as a lifestyle decision and funded under one of the NDIS’s home and living supports, typically Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Individualised Living Options (ILOs).
The route to take is dependent on your daily needs for support, how much control you have over your household and how your objectives are formalised in your plan.
Two Different Doors Into the Same Home
Most people start their experience of shared living by one of two funding streams.
The more common one is Supported Independent Living (SIL). It supports rostered staff who work throughout the house assisting all the residents with tasks like cooking, cleaning and developing routines, etc. SIL is likely to be effective if support requirements are greater or reasonably stable throughout the household.
Individualised Living Options (ILO) is different. ILO is not a team with a house; it is a team of YOU.
It may also involve a ‘housemaid’ or ‘housekeeper’ arrangement whereby you live in the home of another person (or a number of people), or a ‘house-housemaid’ arrangement, where you and another person share a home and provide mutual support with arrangements that work for both of you.
ILO calls on the participants to seek greater control over the people they live with and how support is put into practice in their everyday lives.
Many providers just market their package of shared living and combine the two together in one home.
Who Succeeds in a Household of Two?
Shared living is not for everyone, which is OK. The NDIS is a system of choice, and not a setting.
Those who like it typically:
- Value company and conversation over total solitude
- Be motivated by routine, structure and shared responsibility
- Making efforts towards objectives such as social confidence, budgeting, or cooking
- Need assistance not quite around the clock, but need someone around you.
However, a person with a preference for independent living, or whose support needs require constant one-on-one attention, may prefer something else. There is no “better” nor “worse” choice; it depends on the person.
This is what Support looks like on a typical Tuesday
To help, try to imagine a real day instead of a description of a policy. A shared house may have a support person assisting two people to get ready for the day, wash the dishes and make breakfast before they leave for work, study, or a day program.
Perhaps someone to help with grocery shopping, a check-in on medication or just someone in the house to talk to over dinner during the afternoons. In a host arrangement, support appears even more like regular family life; meals together, support integrated into the normal routines, and less of a shift-work feel.
These hours, tasks and people will vary depending on what is included in each individual’s plan because two people in a Shared Living house may have very different support packages running concurrently.
The Quiet things that nobody talks about
It’s true that cost efficiency is typically the most visible aspect to consider, and for good reason. Sharing support hours over two or three people will typically last longer than if just one person was paying for support hours. However, the bigger prize, for the participants and families, is social. When you come home to a person who knows your day, your habits, your sense of humour, it means home is different. There’s also the aspect that is trainable, which is easy to underestimate. Making house plans, negotiating chores, planning meals together and coping with the inevitable small irritations of shared space are really helpful life skills which any share-house resident learns over time. For many this is a way to progress towards independence, not a cap on it.
Shared Living, Group Homes, and Going It Alone
This document identifies the differences between the three options: Shared Living, Group Homes, and Going It Alone. These can all be put under the same “umbrella,” but they have different philosophies. Traditional group homes are likely to have a limited choice of who lives with who and a limited choice of professional staffing. Support is likely to be organised around the house and not the individual.
NDIS Shared Living turns that on its head, it is you – or you with some help from your family and/or a support coordinator who determine who you live with, who provides your supports, and how your week will look.
Independent living, your own lease, your own support, not shared. It provides greater privacy, but typically is more expensive per support hour, and might be lonely for those who enjoy company. Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is a whole other ball game. It provides funding for a physical building where people with a significant support need can be placed in a shared living or independent living arrangement.
Who pays for what?
A discussion about rent, bills, and who actually pays them.
A frequent misconception is that once a person has moved to a shared home, the NDIS will cover all their needs. It does not, and it is not intended to.
As a participant, you should expect to be responsible for the following:
- Rent or board – just as any tenant would do
- Food, utilities and internet
- Everyday products and personal expenses
The costs are generally met through wages, Disability Support Pension or other income as would be the case for anyone else sharing a household. Instead, what the NDIS pays for is the support, such as staff to assist in doing things around the home or to develop skills, or the fees for a host and housemate arrangement (as defined in an agreement with a service provider). It’s important to understand this division before entering into a tenancy agreement or ILO service proposal to prevent any uncomfortable situations in the future. A support coordinator / planner can help you through exactly what is relevant to your situation.
How Housemate and Host Matching Works
No one wants to have to stay with strangers and hope for the best, and a good provider understands this. Matching typically begins with discussion of lifestyle, interests, daily routine, etc., including ones that aren’t negotiable, such as the hours of sleep, pets, smoking, etc. Providers arrange for meet and greets or short trial stays prior to signing up for a lease or host agreement. Here, it is important to have a written agreement, not just a verbal one. They establish responsibilities for chores, guests, hours of help, and action to take if it is not going well. This process is what makes a shared home successful rather than a home that fractures in just a few months.
Your first steps towards moving in
If shared living is the right way to go, it will most likely begin with a conversation rather than a form. Ask your Local Area Coordinator, planner or support coordinator at your next plan review about the changes you wish to see: a bit more company, more independence, a change of scenery or a mix of all three. Then, you and a provider will discuss realistic options during an exploration phase, followed by funding incorporated into your plan for arrangement design and then implementation. Best to discuss with multiple providers before choosing. Inquire how they match, what happens when things change in a trial period and how they assist people if the arrangement needs to change in the future. A provider that’s open to such questions is likely to be a trustworthy one.
Home is a choice, not a location
There is no one right way to live under the NDIS and shared living is one of the more options on the list. The fact that it’s a fun way to get company, do work and build everyday skills, and it doesn’t require a hard setup makes it worth considering. The next step typically is a conversation with a planner, a trusted provider, or family about what type of home would make your week better. Provided it’s done well, NDIS Shared Living is not a funding solution. It is a real effort to make “home” the same for people with disability as it is for everyone else: a place with people in it and not just a roof over your head.
FAQ’s
1. NDIS Shared Living: What is it?
A home and living arrangement that involves an NDIS participant living in a home with another person or persons with whom they share their home, including a participant, housemate or host family, and funded disability support. This is usually provided in Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Individualised Living Options (ILO), depending on the person’s need and objectives.
2. Does NDIS Shared Living equal Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Not exactly. In addition to Individualised Living Options, a shared living arrangement can be supported through one of the funding pathways, SIL. Shared living is the housing arrangement; SIL and ILO are how the support within that home is paid and provided day to day.
3. Which ones can be included in a shared living arrangement?
There is no specific application for shared living; this is just living together. Whether or not shared or supported accommodation is reasonable and necessary in your NDIS plan and assessment for support needs is the key determinant for eligibility. This is discussed with your planner, Local Area Coordinator or support coordinator.
4. May I select my own living companions?
Yes, especially via Individualised Living Options. A good provider will engage in a matching process of lifestyle, routine, and compatibility before anyone commits, and may even have a trial stay. One of the clearest differences between the older models of group homes and the new is the ability to have some control over the other residents or the host.
5. What are the costs to participants for shared living?
The rental and other costs of living by the participant are borne by the participant in the same way as anyone else who rents a home, typically from wages, Disability Support Pension or other income. The NDIS funds disability support in the home separately to disability support in other places, and this will depend on a person’s needs.
6. Is shared living a group home?
Group homes generally utilise rosters and housemates without much resident participation. This model revolves around individual choice – the person you live with, the provider who supports you, and how your routine operates are choices you make and choices your family takes with you.
7. What if things are not going well in an arrangement?
Residential care is subject to change and review. Service agreements outline how a problem may be raised and addressed, and if a problem has been raised, a support coordinator can assist in a re-negotiation of support, a change in the support match or a change in living, if necessary, to meet your needs.
