COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Delivering Quality NDIS Home & Living Supports course. This program has been designed to develop a solid understanding of how Home and Living supports operate within the NDIS, and how these supports can be delivered in a way that is compliant, person-centred, and aligned with participant rights, goals, and long-term wellbeing.

Home and Living supports are central to a participant’s independence, safety, and quality of life. This course begins by introducing the purpose and scope of Home and Living under the NDIS, clarifying key definitions such as “home,” “living,” and the distinction between support models and housing models. It explores how Home and Living supports relate directly to participant choice and control, outlines the main Home and Living pathways, and explains how the NDIA applies reasonable and necessary criteria when making decisions about housing and living supports.

Understanding the Home and Living support framework is essential for effective and ethical delivery. This section provides an overview of all Home and Living support types and explains how they interact with Core, Capital, and Capacity Building budgets. It examines the role of assessments and supporting evidence, the NDIA’s Home and Living Operational Guidelines, and the critical interaction between housing arrangements, support provision, and tenancy rights.

Supported Independent Living (SIL) is a key Home and Living pathway for participants with higher support needs. This section explains what SIL is and is not, eligibility and evidence requirements, and how SIL quotes, rosters of care, and service models operate. It clarifies provider roles and responsibilities, distinguishes SIL from other daily living supports, and highlights common quality, risk, and compliance considerations in shared living environments.

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) addresses the housing needs of participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. This section explores the purpose of SDA, design categories, building types, and eligibility requirements. It examines SDA funding arrangements, participant rent contributions, provider obligations, tenancy rights, and the relationship between SDA, SIL, and Individualised Living Options.

Individualised Living Options (ILO) offer flexible, tailored living arrangements. This section outlines the purpose and principles of ILO, the staged design and implementation process, and the range of ILO arrangements available. It examines evidence requirements, safe and sustainable design, monitoring processes, and the importance of contingency planning to support long-term success.

Short-Term Accommodation (STA), including respite, provides temporary accommodation and support. This section explains what STA includes, appropriate uses such as respite, skill-building, or transitions, funding rules, and frequency guidelines. It also clarifies the distinction between STA, SIL, MTA, and other daily living supports, and outlines provider responsibilities and documentation requirements.

Medium-Term Accommodation (MTA) supports participants during transitional periods. This section examines when MTA is appropriate, eligibility requirements, key limitations such as the exclusion of support staffing, and the importance of transition planning. It also explores evidence requirements to support NDIA decision-making.

Home Modifications support accessibility and safety within a participant’s home. This section explores when modifications are considered reasonable and necessary, the roles of occupational therapists and builders, and the distinction between minor and complex modifications. It also examines decision points between assistive technology and home modifications, compliance with building and safety standards, and considerations around monitoring, sign-off, and costs.

Assistive Technology (AT) plays a significant role in supporting daily living. This section explains the types of AT relevant to Home and Living, the difference between low-cost and specialised AT, assessment and evidence requirements, and how AT is linked to functional goals and independence. It also explores how AT interacts with home modifications to create safe and functional living environments.

Assistance with Daily Life supports enable participants to manage everyday activities. This section examines personal care, household tasks, skill-building for independent living, overnight supports in non-SIL settings, and the use of Core Supports to meet Home and Living needs. It reinforces the importance of promoting independence, dignity, and choice.

Tenancy assistance and housing-related capacity building support participants to obtain and maintain housing. This section explores assistance with tenancy obligations, skill development for renting, working with housing services, and supporting participants experiencing housing instability. It also addresses the importance of avoiding role confusion between tenancy assistance and broader case management.

Evidence and assessment are critical to Home and Living decisions. This section examines functional assessments, housing needs assessments, occupational therapy reports, behaviour support considerations in shared settings, and the collection of participant goals and daily living information. It explains how the NDIA weighs evidence when making funding decisions.

Safeguarding, quality, and compliance underpin all Home and Living supports. This section explores relevant NDIS Practice Standards, participant and tenancy rights, restrictive practice considerations, provider governance responsibilities, risk management, and incident reporting requirements to ensure safe and compliant living environments.

Effective Home and Living delivery requires collaboration. This section examines working with participants, families, guardians, SIL and SDA providers, and support coordinators. It highlights supporting informed choice, avoiding conflicts of interest, conducting culturally safe conversations, and managing complex household dynamics.

Planning, transitioning, and reviewing Home and Living supports ensures sustainability over time. This section explores assessing readiness for change, coordinating transitions between accommodation types, monitoring effectiveness after implementation, preparing evidence for reassessments, and focusing on long-term goals, outcomes, and stability.

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge, frameworks, and practical understanding required to deliver high-quality, compliant, and person-centred NDIS Home and Living supports that uphold participant rights, support independence, and promote safe, sustainable living outcomes.

Each section is complemented with examples to illustrate the concepts and techniques discussed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

1. Introduction to NDIS Home and Living Supports

• Purpose and scope of Home & Living under the NDIS
• Definitions: Home, Living, Support Model vs Housing Model
• Relationship to NDIS goals, choice, and control
• Overview of Home & Living pathways and NDIA decision-making
• Reasonable and Necessary criteria applied to housing and living supports

2. Understanding the NDIS Home & Living Support Framework

• Overview of all Home & Living support types
• How Home & Living fits within Core, Capital, and Capacity Building budgets
• Role of assessments and supporting evidence
• The NDIA’s Home & Living Operational Guidelines
• Interaction between housing, support providers, and tenancy rights

3. Supported Independent Living (SIL)

• What SIL is and what it is not
• Eligibility and evidence requirements
• How SIL quotes, rosters of care, and service models work
• Roles and responsibilities of SIL providers
• Distinguishing SIL from non-SIL daily living supports
• Common risks, quality issues, and compliance expectations

4. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

• What SDA is designed to provide
• SDA design categories and building types
• Eligibility and functional impairment evidence
• Understanding SDA funding vs rent contributions
• Provider obligations, property modifications, and tenancy rights
• Relationship between SDA and SIL / ILO

5. Individualised Living Options (ILO)

• Purpose and core principles
• Staged process
• Types of ILO arrangements (host, housemate, living alone, shared living)
• Evidence and documentation requirements
• Designing safe, sustainable ILO structures
• Monitoring and contingency planning

6. Short-Term Accommodation (STA) including Respite

• What STA includes
• Appropriate uses: respite, skill-building, transitions
• Funding rules and frequency guidelines
• Distinguishing STA from SIL, MTA, and daily living supports
• Provider responsibilities and documentation

7. Medium-Term Accommodation (MTA)

• When MTA is appropriate (bridging accommodation)
• Eligibility requirements
• Limitations: MTA does not include support staff
• Transition planning and NDIA evidence requirements

8. Home Modifications (HM)

• When modifications are considered reasonable and necessary
• Roles of occupational therapists and builders
• Minor vs complex home modifications
• AT vs home modification decision points
• Compliance with building codes and safety standards
• Monitoring, completion sign-off, and cost considerations

9. Assistive Technology (AT) for Home & Living

• Definition and types of AT related to daily living
• Low-cost AT vs specialised AT
• Supporting evidence and assessment requirements
• Linking AT to functional goals and independence
• How AT interacts with home modifications

10. Assistance with Daily Life (ADL) Supports

• Personal care
• Household tasks
• Skill-building for independent living
• Overnight support (non-SIL settings)
• Use of Core Supports for home & living needs

11. Tenancy Assistance and Housing Support Capacity Building

• Assistance with accommodation and tenancy obligations
• Skill-building for renting and maintaining a home
• Working with real estate agents and housing services
• Supporting participants with housing instability
• Avoiding role confusion between tenancy assistance and case management

12. Evidence and Assessment Requirements for Home & Living Supports

• Functional assessments
• Housing needs assessments
• OT reports for modifications and AT
• Behaviour support considerations in shared housing
• Gathering participant goals and daily living information
• NDIA decision-making and evidence weighting

13. Safeguarding, Quality and Compliance Requirements

• NDIS Practice Standards relevant to Home & Living supports
• Participant rights, tenancy rights, and safety obligations
• Restrictive practice implications in shared living settings
• Provider governance responsibilities
• Ensuring safe environments and risk management
• Incident management and reportable incidents

14. Working with Participants, Families, and Other Providers

• Supporting informed choice and control
• Navigating relationships between SIL providers, SDA providers, and support coordinators
• Avoiding conflicts of interest
• Culturally safe and person-centred housing conversations
• Managing complex household dynamics

15. Planning, Transitioning, and Reviewing Home & Living Supports

• Assessing readiness for home & living changes
• Coordinating transitions between accommodation types
• Monitoring effectiveness after implementation
• Preparing evidence for plan reassessments
• Goals, outcomes, and long-term sustainability 

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.