What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is an NDIS support where you can live with other people with a disability or on your own. You will also receive support with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking and personal care.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is assessed and funded separately to SIL.
DESS SIL Innovation – a compelling choice for participants
The NDIA is encouraging participants to select different providers for SIL and SDA (or other housing arrangement) parts of their living arrangement. This can give participants greater choice and control of their lives – as it reduces reliance on just one provider.
The following are the key innovations which make DESS a compelling choice for participants living in SIL arrangements:
1) Making SIL arrangements participants centred – where supports are built around the needs and wishes of a participant (and less the needs of a provider, a roster or a manager).
2) Choice and control of your own support workers – DESS takes the time to understand participant’s needs, and then search and match with the right support worker for each participant
3) Connecting with the community – DESS’s approach is to connect to mainstream services and supports, with the involvement of local people providing support – which brings local connections and contacts
4) A pioneer of NDIA Individual Living Options (ILO) – DESS can support participants to explore and consider this innovative new approach to living in-community, which can suite some participants currently in a SIL arrangement
5) We are a Disabled People and Families Organisation provider (DPFO) – we bring the lived experience of disability into services – 50% of our workers have the lived experience of disability
Understanding disability and disability rights – in a SIL setting
Assistance getting the best NDIS plan – we bring all our experience and understanding of disability services to get the best NDIS plan or review possible
6) We support SIL arrangements via our small, local Neighbourhood Teams
Local connections – support by local people, to live more inclusively in the local community
Flexibility to meet participants needs – personal assistance, support for community activities, independence skill building, finding a job, finding a housing option
Highest standards in quality and safeguarding – all workers interviewed and screened, supervision by experienced sector professional, DESS is NDIS quality audited
Consistency of support, now and into the future – DESS is an established national provider, and our teams can support participants over many years, or however long required – important when informal supports are in transition, or may not be there for all time
