An initiative by
Quick guide to SDA for
NDIS Support Coordinators
How does Guide You Home provide suitable SDA to your participants?
Guide You Home is our unique initiative that helps people through the SDA process to find them forever homes. Every participant and their support team will be assigned an SDA Specialist who will work closely with you to help manage the complex SDA process. Our aim is to build a bespoke home on land where the participants want to live. Throughout the design process, we will incorporate the participants needs not just by the NDIS design category but to include their current and future needs, hobbies/interests and preferences. Also, as it is our intention to own the SDA property, we can offer long term leases so our clients and their loved ones have peace of mind in their forever home.
Above all, it’s about designing a house that our clients can feel at home in.
Read more about our process: 7 Steps to Move Into Your New Home
Who is eligible for SDA?
SDA is only designed for NDIS participants who have an extreme functional impairment and/or the highest physical support needs. Currently, only about 6% of NDIS participants (about 12,000 people) meet these requirements. Priority is given to young people who are either in aged care or who are at risk of entering aged care.
To be eligible for SDA funding, NDIA assessment staff must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to each of these three questions which are:
- Does the applicant have an extreme functional impairment and/or very high support needs?
- Does the applicant have an SDA needs requirement?
- Is SDA reasonable and necessary for the applicant?
An SDA needs a requirement. If an applicant has an extreme functional impairment and/or very high support needs, NDIA assessment staff also need to be confident that SDA is the right long-term care option. They will consider whether SDA will reduce the applicant’s need for intensive one-on-one support and improve their quality of life, or whether there are other options.
For information on the four SDA Design Categories, read more here: What is the SDA Design Standard
Read more at Will I qualify for SDA?
How do they apply?
Applications for specialist disability accommodation (SDA) can be made by downloading, completing and lodging a Home and Living Supports Request Form. This form is available via the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) website.
We do recommend that if you are assisting your participant in this application process that you work with an OT that is experienced in SDA applications and has had helped individuals successfully qualify for SDA. Errors made during the application process can end up with a participants application being delayed, rejected or approved based on wrong assumptions.
Read more at: How Do I Apply for SDA?
Guide to SDA pricing and payments
SDA payments are based on age, location, and the features of the dwelling (including their SDA Design Category). You’ll be using the SDA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23, it was previously called the Price Guide for Specialist Disability Accommodation and you may hear people still using the old name. The NDIS has provided a helpful calculator that can assist you with calculating pricing and payments for your participant. You can find the latest version of the calculator on the SDA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23 page.
Location factors are really important in making the right calculations. Each location has a ‘factor’ that is used to increase the base price of their support to meet. Location factors can be found in Appendix E of the SDA Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23. If you aren’t using the calculator, do not forget to multiply by the location factor. If your participants are looking at a range of suburbs that may have different location factors, where appropriate you should consider calculating based on the highest figure to ensure flexibility.
Support Coordinator Info Series Webinars
Last year BlueCHP hosted a series of webinars tailored for support coordinators, covering topics such as What is SDA (Part 1 Part 2) , ILO & SDA (Part 1 Part 2), and SIL Explained (Part 1 Part 2).
A big thank you to Hayley Maxwell, NSW Support Coordination Manager, Scope (Aust); Linda Ward, General Manager Service Delivery, Scope (Aust); Marita Walker, Former CEO of Perth Home Care Services and NDIA Trial Site Manager; Jonathan Hodgson, State Program Manager, Life Without Barriers; Rebeka Yensch, NSW Senior Support Coordinator, Life Without Barriers; Aleisha Larsen, State Program Manager – NDIS Support Coordination, Life Without Barriers.
All session recordings are available to watch via the BlueCHP Youtube Channel.
If you’d like to register to be notified about next year’s sessions when the series restarts, please add your details below.
Webinar2023
SupportCoordinator Webinar Info Series 2023
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