SDA Services: Ensuring Independence and Quality of SDA Home and Living Decisions
By Amanda Dodds, SDA Services CEO
Excellence in Innovation
Since 2017, SDA Services has evolved a process for producing SDA housing reports, which make section-by-section references to the relevant legislative provisions. We have developed a highly detailed financial model focusing on Value for Money (which has also been verified by a school of actuarial science), as this is of high relevance to NDIA decision-making. We have also collected data from over 1600 SDA applications and present this data to the NDIA when making SDA applications to assist with consistent decision-making. We have built a very substantial staff resource structure to support the SDA pathway, which provides a well-rounded evidence approach. We want participants to understand the variety of home and living options that are available so they can express their preferred combination of options that best aligns with their wishes and needs. Our informing, exploring and listening approach puts the participant in best control of how they want to live, where they want to live and who they want to live with.
Our Process
We have a very personalised approach that includes participants and their supports every step of the way. We have an inclusive team of staff, some of which started as clients seeking our assistance to apply for SDA and, after achieving a positive outcome, are now staff valued staff members. In 2023, we also commissioned our first SDA Participant Survey to better understand participants’ SDA lived experiences. SDA Participants told us that living in SDA improved their well-being; they had more access to support and felt safer. The results of the survey left us with some questions about how support, employment changes, the role of Assistive Technology and how living with other people in SDA might change the experience. So, with the success of last year’s survey, we are pleased to have commissioned another 2024 survey, which is currently in circulation.
Our Impact
The scalability of our involvement with Home and Living decisions is huge, having now had over 1600 engagements, including approx. 30 NT participants, most of which are under the guidance of the OPG. We are particularly committed to assisting NT participants to overcome its renowned blockages, lack of resources and lack of general SDA knowledge to attend to all needs in the community. SDA Services is a solution to building bridges for long-term systemic issues.