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General
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Yes! We very much enjoy our collaborations with Support Coordinators and Specialist Support Coordinators and whilst we are registered as Support Coordinators and Specialist Support Coordinators, we do not undertake general support coordination work, as our niche is solely in assisting with SDA approvals. Our work complements and aligns with more general support coordination work but it does not interfere with or impede that work.
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Book in a no-obligation discussion with our founder Greg Barry via our Contact Us page. In the meantime, you may wish to use our online Eligibility Tool.
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Yes, our work can be entirely funded via a participant’s NDIS plan from funds available in the line items we are registered for.
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The options for payment for this service within our provider registration categories and the suggested order in which you might consider them are set out below:
1. Therapeutic Supports
(Improved daily living skills) / Therapeutic Supports (Assistance with daily life)Item numbers: 01_741_0128_1_3 / 15_056_0128_1_3
Because our in-house Occupational Therapist team members peer review and advise upon the sufficiency and language and elements of clinical conclusions in the submissions we prepare, and on populating them into submissions, we can charge for their work from the Therapeutic Supports line items. The number of hours allotted to these items cannot exceed 10 hours.
2. Individualised Living Options (ILO)
Exploration and Design from core fundsItem number: 01_850_0106_1_1
ILO includes choices about where you live, who you live with and how you want to be supported. These matters are the essence of your SDA aspiration as is our work to support your aspiration.
3. Support Coordination Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination
Item number: 07_004_0132_8_3
Specialist support coordination helps participants address complex barriers that affect their access to supports and to design a service plan for their support needs, where appropriate. SDA is nothing if not complex and our specialist work designs and progresses a plan for a housing outcome for you. Please consider then whether you have Specialist Support Coordination funding to utilise for this service and, if so, how many hours you choose to allot under this heading.
4. Support Coordination Level 2: Coordination of Supports (CoS)
Item number: 07_002_0106_8_3
Support Coordination is an highly legitimate basis for funding this work. As mentioned above we’ve calculated the total number of hours it takes for us to provide this service to align with the CoS rate. Consider also whether you have Support Coordination funding to utilise for this service and, if so, how many hours you choose to allot under this heading.
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We have had over 1600 engagements since SDA's inception in 2017, and live and breath SDA. It is in our DNA you could say! We focus on addressing the SDA legislation and rules and ensure you meet the funding criteria. This includes making sure the support helps you pursue your goals and is value for money. We are also participant focused and ensure that our questions are designed to put your needs first and explain why SDA is the right option for your care, as it should greatly benefit you now and in the long term.
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Please be assured that these decisions are reviewable and there are steps that can be taken to have the decision reconsidered. Refer to our Review section for more detail.
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SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) is a purpose-built house, apartment or other type of home that has been designed for people that live with an extreme functional impairment and/or have very high support needs.
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We are required to lodge a Change of Circumstance form for participants requesting SDA. This form may trigger a plan reassessment. We request on the form that the reassessment be limited to SDA, but this is at the NDIA's discretion.
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The NDIS pay for people with disabilites to live in SDA. If the NDIA deems you eligible for SDA, the SDA payments are included in your NDIS plan. Participants living in SDA will be required to pay a 'reasonable rent contribution'. This means you will pay 25% of your disability pension and any Commonwealth rental assistance that you receive.
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It is SDA Services’ policy that we don’t attend participants plan meetings as our engagement is to compile the SDA housing report and SDA application. If you have a Support Co-ordinator or plan nominee that can attend it may be beneficial for you.
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SIL (Supported Independant Living) is for participants that require paid support to be able to live as independantly as possible. SIL may assist people living alone or in a shared setting. SDA is the 'bricks and mortar' and designed for participants that cannot live in conventional housing and thus require specialist housing alternatives. An individual person may be funded for both SIL and SDA, however, SIL and SDA exist independently and require two seperate applications.
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A building that has had home modifications funded through the NDIS can not be registered as an SDA dwelling. However, an individual who lives in a dwelling that has had modifications funded by the NDIA can apply for SDA funding to move to an SDA dwelling.
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Depending on your needs, SDA can be provided for participants to live alone or with up to 4 other NDIS participants. It is also possible for non-eligible persons, such as family members, to live in your SDA dwelling, depending on certain conditions.
Reports
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The amount we charge for our SDA focussed housing exploration report service is $4506.30. This amount acknowledges that at least 45 hours of SDA Services’ team members’ time will be utilised at the assumed hourly rate we’ve adopted for our quote at the current hourly rate for support coordination work of $100.14 per hour.
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We anticipate our services to take approximately 8-12 weeks, from initial engagement to lodgment with NDIA. We have a no stone left unturned approach and put together a very detailed initial application to submit to NDIA on your behalf. These timeframes can be affected if we are awaiting an external Allied Health Report to support your application. Your Client Relations Manager will keep you informed throughout the process.
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Yes, we have internal OT’s as well as referral paths to external OT’s experienced in SDA focused OT assessments.
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The SDA application process is a very detailed one and therefore, at all stages throughout your application process you will be lead by the expert in the particular area. Typically you will be in contact with your assigned Client Relations Manager, a Participant Interviewer, a Report Consultant and Occupational Therapist (if you choose to engage our internal OT). You will be guided each step of the way by your Client Relations Manager.
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• Our in-house Occupational Therapists peer review and advise upon the sufficiency and language and elements of clinical conclusions in the documents we prepare for you, and they provide this support to the report writers. Their contribution is not less than 10 hours work.
• Our Participant Interviewers advise you about your housing options and receive from you your story, your general instructions and your informed preferences and they build a notional picture to write and share with the NDIA about what life would be like for you in your preferred housing. Their contribution is not less than 10 hours work.
• Our Report Writers assemble all the information and expresses it in a way which presents the evidence well and addresses the NDIS Legislation and SDA Rules thoroughly. This draft submission is shared with you and the report writer will respond to your queries, comments and amendments as needed. Their contribution is not less than 16 hours work.
• Our Report Writers also prepare relevant NDIS forms, including Home and Living Supports Request Forms and Change of Situation Form to accompany your application. This contribution is not less than 3 hours work.
• Our Value for Money Experts consider this important issue around your planned outcome via a desk top review. Their contribution is not less than 2 hours work.
• Our Decisions Register team members look at our extensive records of outcomes for participants in similar circumstances to you. They produce a table of those decisions to annex to our submission to support consistent NDIA decision making for you. Their contribution is not less than 3 hours work.
• Our peer review senior team members objectively review and edit the draft submissions before they are shared. Their contribution is not less than 6 hours work.
• Our Client Relations Manager finalises your report and lodges this to the NDIA on your behalf and assists with follows ups with NDIA until your outcome is received. Their contribution is not less than 4 hours work.
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We are guided by you as to who you wish to invite to your participant interview. Greg has also put together a video on what to expect during the participant interview.
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The SDA focused OT report is the integral allied health report that forms the basis of the SDA housing report. However, if you have provided other reports, please note that these will be reviewed and appended to the final application at the report consultant’s discretion. If there are certain reports that you would like appended, please ensure you communicate this with the report consultant prior to the report consultant commencing the initial draft.
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We do not require a copy of your whole plan, however, as a part of the SDA housing report, we require details of the NDIS plan including the start and end dates of the plan and your goals.
Reviews & Appeals
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The amount we charge for our s100/s48 Review service is $2503.50 (if we prepared the initial SDA application) or $3004.20 (if we did not prepare the initial SDA application). This amount acknowledges that at least 25-30 hours of SDA Services’ team members’ time will be utilised at the assumed hourly rate we’ve adopted for our quote at the current hourly rate for support coordination work of $100.14 per hour.
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There are two ways in which you are able to review your SDA outcome, with the most appropriate avenue of review being dependent on your particular circumstances and the time which has elapsed since you received the outcome of you SDA Application. These two avenues of review are known as a Review of a Reviewable Decision (s100) or an Unscheduled Plan Review (s48).
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An SDA outcome is what is defined by the NDIS Act as a reviewable decision and therefore you are able to request a review of your SDA outcome within 3 months (90 days) of receiving your SDA outcome. You are also able to review your SDA outcome through a request for a review of a reviewable decision within 90 days of receiving any future plan.
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A participant is able to review their SDA outcome by making a request for an unscheduled plan review, under section 48 of the NDIS Act. This type of review is sometimes known as a change of circumstances review, however, there is no need for a change in your circumstances to request this form of review, you may request a review of your plan at any time.
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• Our in-house Occupational Therapists peer review and advise upon the sufficiency and language and elements of clinical conclusions in the documents we prepare for you, and they provide this support to the review writers. Their contribution is not less than 7 hours work.
• Our Review Team members engage with you, clinicians and others generally in order to garner instructions and evidence. They review allied health reports and provide bespoke thorough guidance and feedback to ensure reports will support the review. They then write the draft review submissions. Their contribution is not less than 10 hours work.
• Our Review Team also prepare relevant NDIS forms, including Request for a Review of a Decision form or Change of Situation form to accompany your application. This contribution is not less than 3 hours work.
• Our Value for Money Experts consider this important issue around your planned outcome via a desk top review. Their contribution is not less than 2 hours work.
• Our Decisions Register team members look at our extensive records of outcomes for participants in similar circumstances to you. They produce a table of those decisions to annex to our submission to support consistent NDIA decision making for you. Their contribution is not less than 3 hours work.
• Our peer review senior team members objectively review and edit the draft submissions before they are shared. Their contribution is not less than 6 hours work.
• Our Client Relations Manager finalises your report and lodges this to the NDIA on your behalf and assists with follows ups with NDIA until your outcome is received. Their contribution is not less than 4 hours work.
Housing Provider Services
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First things first, you must gain SDA approval within your NDIA plan. If you do not have SDA approval in your NDIA plan yet, this should be your first step and we would be pleased to assist with this step.
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You do not need an SDA specific builder. You need to engage with a builder whom you trust to seek a firm price for the build.
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It is important to note that NDIA does not fund an SDA build. The SDA dwelling must be built and enrolled before SDA funding can be received. Capital for the build needs to be provided by the property owner via their own resources including any funds borrowed. You must also consider that a bank may require a very substantial deposit. Initial outlay costs also include design and engaging with an SDA assessor.
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Yes, the NDIA will not enroll a dwelling unless an accredited assessor has signed off on the dwelling, meeting all aspects of the NDIA SDA design standards.
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There are initial and ongoing roles and responsibilities, including but not limited to regime of inspections, ensuring the property remains fit for purpose, maintaining level of compliance, general maintenance, bi-annual electrical/circuit and appliance inspections, bi-annual fire inspections, administration obligations including claiming the SDA funding each month, annual attestation, incident reporting and general keeping of records.
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Anyone can be a Housing Provider, including participants, however there is a process involved, including applying to become registered, adopting policy and procedure manuals, appointing an auditor and undergoing an initial audit. The Quality and Safeguards Commission reviews all applications. There may be costs involved in the above processes.
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SDA Services is a registered Housing Provider and can provide this service for an annual fee of $4400.00 per eligible resident participant