With our massive development programme this year, combined with the general craziness of the building industry brought on by the federal government stimulus – many of our builders haven’t taken the usual long break.
The blockies have started at some of our apartment sites in Brisbane.
We created NDISP House so that we could have a hub for staff to meet, train and also for Community Activities for Participants to come to. The gymnastics facility is finished and the dance facility will be complete this month.
We always priortise getting people out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home, that is what our entire team live and breathe by.
When we have had time in between creating awesome homes, we have done some pretty significant work on creating a happy place for our team, participants and the community.
As the SDA market matures we are at a loss as to why there are still so many terrible properties being designed. We have written about this before but it’s worth revisiting as we want good SDA stories, not so much rubbish being built as there is now.
NDISP’s mission is to get as many people out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home. The SDA funding is sufficient to allow quality properties in all locations, there is no need to cut corners.
Unfortunately so many investors are going to have massive vacancy issues as they are lured into advertising by builders and marketers who are building cheap inappropriate rubbish. There are ads constantly on facebook and google by builders and marketeers that state they are SDA experts and yet you look at their designs and they just don’t work.
NDISP is often asked to take over these properties once they have been sitting empty or when the provider who was “advising” the builder or marketeer turns out to not be able to deliver.
Just like the other categories, just because something meets the standards doesn’t mean it is fit for purpose.
We were recently asked to manage houses on 400m2 blocks that met both HPS and Robust standards but that were fit for neither. Wider doors and spaces, but not big enough for power chairs to get through and even most walkers, but low ceilings, shower screens and so much else wrong.
Below are the most common problems we see.
The majority of participants requiring Robust SDA need large blocks (acreage) for one or more of the following reasons:
Firstly, If the property doesn’t exceed the SDA design guidelines then it is unlikely to be fit for purpose. The guidelines are available online and they are set as an absolute minimum. You could build an 80m2 house and meet the building guidelines, but would anyone want to live there. This is especially the case for High Physical Support and Robust properties.
This week marks the start of something the NDISP team have been working on for a long time, people moving into the first of many Non-SDA Properties. We have developed a model with multiple different support worker organisations where we can separate support work from tenancy management in Supported Independent Living (SIL) housing.
Although it is not yet separated funding wise, we believe that the NDIS will have to provide an accommodation support model out of the SIL funding provided.
NDISP has long term (5 year minimum periods, usually 10 years) leases over the properties where we are responsible for all maintenance and repairs. This gets things fixed fast and efficiently by our Yellow Card Helpers teams.
Our properties have access control and security cameras the same as our SDA Properties.
Contact us to find out more
4 x 2 Bed 2 Bath High Physical Support Apartments in Arana Hills.
Both bedrooms have large accessible bathrooms big enough for shower beds or for 2 support workers to assist with showering
The ground floor slab is completed, the blockies are on site from January 4 and the place will be finished in 4 months.
We were lucky enough to have the DB Construct and Renner’s Electrical teams work flat out to get people in here for Christmas.
Purpose built around the corner from one of the Resident’s families, these lovely villas have an OOA in the middle of the two.
Having gone from a community housing place without even ceiling fans to fully automated air con, doors, fans, lights and more, it will make a massive difference
When we met with 5 people who were living in a tiny little housing commission duplex in Bundaberg in June we were so amazed about what a happy house it was, considering the property was terrible. As the bulk of these people had lived together for 20 years and they wanted to stay that way we came up with an innovative design.
NDISP never thought we would develop something like this as anytime we had been to a place with more than 3 residents in one property it had been run like an institution.
But, the team made the terrible old property such a happy home that we were really happy to do something like this.
It’s a real credit to April, Grant, Kahli and the crew that the old place was such a happy home, now they have the space and facilities to make it even better.
The team from DB Construct and Renner’s Electrical worked tirelessly to build this expansive place with full automation in just 4 months.
Jon, Darryl and the NDISP team are truly grateful to all involved who got this place done by Christmas and made us be able to deliver on our promise.
These beautiful IL SDA properties on the marina at Sandstone Point have people moving in today. It’s why we do what we do and it is by far the best part of what we do.
Just over the bridge from Bribie Island and right near the iconic Sandstone Point Hotel, these places have proved extremely popular.
Finally with the relaxation of the Covid-19 rules in Victoria we are able to move people into our SDA properties in the Beautiful Mornington Pennisula in Victoria.
This lovely building is in a great location and it’s been such a shame that the restrictive rules didn’t allow us to move people in sooner but at least we are free to do so.
It was a very busy few days have crews clean up a building that had been sitting empty for 6 months but it was well worth the effort.
Ms Samm has had a stressful time having worked hard on making the mix of future residents work but then having to wait for restrictions to lift to allow them to move in. Samm is amazing with great connections to various health services and provider groups, but most of all she is just a lovely lady who really cares about the people she helps, we are so lucky to have her.
We are in Townsville this week doing the best part of what we do, showing people through their new forever homes.
NDISP lives and breathes by our key philosophy Creating Places People are Happy to Call Home.
NDISP has a 3 bed plus OOA Fully Accessible SDA for 2 residents finishing in Mt Louisa just after Christmas. One of the bedrooms in this one is full, the other won’t be far behind.
We have another 2 x 3 bed plus OOA FA SDA in Mt Louisa finishing in February.
There are 2 x 2 bed plus OOA Fully Accessible SDA Houses in Oonoonba that will be finished in February.
One 3 bed plus OOA and one 2 bed plus OOA Fully Accessible SDA houses are starting construction in Bushland Beach after Australia Day, finished for move in June.
We have 2 blocks of High Physical Support SDA Apartments starting in the first quarter of 2021.
NDISP key metric is how many people we get out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home. With 20 Townsville SDA residents by June 2021 and plans for more than 50 by December 2021 we are really happy to have found a great development partner in Townsville to help as many people as we can.
It was great being in Cairns this week, meeting more participants and finalising some other designs.
6 x 2 Bedroom High Physical Support SDA Apartments in Earlville with a therapy pool onsite – short roll to shops
5 x 2 Bedroom High Physical Support SDA Apartments in Smithfield with a therapy pool – short roll to shopping centre
3 x 3 bed plus OOA High Physical Support SDA Houses in Smithfield
1 x 3 Bed plus OOA High Physical Support SDA Houses in Earlville
4 x 2 bed Fully Accessible SDA Villas in Trinity Beach
4 x 2 bed Fully Accessible SDA Villas in Trinity Beach
3 x 3 bed plus OOA Improved Liveability in Smithfield
NDISP has a range of HPS Units in Gordonvale and Central Cairns, plus some FA, IL and our Step- Free Holiday units in Palm Cove and Trinity Beach
We are so lucky to be able to do what we do. I’m just driving back from Bundaberg where I just had the privlege of a roll through for 7 people, their carers and loved ones through the 5 different dwellings they are moving into in mid December.
There were so many tears of joy, and that was just from the big blokey tradies on site who were there to see how happy everyone was.
Here are some constructive pics from one of our Hervey Bay houses that will be ready for move in this December.
On a quiet no through road on the Esplanade.
Inbox@ndisp.com.au. F
Our lovely new SDA property in Crestmead is almost ready for people to make it their new home.
This property is under construction and ready by Christmas. The property has 3 massive ensuited bedrooms plus a rec room opening onto a pool.
It is completely full. Email us at inbox@ndisp.com.au and we can see if we can help you find a place you are happy to call home.
This is 2 villas on the same block as a house. With a pool and a 45m2 rec room with a wet bar.
Move in in December for Christmas. I’m trying to workout who’s more excited, us or the tenants.
This place is full. We do have some vacancies on places under construction or we will build as it suits. Contact us at inbox@ndisp.com.au
This is the outside of one of our High Physical Support 2 x 2 Bedroom Duplex (plus OOA) SDA Property in Bagara, near Bundaberg QLD.
Please note that this property is full. But we are currently constructing 27 SDA places in Bundaberg and surrounds and have a couple of vacancies. We also have several hundred other SDA properties in QLD, VIC and WA. email inbox@ndisp.com.au for more info.
Here are some sneaky pics of a real HPS SDA House. Why do we say it’s a real HPS, because so many HPS places we see being built are completely unusable by participants. NDISP’s HPS SDA have
Almost every day we are offered completed or near completed houses that were sold as being High Physical Support. Unfortunately they are built to standard, not built large enough to use. Most also don’t allow participants to transfer, enter doors, open blinds, turn on lights etc.
Here are some sneaky pics of a real HPS SDA House. Why do we say it’s a real HPS, because so many HPS places we see being built are completely unusable by participants. NDISP’s HPS SDA have
This outstanding new 3 Bedroom High Physical Support Plus OOA home is available for 2 residents in the coming weeks.
This property comes with
Minutes to the shopping centre.
This is the first of 7 of NDISP’s SDA houses that are finishing in Toowoomba this month and next.
With 1200mm doors, 1500mm hallways, oversized clearances around beds, massive ensuites for shower beds or 2 support workers to bath participant etc. These HPS houses are some of the few fit for purpose HPS places around.
You can come and visit us, see some of our 3d walk throughs, talk to us about living in one of our properties and more.
We will have photos and video flythroughs as well as 3d walkthrough of our Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Our SDA finishing for move in this month.
1. 3 bed 3 bath plus 00A Fully Accessible SDA House for 2 residents in Park Ridge
2. 2bed 2 bath Improved liveability SDA House in Crestmead
3. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Leichardt
4. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Newtown
5. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Middle Ridge
7-14. 9 X 2 & 3 Bed ensuited Improved Liveability SDA Apartments in Sandstone Point on the Marina ( in block of 60)
15-16. 2 x 3 Bed Improved Liveability holiday apartments in Sandstone Point on the Marina ( in block of 60)
Starting or Started this month
17. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Middle Ridge
18. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Middle Ridge
19. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Drayton
20. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Drayton
21. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Drayton
22. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Drayton
23. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Walkerville
24. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Walkerville
25. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Avenell Heights
26. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Middle Ridge
27. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Smithfield
28. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House Earlville
29-34 . 6 X 2 bed plus OOA High Physical Support SDA Apartments Earlville 1 resident.
35-39. 5x 2 bed plus OOA High Physical Support Apartments Smithfield 1 resident.
40. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Trinity Beach
41. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA
House in Smithfield
42. 3bed 3 Bath plus OOA High Physical Support SDA House in Proserpine
Coming in October
8 X robust SDA duplex 1 resident on Sunshine Coast
1 X robust duplex SDA in Salisbury
Plus loads of units and houses and duplexes.
Our Earlville SDA started construction today. A true high physical support house with automated everything installed at construction. 1500mm hallways, 1200mm doors. Our truly smart home automation system allows:
And by automated we don’t mean you have to use a button. Control our system with your phone, your voice, or a dozen otherways to suit your needs.
Our unit complex for 6 individuals to reside in their own 2 bed unit is going to start construction any day now. These High Physical Support Units are so close to Earlville shops. The future tenants are more excited then we are, and rightly so. We’d love to live in one of these units.
While we were ecstatic to see that DA has been granted for 44 apartments in Trinity Beach (Cairns Northern Beaches) containing 10 NDISP Apartments – A mix of Holiday and Long Term SDA , the papers were not so happy.
The height of the development is their main concern but it has been approved by Council.
One of our team grew up in Airlie Beach and we are really lucky that she has agreed to be our Local NDISP Relationship Manager and is moving back to live there full time.
With the time constraints of picking up your life and moving halfway across QLD we will not name her yet, otherwise her phone won’t stop.
NDISP have spent the last few days looking at land with our builder up here in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Proserpine.
We are looking forward to construction starting on several houses, duplexes and apartments in the coming months.
It was great to be at an outstanding service provider in Propserpine, the Whitsunday Leisure Activity Centre, the HQ for Prosperpine and District Respite Inc. They do have some great programs and are so client centred.
One of the Residential Aged Care Centres in Proserpine has 3 young people living with Disability and eligible for SDA living in them. There are dozens more people in Proserpine, Airlie Beach and surrounds living in inappropriate accommodation because of a lack of supply. We really look forward to helping them find places they are happy to call home.
It was great standing on a million dollar beachfront block of land looking at what sort of units we can fit in there and build a great complex.
NDISP is working on a chain of holiday accommodation. Airlie Beach is going to be an awesome location for some.
Townsville turned on some lovely weather for us while we are up here checking on our SDA properties and looking for more.
NDISP is also looking for space up here for our permanent base for the region. We are looking to develop 100 SDA places in the region over the next 3 years.
We have some meetings and then off to Bowen.
The team at the PCYC were great hosts for our seminar last night.
Medium term accommodation is a time limited, transitional disability accommodation support designed to meet a participant’s disability related housing needs whilst awaiting disability related supports which will enable them to move into their long term housing solution.
Medium term accommodation:
Medium term accommodation does not include:
When considering if MTA is a suitable support option, the NDIA must assess whether the support meets the requirements of section 34(1) of the NDIS Act 2013
Generally, the NDIS will fund medium term accommodation supports for participants who are awaiting disability related supports and:
The NDIS will generally not fund medium term accommodation supports:
Long term housing solutions may include:
The NDIA must receive evidence to confirm the participant’s long term housing solution. Such confirmation may include evidence of the following:
Generally, medium term accommodation will be funded for up to 90 days.
Medium term accommodation may be funded for a further specified period of time where there is confirmation that the long term housing solution will be available within the agreed time period. For example, evidence is provided to verify that the vacancy, new build or home modification will be available within a specified time-frame (beyond 90 days).
Funding for medium term accommodation supports must be described in the statement of participant supports as specifically identified. This will ensure the support is purchased and provided as described, to support the participant to meet their housing support needs.
After a COVID induced break we are back. Click the link for more information.
We have some accommodation for up to 90 days available.
The NDIS provides Medium Term Funding for a range of reasons including if you are residing in Residential Aged Care.
If you are SDA eligible then we are looking for people who would love to live on the Peninsula for their forever home. 10 Year leases are available, though would have to reside under MTA funding until the Covid-19 situation resolves.
contact s.menzies@ndisp.com.au or phone 03 9998 7427
We have just picked up a 3 bed plus OOA property in Park Ridge QLD. Close to Shops with great outlook. All 3 bedrooms have ensuites. LHA Platinum and SDA High Physical Support Standard.
This property was built and designed by others. While it has great finishes, it is not up to NDISP’s High Physical Support Standard and we don’t consider it suitable for HPS participants, although if you are at HPS SDA standard you are always welcome to have a look.
The back of the property overlooks acreage properties from an elevated position.
The location is quiet but you are close to amenities
We see so many completed properties where the owners want us to be their SDA Provider and we have to say no. They are approved and pass the standards, yet just aren’t suitable for the people who need High Physical Support.
Many of the standards are based off the minimum requirements for lightweight manual wheelchairs, not for a large power chair or a shower bed. Imagine driving your chair around a corner past your bed with 50mm clearance on each side, let alone if doing so with your chin. Now some people we have met are precision drivers, but you wouldn’t want to have be precision all the time in your house.
The SDA standard is a great improvement and is there to be a minimum. If you are looking at receiving the HPS funding then you need to well exceed the standards and spend significant money to make it work.
If the property hasn’t got fully auto doors, lights, blinds and air conditioning at completion then it’s not suitable. NDIS funded modifications take too long.
1020 doors are too small. The minimum clearance beside the beds and at the foot of the bed are too small for people in big chairs.
Corners get destroyed, showers next to toilets are unusable for people who shower in chairs or beds. Ramps look like an afterthought.
Just like the new hospital wards that turn out to be completely unsuitable when the nurses finally get to see it (usually on the day they move in), many of the experts in this field don’t spend time with the support workers and participants who use them, they spend time with management or other experts.
There needs to be minimum standards to ensure a minimum, that doesn’t mean its fit for purpose. Speak to the people who live in them or those that support them.
After some incredible efforts (see History below) from a great community Murray Anderson Place in Rosebud on the beautiful Mornington Pennisula is ready to open the doors.
The 4 units each have 3 bedrooms in them, 2 for participants, one for a carer or support worker. Due to historical funding grants there is a delivery requirement that each unit is occupied by one individual with High Physical Support SDA funding and one individual with Improved Liveability SDA funding.
If you are eligible for SDA (HPS or IL) then please call us on 03 9998 7427 or email inbox@ndisp.com.au or our relationship manager s.menzies@ndisp.com.au
The Southern Mornington Peninsula Uniting Church started the journey to deliver disability accommodation in 2012. This was before the NDIS and SDA was even a consideration for them.
The building has been project managed by Property Services Group of Uniting Church in Australia Synod of Victorian and Tasmania.
After completion of the building, in 2019 the SMPUC in conjunction with Uniting Church in Australia Synod of Victorian and Tasmania conducted a national tender process for the appointment of a Specialist Disability Accommodation provider. NDISP is very pleased to have won the tender and to have worked extensively with these groups through the interesting times of 2020 with the common goal of providing places people are happy to call home.
After an intensive few months of design, the first 3 SDA Properties of ours in Bundaberg started today. At this stage we have 7 properties starting construction this month and more next month.
We are building these different properties specifically for participants and so they are already full. We have worked with some great participants, support co-ordinators and support workers to get here.
At this stage it looks like we will be in a full time development program in Bundaberg for the next 3 years or so.
We love getting people out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home.
If you or your loved one is looking to do the same and you think they may be SDA eligible then please feel free to get in contact.
A special thank you goes to Kahli and the team from IDSS for the original invite to come to Bundaberg and their continued support and introductions to others since. They are truly selfless and so focused on the best outcome for participants, the ones they work with or otherwise.
NDISP has been furnishing houses every week at present lately with a constant demand for new MTA places.
Medium Term Accommodation is available to those with SDA in their plan who have been offered a place in an SDA property but is awaiting it’s completion/vacancy or to those in need such as in hospital or aged care.
We have more MTA coming across SEQ but it is fast filling up. Limited vacancies in Thornlands, Ipswich and Toowoomba are ready this month. But we are need of lots more.
Many of our MTA clients are going through the SDA application process and will transition to SDA. Many of our MTA properties also transition to SDA.
Then we had someone in a medium sized power chair try and use it. And it just didn’t work. The chair actually got stuck and hit the bed trying to turn the corner
We exceed the standards as we have spent an enormous amount of time with participants seeing what works and what doesn’t.
When designing your SDA property it’s vital that you work with participants to ensure your SDA property works.
Taken straight from the NDIS Website
If you’re eligible for SDA, the next step is to decide what kind of SDA we will fund for you. We’ll determine the following things for you in your plan:
Check out the SDA Rules for extra information.
We look at your support needs to recommend the right design category.
There are five SDA design categories:
We look at your individual needs when determining your SDA design category.
You may need other supports, so we’ll also look at how the features of each design category would help facilitate them.
A design category isn’t appropriate for you if it makes it harder to get other supports. Or, if it would be risky for your health and safety.
When we determine your design category, we will look at reports from your doctor or other health professionals. We also look at your goals and aspirations.
We will consider things like whether you need additional space around your bed, bathroom or kitchen to be able to use them. Or if your care needs require particular features.
Usually, we select the design category that helps you receive your other supports and has the features you need to live there. We will also think about the support model that best suits your needs.
There are five building types:
Your individual needs help us work out the SDA building type that’s best for you.
We think about the features of each building type, and which would meet your needs best. We also look at how the building type would help in:
Key things we also think about are:
Generally, the lowest cost building type that meets your individual needs will be what we fund.
We’ll include an SDA location in your plan. An example of an area is Queensland – Brisbane – East. Or, Tasmania – Launceston and North East.
We decide the location by understanding:
If you have more than one place you would be happy to live in, we can include more than one location.
When we determine your SDA type and location, we will also look at what kind of support model you need.
A support model is how your person-to-person supports are delivered. It includes where those supports are provided. It also includes how your SDA and person-to-person supports work with other supports, such as assistive technology.
SDA is designed to work with a number of different support models.
Examples include:
For example, you might need immediately available person-to-person support. But if you can be alone safely sometimes, the best support model for you may be concierge or mobile support.
If you are eligible for SDA, we can also consider Personal Care Supports or Supported Independent Living (SIL) in your plan.
We look at reports from your doctor or other health professionals when considering what kind of support model you need.
We know that your support model may change over time. For SDA we consider how often you need access to your other supports and how quickly you need to access them.
The other parts of your support model will be included in your plan individually. They are not linked to the SDA supports in your plan.
Most people who access the NDIS don’t need to live in SDA. People who do need SDA have extremely high needs. They need to live in very specialised homes, usually with high levels of person-to-person support.
To decide if someone is eligible for SDA funding, we ask three questions:
If you’re eligible, the answers to these questions and the evidence you provide helps us work out what SDA funding you can get.
We are working to give you more tools to make it easier for you to give us your evidence.
Once we have all of your information and it is correct, we will review it and try to let you know if you can get SDA within 10 days.
Check out the SDA Rules for extra information.
We look at lots of different information to decide if you have these kinds of support needs. This includes:
First, we check if you have ‘extreme functional impairment’. This means you have a lot of trouble doing (or can’t do) daily tasks on your own. You might have a very hard time moving around, completing personal care tasks, or looking after yourself.
It also means you need lots of support from someone to do these things. This is on top of any assistive technology or other home modifications.
You might also be eligible for SDA if you have ‘very high support needs’. This also means you need a lot of person-to-person support. Your family or friends might not be able to give you this level of support informally.
This is because it could be risky for family or friends to help out. Or, it might be dangerous for you. You may need SDA to stay safe or keep others around you safe.
You might already live in SDA or have lived in a place like SDA for a long while. If living in a non-SDA house isn’t possible, you may have very high support needs.
We also need to make sure SDA is the right option for your care. It should greatly benefit you now and in the long term.
We think about whether SDA will give you long-term benefits for:
Depending on your needs, other kinds of supports could be a better option for you. This might mean you can keep living in your current home.
There might be changes we can make to your current home that would make it easier to live in. For example, fixing your bathroom if you can’t use it because of your disability.
Sometimes changes aren’t safe or possible to make to regular houses. This includes things like:
You might need alternative housing if this is the case. SDA is only one of these options.
Learn more about housing and the NDIS.
Along with the above points, we need to consider if SDA is reasonable and necessary for you.
Like all supports, SDA must meet the criteria in section 34 of the NDIS Act and in the SDA Rules .
Learn more about reasonable and necessary criteria.
One thing we think about when deciding if SDA is reasonable and necessary is if it will help you pursue your goals.
We need to know SDA is a better option to help you pursue your goals compared to other supports. We also need to understand if other supports could help you pursue your goals, or might even help you more.
For example, we’ll look at what is stopping you from being able to live in a regular house. We think about if there’s anything we could fund to make that possible for you.
SDA might reduce your need for other supports compared to where you live now. Or, it could help you pursue other goals outlined in your statement of goals and aspirations.
SDA funding contributes to supporting your needs. Over time, SDA may help reduce the costs of other supports you require. We think about this cost, or whether SDA is “value for money” over the long term.
We think about:
For most people, it’s often better value for money to fund other supports and home modifications, rather than SDA funding.
Like all funded supports, we must also assess any risks that could apply. We won’t provide funding if a support is likely to cause you or someone else harm.
We think about how we can help reduce any risks. For SDA, we’ll discuss:
We might also talk to you about how we can manage these risks in your plan. This might include:
There is now clarity around sharing and pricing. And the news is great it makes it all feasible for providers and investors for sharing. – read more here
where is the price limit that would apply if one SDA eligible person was occupying the bedroom (after the application of paragraph 1 if necessary):
where is the price limit that would apply if one SDA eligible person was occupying the bedroom (after the application of paragraph 1 if necessary):
1/2 the normal SDA Rate – 1/3 of the Reasonable Rent Contribution (single) Plus RRC Couple
Same as normal
The same rate as if the number or participants was equal to the number of bedrooms. Eg 2 participants and a non participant sharing a 3 bed house, each participant is at the 2 bed rate.
Normal SDA rate -2/3 of the single reasonable rent contribution.
We are finishing the fit out on an 3 bed plus carer place in Pimpama this weekend. A lovely gentleman in his 50’s is moving in tomorrow while we are building his SDA house in a different location closer to his family.
Just a couple of minutes walk to Pimpama City Shopping Centre. Nice Outlook.
Note that this property was not an NDISP design and doesn’t have our usual automation, 1200 doors etc. It is quality construction with quality finishes and will be suitable for a wide range of participants. Certified LHA Platinum
1020 doors
wide hallways
step free entry
step free alfresco area
massive kitchen with accessible benchtops and stove etc
accessible ensuite to each bedroom (shower screen free and not small, but not large enough for shower beds)
Solar battery emergency power
OOA (carers room) with ensuite
fans and airconditioning
double garage
flat footpaths to shopping centre.
The Yellow Card Helpers furniture crew fitted out another one of NDISP’s SDA properties ready for move in today.
NDISP has Medium Term Accommodation Vacancies across the above areas.
Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) funding
If the person is:
waiting home modifications to be done or
waiting for a vacancy to become available in the place where they want to live, and they have an offer for this place or
waiting for a new build SDA to be ready, and they have an offer for this SDA or
in hospital and is therefore in the exceptional circumstance of being at risk of contracting COVID-19 and is being forced to leave hospital (to free up beds for others who are medically unwell) and without a long term housing option at this time
In these situations, the NDIA may determine it reasonable and necessary to fund the person for Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) funding.
Contact us today
Email: inbox@ndisp.com.au
Phone 07 3724 0020
Open Homes – Bookings Essential
Both are open 11-5pm. But you need to book tickets and select time through Eventbrite
There are several recommendations in the report that reinforce the overall push for participants to be given choice and control of who they live with, including living alone.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review its existing policies and procedures, to ensure that participants needing assistance with daily living are given genuine choice as to whether they access supports in a shared or individual living arrangement.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency give all participants living in congregate settings, who receive Supported Independent Living funding, the opportunity to review their accommodation and support arrangements and to exit the congregate setting if they wish to do so.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review and, if necessary, amend the Supported Independent Living quoting tool, to ensure that it allows participants to choose the people with whom they share a residence to the greatest extent possible
The committee recommends that additional funding be made available to support participants seeking to exit congregate living arrangements.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission develop clear policies and guidance on vacancy management, with a focus on ensuring compatibility between tenants in shared accommodation and ensuring participant involvement in
the vacancy management process.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission, implement a mechanism to ensure participants accessing Supported Independent Living are able to change providers without compromising housing security or suffering other adverse consequences.
There are several key recommendations which reinforce the push for separation.
This obviously has significant implications for providers but greatly aligns with the key tenet of choice and control along with previous reviews such as the Tune review .
If it proceeds as recommended then structural separation will not be sufficient, there won’t be able to be more than 20% shared ownership, shared board or shared staff etc.
NDISP are currently investigating a model so that, as we do with SDA and MTA, we are the independent housing provider that allows full separation between SIL and Support Coordination
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency ensure immediate access to funding for all assessments required to support applications for reasonable and necessary supports, and in particular to support applications for Supported Independent Living.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency clarify the assessments required to support an application for Supported Independent Living funding.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency implement measures to ensure that all evidence provided by a participant to establish that supports are reasonable and necessary is accurately recorded in the participant’s plan, and is actively considered in plan development.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement a mechanism to confirm a participant’s eligibility for Supported Independent Living prior to the participant identifying a suitable vacancy.
The committee recommends that planners be empowered to authorise a price range for Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding, with no need for further approval so long as a SIL quote falls within that price range, on the condition that the participant and/or their plan nominee is able to review the SIL quote and approve it.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, develop and publish clear, comprehensive guidance material on Supported Independent Living as a matter of urgency.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency ensure that its planners fully explore current and future accommodation and support needs with participants during pre-planning, planning and plan review.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency implement measures to further streamline and expedite quote approvals for Supported Independent Living as a matter of urgency.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement mechanisms to prioritise and expedite approvals for Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation for people with disability in residential aged care, hospital settings, and the criminal justice system.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency clarify whether a provider may continue to claim for supports delivered under a plan while a review of that plan is underway.
The committee recommends that additional funding be made available in plans for short-term accommodation, for participants seeking to access Supported Independent Living.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) develop and implement a mechanism to ensure that participants have the opportunity to review and agree to quotes for Supported Independent Living before they are approved by the NDIA.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency ensure that its work to improve the Supported Independent Living quoting tool and quoting process takes into account:
• the costs associated with supporting participants with higher or more complex needs;
• the costs associated with supporting participants in thin market areas; and
• all relevant Fair Work decisions.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review the ‘simplified’ quoting tool for Supported Independent Living, to allow providers to make minor changes to a quote based on changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme pricing structure that have occurred since the quote was approved.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency establish a central point of contact for all inquiries relating to Supported Independent Living.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement a mechanism to provide updates to providers on the progress of Supported Independent Living quotes.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency progress the recommendations made in the committee’s report, NDIS ICT Systems, as a matter of urgency.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review its existing policies and procedures, to ensure that participants needing assistance with daily living are given genuine choice as to whether they access supports in a shared or individual living arrangement.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency give all participants living in congregate settings, who receive Supported Independent Living funding, the opportunity to review their accommodation and support arrangements and to exit the congregate setting if they wish to do so.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review and, if necessary, amend the Supported Independent Living quoting tool, to ensure that it allows participants to choose the people with whom they share a residence to the greatest extent possible
The committee recommends that additional funding be made available to support participants seeking to exit congregate living arrangements.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission implement additional oversight measures for participants in group living arrangements.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission develop clear policies and guidance on vacancy management, with a focus on ensuring compatibility between tenants in shared accommodation and ensuring participant involvement in
the vacancy management process.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency implement a mechanism to separate service delivery, tenancy management and support coordination for participants in Supported Independent Living settings.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, with the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission, implement a mechanism to ensure participants accessing Supported Independent Living are able to change providers without compromising housing security or suffering other adverse consequences.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop a central register for participants seeking to identify vacancies for Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency establish a specialist team dedicated to vacancy management.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement processes to streamline the approval process for participants who need funding for both Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation.
The committee recommends that, if a participant is approved for Specialist Disability Accommodation involving on-site overnight assistance, funding for Supported Independent Living (SIL) be automatically approved, on the condition that the participant and/or their plan nominee is able to review the SIL quote and approve it.
The committee recommends that, if a participant exits a Supported Independent Living arrangement, funding for that participant continues at a 50 per cent rate for a period of one month or until the vacancy is filled— whichever is sooner. At the end of that month, a review should be conducted to determine whether additional funding is required.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency conduct a review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Price Guide and associated price settings to ensure that the additional costs associated with supporting participants with complex needs, including in Supported Independent Living settings, are adequately captured.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and publish clear policy and guidance on when providers may claim above the benchmarks set out in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Price Guide.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement mechanisms to ensure providers are immediately notified of any changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Price Guide or associated price settings.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency review the National Disability Insurance Scheme Price Guide, to ensure that the costs associated with attracting, training and retaining staff to deliver supports to people with severe or complex disability, including in Supported Independent Living settings, are adequately captured.
The committee recommends that providers within the National Disability Insurance Scheme invest in additional training for support staff involved in the delivery of Supported Independent Living services and supports for participants with higher or more complex needs.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement a streamlined mechanism to expedite the processing of claims made by service providers for increased supports provided to participants.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency develop and implement a mechanism to streamline plan reviews for participants accessing Supported Independent Living in shared living arrangements.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency actively works to address thin markets, and ensures that work to address thin markets in regional, rural and remote areas captures both Supported Independent Living and Specialist Disability Accommodation.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency publish a clear and comprehensive policy on provider of last resort arrangements and crisis accommodation as a matter of urgency.
The committee recommends that the Commonwealth, states and territories, through the Disability Reform Council, progress work to understand and address gaps in the availability of advocacy and decision support services as a matter of urgency.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, working with the Australian Government, publish and distribute additional information on the availability of advocacy and decision support services.
The committee recommends that the Australian Government increase funding for advocacy and decision support initiatives, to ensure that these initiatives reach the broadest range of people who require these services.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, with the Quality and Safeguards Commission, develop and publish service standards specifically for the delivery of Supported Independent Living services.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency and the Quality and Safeguards Commission take a more active role in monitoring the quality of services in residences where Supported Independent Living is delivered, to ensure that participants and advocates can readily identify and address concerns with service quality.
The committee recommends that the National Disability Insurance Agency, with the Australian Government, develop, publish and implement a clear strategy to address coordination issues between state and territory services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, particularly for people with disability seeking to access Supported Independent Living supports.
NDISP has Medium Term Accommodation Vacancies across the above areas.
Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) funding
If the person is:
waiting home modifications to be done or
waiting for a vacancy to become available in the place where they want to live, and they have an offer for this place or
waiting for a new build SDA to be ready, and they have an offer for this SDA or
in hospital and is therefore in the exceptional circumstance of being at risk of contracting COVID-19 and is being forced to leave hospital (to free up beds for others who are medically unwell) and without a long term housing option at this time
In these situations, the NDIA may determine it reasonable and necessary to fund the person for Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) funding.
Contact us today
Email: inbox@ndisp.com.au
Phone 07 3724 0020
Western Australia announced yesterday that they were delaying the transition to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
WA has zero cases in hospitals or aged care and has 3 Active Cases in the entire state. This makes no sense. The transition date has been known for a long time and providers should have been ready.
All of the quality providers we have met in WA were ready to transition and already had great systems and compliance in place prior. All the delay does is extend the life of those providers who have poor systems and compliance and have little chance of passing an NDIS QSC Audit.
The compliance obligations of the NDIS QSC are enormous compared to the former NDIA and state based regimes. We know of participants living in SDA housing where the owners of the houses have been made the NDIS SDA Provider yet the ones we spoke to were not even aware of the policies or procedures they had used to apply for registration, let alone about how to comply with them. There are trades and services people going into SDA properties with no safety checks, no inductions, no training, nothing.
As above, all of the great providers were ready and had outstanding compliance and quality control systems in place for a long time prior. Unless we are missing something it just looks like those providers with poor compliance systems have been given an extra 6 months. We hope it doesn’t result in any harm coming to participants
We found out on Wednesday afternoon that someone was stuck in hospital and needed Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) asap. So we rounded up a crew and put together a whole house load of furniture.
Jon and Darryl enlisted some of the Yellow Card team but rolled up the sleeves and got stuck in.
We are very much looking forward to moving someone in in the morning.
Helping people is why we are here. Whilst this property was going to become MTA, we were going to sort this over the coming weeks. But with someone needing to get out of hospital we just couldn’t wait. It’s a privilege to be in a position to help people.
We also have SDA and more MTA coming on board
It was lovely to see another 3 Bedroom High Physical Support SDA property completed and handed over from the builder to us today in Aura on QLD’s Sunshine Coast.
Jon, Darryl and Peter will be flatout next week as we have back to back inspections.
Share with lovely sociable and friendly lady in her early 50’s.
This is a quick walkthrough of where to go on the NDIS QSC website to find the current register of providers.
12 May 2020
This is an appeal of the case that we first wrote about on our blog in July 2019.
Mostly supported direct from the act and therefore immediately obvious to lawyers and lay people alike:
S31 NDIA Act
Objectives of a Participant’s Plan Should:
S 33(5)
In deciding whether or not to approve a statement of participant supports under subsection (2), the CEO must:
have regard to the participant’s statement of goals and aspirations; and
have regard to relevant assessments conducted in relation to the participant; and
be satisfied as mentioned in section 34 in relation to the reasonable and necessary supports that will be funded and the general supports that will be provided; and
apply the National Disability Insurance Scheme rules (if any) made for the purposes of section 35; and
have regard to the principle that a participant should manage his or her plan to the extent that he or she wishes to do so; and
have regard to the operation and effectiveness of any previous plans of the participant.
All of above are excellent responses that should be used in forming an argument or outline of why a support is reasonable and necessary.
Basically, the Australian community can choose to participate in consensual sexual activity or relationships as often or as little as they want, an NDIS participant is part of the Australian Community and enjoys the same right.
Whether, in a given case, the requested support is a ‘reasonable and necessary support’ will in our opinion generally be a question of fact, on the evidence before the decision-maker. Subject to matters such as rationality and legal unreasonableness, there may be an area of decisional freedom in the conclusion reached by a decision-maker about whether a support is properly characterised as a ‘reasonable and necessary support’. The phrase has a qualitative aspect.
There is no definition of ‘reasonable and necessary supports’, although the phrase is used throughout the legislative scheme. It is necessary to say a little more about s 3 (the objects section) and s 4 (the ‘principles’ section).
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the contextual use of the phrase in this Act links it to public funding to be provided to a participant. In that context, the phrase connotes supports which meet a threshold which justifies – by reference to the context, objects and guiding principles of the Act and the facts of the case – the expenditure of public funds for that support, for a particular participant. As we have already explained, the phrase also needs to be understood taking into account what has qualified a person as a participant, and the links between a person’s impairment and their full participation in the community, in the same variety of ways as persons without a disability might choose to participate. It is not accidental, in our opinion, that Parliament has chosen the term ‘participant’ to describe individuals who will receive funded support: the choice of that term reinforces, as we have sought to explain, that the driving objective of this Act is the holistic, improved and increased participation by persons with disability in the life of their communities, and in life itself. And, as we have explained, choosing to engage in lawful, consensual sexual activity (or choosing not to) is an ordinary part of living in such a community, and of living a full and independent life.
It was common ground in this case that the kind of support which the respondent sought to have funded had not been excluded under the Rules. Such an exclusion would require the agreement of the Commonwealth and each host jurisdiction (that is the States and territories): see s 209(4)
the support represents value for money in that the costs of the support are reasonable, relative to both the benefits achieved and the cost of alternative support
We do not consider it is appropriate on this appeal for the Court to express any opinions about the content or limits of the phrase ‘reasonable and necessary supports’ at some level of general principle, assuming that could be done, which we consider is unlikely. As we have noted, there may be circumstances where the outer limits of the meaning of the phrase need to be considered and determined. Had the Agency pressed its case that the claimed support could never be a reasonable and necessary support within the meaning of the Act, the question of outer limits may have arisen. The Agency did not press that argument. Nor did it impugn the Tribunal’s reasons by reference to legal unreasonableness or irrationality in respect of its fact finding about the claimed support. Further, the Agency’s supplementary submissions pay insufficient regard to the fact that the statutory language is that of a composite phrase.
If something about the disabled person means that he or she is not able to be included in the community as a fully participating citizen, and a reasonable and necessary support will avoid that result, it will be appropriate for it to be provided.
There were 13,944 participants approved for SDA with only 956 New Build Dwellings, plus 24 refurbished, 197 legacy and 2,946 existing dwellings across Australia.
There were 1,378 participants approved for SDA with only 166 New Build Dwellings, plus 5 refurbished, 37 legacy and 354 existing dwellings across QLD.
There were 5,061 participants approved for SDA with only 513 New Build Dwellings, plus 5 refurbished, 59 legacy and 1,308 existing dwellings across NSW.
There were 4,378 participants approved for SDA with only 125 New Build Dwellings, plus 14 refurbished, 85 legacy and 376 existing dwellings across VIC.
There were 391 participants approved for SDA with only 13 New Build Dwellings, plus 0 refurbished, 37 legacy and 354 existing dwellings across Australia.
There were 1,378 participants approved for SDA with only 166 New Build Dwellings, plus 5 refurbished, 0 legacy and 7 existing dwellings across SA.
There were 421 participants approved for SDA with only 20 New Build Dwellings, plus 0 refurbished, 3 legacy and 26 existing dwellings across TAS.
There were 48 participants approved for SDA with only 11 New Build Dwellings, plus 0 refurbished, 0 legacy and 8 existing dwellings across ACT.
There were 137 participants approved for SDA with only 8 New Build Dwellings, plus 0 refurbished, 3 legacy and 17 existing dwellings across NT.
IT News has a story explaining what is happening from a technology point of view.
We have multiple SIL providers at the moment that are unable to accept the new clients who wish to use them as they are still awaiting payments for their last new clients, some for many weeks resulting in tens of thousands of dollars.
Bring it on.
It’s always lovely to show someone through one of our properties and although still 2 weeks from completion we had some support workers and providers who were really keen on seeing our new SDA property in Pimpama.
Within just a few hundred metres flat walk, roll or stroll to the Pimpama City Shopping Centre 2 different providers have participants identified for the property and are sending through details through of their approved SDA participants so we can assess as to who is the best fit. Both groups would also like more properties in the area.
Have a look at our interactive walkthrough of an SDA property in Nambour
CBUS Super has joined growing list of investment funds and groups investing in Specialist Disability Accommodation under the NDIS.
Read More
We had such a wonderful time in Bundaberg. There are amazing people doing innovative.
The Deli is an amazing place organised by IDSS. Its an awesome deli with awesome food run and staffed by people of varying abilities.
NDISP is lucky to have made connections in Bundaberg and we are going to build a range of properties in Bundaberg. We are so excited about the projects here and can’t wait to update you.
If you are familiar with our work you would know we have hundreds of properties under development around the country you would know there is no need for us to go to Warwick for an SDA property.
We were asked to go up and have a look at a site for an SDA property which we obviously don’t need to do from a business perspective.
This long ceased to be about business for us. It is all about how many people we can help get out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home. We travel all over the countryside because people need help and we want to help and we are able to.
Warwick’s first SDA property is being developed by a lovely lady who loves Warwick and wants to develop a benchmark SDA Property in Warwick to help bring local people who need specialist disability accommodation back home to Warwick but who have had to move away because there is none there. It is much needed.
We look forward to sharing more about this outstanding place.
NDISP is super excited to announce that we have launched Medium Term Accommodation.
Medium Term Accommodation is Available can be paid for using core support funding (MTA funding), which is available to some NDIS participants.
MTA funding will only cover the cost of the housing and not the support – you bring your own support workers or we can introduce to you.
During COVID-19 it is likely you will be approved for Medium Term Accommodation very quickly so that you can get out of hospital and make your bed available to others, it also assists you with reducing your risk of catching COVID-19.
When you are approved for SDA and you are waiting for a vacancy to be available then Medium Term Accommodation is usually available to you immediately.
When you are approved for SDA and you are waiting for your SDA New Build to be completed then Medium Term Accommodation is usually available to you immediately.
We have properties with touchless entry, full automation, ceiling rails massive ensuites, auto doors, blinds, lights and airconditioning.
When a person is in an exceptional circumstance and is discharged to interim housing without a long term housing option identified, it is essential to include a range of safeguards so that the person does not get ‘stuck’ in the interim housing option. These safeguards are things like:
an interim NDIS Plan for 3-6 months at the most
at least 2 hours per week of Support Coordination to explore housing options
more than enough Core Supports budget in the NDIS Plan so that the person is very well supported in this less than ideal, interim housing option
adequate Capacity Building Supports budget in the NDIS Plan so that the person can be supported to continue to build their skills and not deteriorate while they are in any interim housing option
Call us on 07 3724 0020
Email us at inbox@ndisp.com.au
It was an outstanding day for us taking possession of this awesome SDA place on the Sunshine Coast.
Awesome work by
DB Construct an outstanding building company on the Sunshine Coast. Shout out to Daryl and Matt for all their hard work
NDISP’s Choice 3 HPS is a high physical support property with 3 massive ensuited bedrooms, ceiling hoists, 1500 hallways, 1200 doors.
NDISP currently has 10 properties ready to start construction in Toowoomba. These are a mix of SDA and MTA properties.
This funding is available to NDIS participants:
waiting home modifications to be done or
waiting for a vacancy to become available in the place where they want to live, and they have an offer for this place or
waiting for a new build SDA to be ready, and they have an offer for this SDA or
in hospital and is therefore in the exceptional circumstance of being at risk of contracting COVID-19 and is being forced to leave hospital (to free up beds for others who are medically unwell) and without a long term housing option at this time
We are working to have some Medium Term Accommodation available across the country. This will be in SDA standard properties and the first ones come on line this month.
The Standard for SDA Robust Housing is:
NDISP has been working hard with providers on SDA Robust housing for a long time. We were only going to introduce robust designs into our portfolio of properties once we knew as much about them as we did about High Physical Support and Fully Accessible. We also wanted to spend a lot of time with various care providers in this space making sure that we could identify best practice.
We always work with care providers, participants, and their loved ones as may be appropriate for the particular situation to ensure that our properties not only exceed the standard, but are fit for purpose.
Whilst we don’t currently work with them, SDA Consulting’s How to Design and Build Robust Housing contains a guide on how to build robust housing. The photos below are taken from their site to illustrate their designs and also to encourage interested parties for this level of SDA to visit their site (NDISP may also do Robust to the highest degree). As acknowledge by them, some of their components (as are some of ours) may be considered restrictive practices. Their design recommendations include:
As part of the COVID- 19 response the NDIS has worked with major supermarkets to provide a priority grocery delivery service to more than 340,000 NDIS participants who have been identified as needing assistance to purchase groceries.
Where supermarkets like Woolworths have closed home delivery services they should be available for those with the code.
The latest report from the Summer Foundation and Social Ventures Australia continues to show a significant shortfall of SDA.
NDISP was a contributor to this study. Our pipeline of dwellings under development was reported and makes us responsible for the majority of QLD and WA supply. Our QLD, NSW & WA supply has since increased.
There remains 7,750 more places needed on top of the properties in the pipeline.
In the event of a lockdown of all but essential businesses we have been informed that construction work on some building sites would be allowed. Hospitals and Nursing Homes for Example.
50 young people a week get admitted to aged cared. We met with the support worker of a gentleman in his mid 40’s who has Cerebal Palsy. He is wanting to move into one of our SDA properties after 20 years in the dementia ward of a nursing home. That is no way for people to live. Young people with disabilities die because of having to live in inappropriate accommodation.
More people with a disability are likely to die due to any delay in the construction of SDA properties due to a lockdown than would do so from COVID-19 infection on a construction site of an SDA Property. Given that we can continue to build small scale SDA properties, with limited people on site at at time and limited contact, there appears to be little risk or infection.
You can see from the photos below the painter has just finished at one of our Choice 3 SDA houses in Nambour.
The kitchens and the kitchenettes are also sitting in place (the flooring has to go underneath them so the cupboards touching the floor are not attached yet.
The photos really let you start to see the size of the properties. We are really excited to see years of planning taking shape and getting closer to tenants moving in.
Our 5 x 3 bed Choice 3 H (couple of different designs) are finishing on the Sunshine Coast.
Here is a little video of one of them (others are further on but we like the raw nature of this one).
This place will be finished before Easter
The first 5 SDA Properties on the Sunshine Coast are weeks away from being finished. 3 houses in Aura near Caloundra, 2 in Nambour
There are 3 x 3 bedroom plus carer High Physical Support Houses in Aura finishing construction now. With another 2 finishing in Nambour.
We have got applications already from a range of people but there are still a few bedrooms left. We’ll soon be having a housemates BBQ to help people meet each other and see who wants to live with who.
To apply for one the few remaining places then go to our property reservation forms. You can also use this to find out about our flat mates BBQ
We also have some 2 bedroom units and another 5 houses about to start construction on the coast. Email us at inbox@ndisp.com.au to find out more about those . You are always free to call us on 13 000 NDISP or phone 07 3724 0020.
Our mission is to create places people are happy to call home. You can sign a 10 year lease with us on these properties so that you can stay as long as you want, but because we want you to be happy, you can leave with 30 days notice. Even if the property changes owners or providers etc, the lease is for 10 years until you don’t want to live there, your choose, not ours, not the owners, not the governments, all yours.
The Reasonable Rent Contribution required is set by the NDIS at 25% of your reasonable rent contribution, plus 100% of your rent assistance.
Our owners provide an additional support contribution of the equivalent of 2 hours of day time support per week (pro rata’d every time we get an SDA Payment from the NDIS). You can use this money on transport, equipment, health professionals or just about anything that provides a direct benefit to you.
Our properties have:
Having a property that just works for you and makes your life easier can increase your independence and help you spend more time enjoying what you do. Choice and Control at its finest.
With the completion of our unit complex in Victoria and the impending completion of 5 houses in QLD, it’s time to get people moving in. Having spent the last several years down the SDA rabbit hole we are really excited to see people moving into places.
Our SDA agreements allow people time to settle in and call somewhere home. We offer lease terms of up to 10 years, with the ability for people to leave with 60 days notice.
The NDIS sets whats called a Reasonable Rent Contribution. This is set at 25% of the Disability Support Pension and 100% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance.
We lease the properties for 20 years and hope that our investor keep them as SDA beyond that too. But our residents can move out in a couple of weeks.
1. The design has to be suitable and attractive for other NDISP participants. So we can change the design to suit you but not so much as that it only suits you. Especially if you don’t have approval to live alone and you are sharing with 2 or 3 others.
We have been fortunate enough to meet hundreds of people across the country during our travels. And while there are always bad eggs out there (they shouldn’t have a job), and we have heard about terrible support workers.
With choice and control the participant gets to choose their support worker, if they are bad they need to be sacked or the company employing them does if they don’t fix it.
Last night we had the privilege of spending time with a great bloke, with a good sense of humour too, at our info session in Cairns. The type of guy you want to have a beer with. He self manages and he loves he support workers. He treats them really well and they help him really well in return.
Mostly support workers don’t get paid enough for the awesome things they do. This is especially an issue with passive sleepovers
2. Our OOAs are large, comfy and we’ll fitted out. We won’t build anything small or unsuitable. This is not for carers to hang out during the day, but where someone is getting paid only $50 something to sleep overnight away from their home, then a well decked out OOA is the least we can do.
if a support worker ignores their client, spends time on their phone or hanging out in an OOA when they should be helping, then that’s an employment issue not a design issue. Happy support workers help make happy clients.
All of our share houses have a large ensuite, plus a sink and space for microwave and fridge. The taps can be turned off, a board attached over the sink so it can be used as a desk etc is no problems. We don’t supply the microwave or bar fridge. So if not wanted don’t use them.
Many of our funders ask what are their options if they decide not to keep it as SDA , or , we should be so lucky, if there is do much SDA built their is a glut. An ensuited bedroom with a sink, bar fridge and microwave can be used as rent by the room accommodation in the general rental market. So this design gives them comfort.
3. Our share houses have a little sink, bar fridge and microwave space except in exceptional circumstances.
The majority of people we meet love an ensuite to every room. Our bathroom layout allows for a ceiling rails and hoist to go from the bed through the shower and over the toilet.
4. Our bedrooms have an ensuite, except in exceptional circumstances.
Check out the SDA Price Guide
On a 3 bedroom house providers get between $18,016 and $40,577 PER bedroom if the location factor is 1.
That means the returns on a $500k house (construction only, not land) are still outstanding. There is just no reason we can find to skimp on this.
A couple of the properties we look after don’t have an ensuite to each bedroom. All of our designs do, however, in extremely limited circumstances we have taken on properties without ensuites where they were already built. But there needs to be a compelling reason as to why there isn’t an ensuite to each bedroom and then the property needs to be exceptional in other ways.
The reasonable rent contribution is set at 25% of the disability pension and 100% of rent assistance. So it costs no more to be in a 3 bed house with ensuites to every room and full technology to allow touchless entry then if you were sharing a bedroom.
The QLD government has announced a trial of an assessment and referral team to help participants access the NDIS
Read more here
After months of delays, due primarily to the electricity provider continually delaying and generally stuffing up the removal of over head cables, the excavator is eating the old house at Morningside ready for the construction of one of our Freedom 4’s
Timelapse video of demo below.
NDIS Minister Stuart Robert said on Monday that from 1 March, participants can use their plan’s core funding when travelling to and from NDIS-funded community activities.
This reverses a decision made by the National Disability Insurance Agency in July last year, which banned people from using money assigned for their core support for travel when their transport funding ran out.
Read More at Probono News
The NDIS has based pricing on ensuring a return for 20 years, after which they still have priced the SDA payments way above market to encourage people to keep their property as SDA.
The new build price is for 20 years. Below is the table from the SDA Pricing Guide
| Building Type / Design Category | Basic | Improved Liveability No OOA | Improved Liveability With OOA | Fully Accessible No OOA | Fully Accessible With OOA | Robust No OOA | Robust With OOA | Robust +1 Room | High Physical Support No OOA | High Physical Support With OOA | Innovation
Funded as trials and/or new design categories added over time |
| Apartment, 1 bedroom, 1 resident | NA | $35,605 | $41,541 | $57,489 | $67,072 | NA | NA | NA | $76,255 | $88,965 | NA |
| Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 1 resident | NA | $42,391 | $49,456 | $70,028 | $81,699 | NA | NA | NA | $94,881 | $110,694 | NA |
| Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 residents | NA | $16,562 | $19,322 | $30,214 | $36,050 | NA | NA | NA | $42,806 | $49,940 | NA |
| Apartment, 3 bedrooms, 2 residents | NA | $22,128 | $25,816 | $40,327 | $47,048 | NA | NA | NA | $58,019 | $67,689 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 1 resident | NA | $25,078 | $27,736 | $38,654 | $42,537 | $45,548 | $50,295 | NA | $52,338 | $56,744 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 2 residents | NA | $15,696 | $16,944 | $23,918 | $25,804 | $28,546 | $30,835 | $1,926 | $33,565 | $35,684 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 3 residents | NA | $12,820 | $13,669 | $20,365 | $21,627 | $24,748 | $26,273 | $1,283 | $29,437 | $30,848 | NA |
| House, 2 residents | NA | $22,922 | $24,171 | $31,324 | $33,210 | $36,568 | $38,857 | $1,926 | $41,424 | $43,544 | NA |
| House, 3 residents | NA | $18,016 | $18,967 | $26,468 | $27,882 | $31,100 | $32,785 | $1,418 | $38,868 | $40,577 | NA |
The Table below is for EXISTING stock, the price that you would get today if you had held SDA property 20 years ago and your property just turned 21.
| Building Type / Design Category | Basic | Improved Liveability No OOA | Improved Liveability With OOA | Fully Accessible No OOA | Fully Accessible With OOA | Robust No OOA | Robust With OOA | Robust +1 Room | High Physical Support No OOA | High Physical Support With OOA | Innovation
Funded as trials and / or new design categories added over time |
| Apartment, 1 bedroom, 1 resident | $19,853 | $20,293 | $23,676 | $34,450 | $40,193 | NA | NA | NA | $53,637 | $62,577 | NA |
| Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 1 resident | $26,219 | $26,758 | $31,218 | $44,749 | $52,207 | NA | NA | NA | $69,751 | $81,376 | NA |
| Apartment, 2 bedrooms, 2 residents | $8,447 | $8,718 | $10,171 | $17,713 | $20,665 | NA | NA | NA | $30,215 | $35,250 | NA |
| Apartment, 3 bedrooms, 2 residents | $13,143 | $13,491 | $15,741 | $25,426 | $29,664 | NA | NA | NA | $42,808 | $49,942 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 1 resident | $10,037 | $10,302 | $12,304 | $17,231 | $19,339 | $21,400 | $24,022 | NA | $28,602 | $31,377 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 2 residents | $5,308 | $5,484 | $6,457 | $9,772 | $10,796 | $12,559 | $13,822 | +$1,064 | $17,555 | $18,889 | NA |
| Villa/Duplex/Townhouse, 3 residents | $4,296 | $4,450 | $5,100 | $8,328 | $9,013 | $10,957 | $11,798 | +$708 | $15,601 | $16,490 | NA |
| House, 2 residents | $6,113 | $6,241 | $7,215 | $10,544 | $11,569 | $13,687 | $14,950 | +$1,064 | $18,714 | $20,048 | NA |
| House, 3 residents | $4,691 | $5,597 | $6,325 | $9,916 | $10,683 | $12,710 | $13,641 | +$783 | $19,493 | $20,569 | NA |
| Group home, 4 residents | $5,788 | $5,973 | $6,528 | $9,963 | $10,548 | $12,600 | $13,305 | +$594 | $18,727 | $19,537 | NA |
| Group home, 5 residents | $4,649 | $4,798 | $5,237 | $8,524 | $8,987 | $10,880 | $11,438 | +$469 | $16,570 | $17,208 | NA |
If you rented a 1 bedroom (or a 2 bedroom that you allow someone who’s approved for a 1 bedroom as NDISP does) today you would get
$88,965 per year, plus CPI for 20 years
In 21 years time that would drop to
$62,577 plus the CPI you had gain. Still a great return.
If we apply our currently low CPI of 1.8% as the average CPI over 20 years
In 20 years time you would be getting
$127,108 per year
in 21 years time this would drop to
$89,406 per year (almost what you started at)
While that is a significant drop, compare to normal rent,
a new 3 bed unit in Holland Park is advertised on RealEstate.com.au at $540 per week. I have used a 3 bed because they are larger. An SDA unit is dearer than a normal unit but is the size of 3 bed unit.
$28,080 per year now
$40,119 per in 21 years time.
That is almost $50,000 less than the SDA unit, significant time to forget the extra cost from the build.
From top of page 19.
The timeframe for the pricing has also been aligned with the expected investment horizon of institutional investors (20 years). To recognise the uncertainty associated with retaining participants for more than 20 years, the pricing model conservatively assumes that at the end of 20 years the property would revert to the general market, providing a lump sum cash flow to the investor equal to the (non-SDA) market value of the property. When combined, the revenue from SDA payments, reasonable rent contributions and the sale value of the property will be sufficient to recover the initial investment, all maintenance, outgoing and management costs, and an ‘institutional’ return on debt and equity.
The new build pricing will only apply for a period of 20 years. At the end of the 20-year period, and the property remains occupied, the pricing will revert to ‘existing stock’ prices, which will provide a superior return to the general rental market and encourage property owners to retain the property as SDA.
The NDISP team try not to fly between Christmas and Australia Day so we can spend some precious time with our families.
We start the year with a trip to Victoria for
Next week we are off to Perth, Broome, Albany and Geraldton. There we are:
In the second week of February we are off to these regions to
The third week of February and we are off to tropical north Queensland. There we are:
We are all over the country every single week as part of our mission to help as many people get out of inappropriate Accomodation and into places they are happy to call home.
This travel has an impact on our families and if it wasn’t for us being so passionate about helping every person’s we can then we wouldn’t do it. We really are thankful to our families for supporting us.
Two massive walls have been built this weekend by Craig, Goodie and Kenny from Yellow Card Helpers. Massive days, lots of sweat and hard work.
The floor and paint goes in this week in time for first dance classes next weekend.
With the change from the NDIA to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission comes external auditing of our systems, policies and procedures by 2 independent and accredited auditors. (All states except WA)
The audit system is part of the extremely comprehensive and complex compliance system for SDA and other NDIS providers, they help:
According to the COAG reports from the NDIS, as at 30 September there was 488 People Approved for SDA in Perth
At the same time there were a total of 8 approved properties, only one of them new. With the impending release of the next quarter’s results that will be interesting to see how many have been added. Not many more based on our research.
We are heading back over in the first week of February to have more meetings and get some moving.
We have properties with slabs down or frames up on the Sunshine Coast. Toowoomba and Ipswich starting in January, Cairns, Caboolture and others in February.
Complete an EOI or email us at inbox@ndisp.com.au or call 13 000 NDISP for more info.
Inclusions
Full Automation
Our GEN 10 automation system is able to be controlled by tablet, phone, voice, touch screen panels or even good old fashioned buttons. A robust commercial grade system that can be individually programmed to suit access needs, movement or any other requirements.
Automation system controls the following with voice, phone, tablet or switches:
Lights
Fans
A/C
Blinds
TV’s (mounts on walls in every bedroom and the living room)
Dedicated Relationship Manager
NDISP doesn’t use property managers. We have dedicated relationship managers who are people persons, they don’t look after maintenance or finance or anything but you. Their whole job is to make sure that you are happy in your home.
A Place You are Happy To Call Home
Our whole ethos is about creating places that you are happy to call home. This is not accommodation or someone else’s workplace, it is your home. Want to put up pictures or hang photos or artwork – no problem we will send our handyman around and they can install hooks anywhere you want them.
Long Leases – Up to 10 Years
This is your home. To us a home is where we feel safe and secure, so we offer you a 10 year lease but with the ability for you to terminate it with 60 days notice.
Gardening Included
Yellow Card Gardening are contracted to look after the outsides and not only keep the lawns and gardens looking nice but improve them.
Local Humans with National Backing – Great Service and Well Maintained
Your dedicated relationship manager is a local who we have specifically hired for their outstanding people skills. Their whole job is to focus on making sure you are happy in your home. As one of Australia’s largest SDA providers NDISP has dedicated professional project managers who look after the maintenance and repairs (including preventative maintenance), in house accountants to look after the financial side and asset managers who tie it all together so the relationship manager can purely focus on people.
Safety & Security
All of our trades and services are supplied by Yellow Card Helpers, a specialist provider of property services to NDIS participants. Our software integrates with theirs and includes things like:
Cheaper Electricity
Yellow Card Utilities provides electricity and internet to all our properties. They buy electricity on a national basis for all NDISP properties and also use the solar panels to be fed back into the grid like one large solar farm. They then provide individually metered electricity to our participants, plus their share of common areas, cheaper then they could buy at retail
NDISP is excited to introduce you to NDISP House. We have the keys for the next 20 years to this 2000m2 plus building on 4000m2 plus of land.
(We are not moving, we are keeping our Brisbane CBD Office in Edward St, though we may drop down to 250m2 or so next year.)
With almost 700m2 of office at the front and 30 plus carparks 2mins from the Gateway we have decided to make this our Corporate Head Quarters. Whilst we really like our CBD offices, and will be keeping them, the plentiful parking with easy access to the Gateway to the airport, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Ipswich and beyond the location really helps our constantly travelling team.
Our mailing address will stay as PO Box 16235 City East QLD 4002 as we will retain some administration and accounts staff in the CBD Office
To reduce construction costs to our investors we are directly importing and buying some of our automation, solar, airconditioning and other equipment.
On top of this our sister company Yellow Card Helpers will be based out of part of the warehouse and use the additional 200m2 of offices above the mezzanine level. Yellow Card Helpers businesses running out of the warehouse will be:
Yellow Card Helpers is a specialist service business for NDIS Participants and their Properties. They don’t provide services for anyone other than people with disabilities, nor do they provide any care services, support coordination etc. Yellow Card Helpers have their property services division, their community interaction division and their SDA housing assistance division.
Inside part of the warehouse we are constructing 3 dance and performing arts studios plus singing rooms. These will be used by Yellow Card Dance & Performing Arts to run classes specifically for people with disabilities of all ages including a very cool wheelchair dance class for kids. They will also be used by Kick Dance to run dance and performing arts classes open to the wider community.
We are in final stage negotiations with a gymnastics school and hope to be able to fit out another part of the facility for gymnastics and movement classes.
Our facilities will be available for other providers to use for community and social interactions
We are currently preparing a development application to allow us to have some converted shipping containers in the carpark to be used for a coffee hut open to Junction Rd and the public on one side and open to staff, participants and supporters on the inside of the carpark (fence separating as our site will be a secure site as below)
We are passionate about providing safe spaces and NDISP House requires all staff and contractors who come on site to have blue cards, yellow cards and have completed the NDIS worker orientation module. Children attending dance and gymnastics classes, participants, parents and loved ones are exempt from this requirement in accordance with practice standards.
Although we are headquartered in Brisbane and we deliberately avoid layers of management or duplication across regions and states that doesn’t mean we neglect our other areas. We currently have offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth with Cairns opening this quarter. But more importantly we have real humans on the ground in areas they are needed. Our relationship managers are our people people. They don’t have to look after maintenance, finance or anything other than the humans in our properties, their supporters and loved ones and the other humans they interact with like carers, support coordinators, other providers and health professionals.
Many of our builders return to work tomorrow after a well earned break. Hopefully they are well rested it’s a big year.
Either already under construction or breaking ground this month we have almost 30 SDA properties in
Cairns
Sunshine Coast
Toowoomba
Caboolture
Cairns
Cannon Hill
Ipswich
Logan
Mission Beach
Morningside
Nundah
Sunshine Coast
Wellington Point
Wyong
All of the above plus
Albany (WA)
Busselton
Cleveland
Geraldton
Gippsland
Latrobe
Melbourne
Mornington Pennisula
Newcastle
Northern Rivers
Perth
Redland Bay
Southport
Sydney
We probably missed an area or 2 in the lists above and we are sure we will be asked to help people out of inappropriate places and into ones they are happy to call home elsewhere around the country also.
If you or a loved one are in need of an SDA property then we have the funding and resources to help provide just about anywhere in the country, all you need to do is let us know.
Daryl and the team at DB Construct finished 2019 flatout. They managed to pour a slab in Nambour and put a roof on in Aura on the last day of the building year and did it well.
Daryl, Shawn, Matt and the team have been flat out this month getting our Sunshine Coast builds out of the ground. 4 for the month of December, another 5 in January starting while these are still going.
We just can’t talk highly enough of how great it is working with these guys ( and Kate too). Not only do they do great work and are super organised, they are genuinely lovely people.
Thanks team. Looking forward to working with you to get more than a hundred people out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home on the Sunshine Coast in 2020.
Every year we give all the different areas in the office $50 to decorate their office. It’s a vicious battle that get bigger every year. There might be a nice bottle in it but the pride and shame that comes form winning or losing lasts for a while year.
We run this silly little competition to bring fin to the office. It’s awesome to see our team get into the spirit. Not to mention see the lengths and bribery of small children (Darryl’s children are the judges) people are prepared to go to.
In other states there are state level legislative instruments that make it much easier and faster to build Specialist Disability Accommodation on a small scale, eg for 6 participants in QLD no Development Approval is need for units, townhouses, villas, houses or duplexes.
That’s correct, there are now 50% less registered SDA providers in WA then there were in the June Quarter.
If the significant additional delays in WA were just slowing the development of accommodation in WA then that would be very bad.
But it’s not just slowing, it’s stopping the development of so much more. We are fortunate enough to have significant investors that are funding the development of Specialist Disability Accomodation around Australia. We know the need in WA and we are there, but so many of our investors simply won’t follow us because the delays in construction. Are far too long. In most eastern locations we can be breaking soil 45 days after a land contract is signed. And that includes on small unit, villa and townhouse developments.
Just like the SPP (State Planning Policy) introduce for ancillary dwellings, the WA state government could introduce an SPP for properties for people with disabilities (privately owned as well as government funded) that exempts them from planning laws when meeting certain criteria. We would suggest similar to the QLD model:
6 participants
1 carer
The State could go even further and mandate storeys and setbacks are to be inline with those properties around or those common across the state.
However they do it, help is needed or there is no way we (and other providers) can attract enough investment in WA to meet demand.
We have started the process of formally asking for meetings with the relevant ministers and departments to see if they can help.
SPP’s can be a slow moving beast to introduce new policies. Local governments could modify their planning schemes to allow the development of Specialist Disability Accomodation on a small scale with out requiring a development permit, just requiring building permits.
We are here anyway. We’ve been being asked for a year to come over and open here and start helping people find places they are happy to call home.
Our team are here in Perth, recruiting people and finding sites. The demand is so great that we need help to attract the investment sources we have for the least coast to come here and build awesome places too.
We have had an amazing couple of days in Perth and surrounds (more of WA to explore next time). It’s always nice for East Coasters to see a sunset over the beach and Perth did turn on some lovely weather for us. We even got to check out some shipping container designs at a pop up food market in Elizabeth Quay (our new Brisbane warehouse site is going to have a coffee container installed so it was nice to be able to take pics of a heap for the people doing that).
It is clear that, although it is very new here, Specialist Disability Accommodation is on a lot of people’s radar. We have had the opportunity to meet with land owners, developers and builders while we are here.
It’s great to be able to confirm that we are at the design, siting and specification stage for a couple of SDA houses in Perth. On top of that there are some advanced SDA Villas that we are in discussions about.
We were able to investigate some locations for our first WA office in Perth’s CBD. In order to keep our prices down for SDA Property we have a warehouse in Brisbane where we import some of our assistive technology for SDA properties directly, or we buy in bulk from Australia manufacturers (we’d love more Australian ones). At this stage we will just keep our Brisbane warehouse and ship gear over to Perth for construction, but it looks like we will have sufficient demand over here to have a Perth warehouse for SDA assistive technology in the future. For now we are finalising an office with meeting and training rooms for our Perth SDA Property Team. More to come on this later….
We have also been meeting with potential team members to help forge awesome relationships with clients, care providers, support coordinators, SIL’s and others.
If you have a passion for helping people get out of inappropriate accommodation and into places they are happy to call home, then call us.
We are heading over to Perth to finalise some design work with a client and her builder for our first SDA property there.
If you are a participant or support co-ordinator and want to learn about SDA and how to get it into your plan then email us at inbox@ndisp.com.au to tee up a time.
While we are there we are looking for office space for when we open our office there in 2020.
A shout out to Daryl and the team at Db Construct who poured the slab for our Choice 3 SDA property in Aura today
You can see the camera feeds here. click on live and then history or timelapse and you can watch them build.
