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Case example
Herman is 29 and lives by himself in a two bedroom unit that he owns. He has a degenerative condition and moderate intellectual disability. Herman currently receives NDIS funding for a total of 7 hours of personal care support each day.
Herman’s degenerative condition means his support needs are increasing and he is finding it difficult to live on his own. Herman meets with his local area coordinator to discuss his options.
Herman has previously lived with housemates. His preference has been to live independently in his own home, but he knows he needs more support at home. He can also see the benefit of having some companionship, and is open to living with one other person in his home.
Herman and his local area coordinator discuss the different NDIS home and living supports. His local area coordinator suggests individualised living options as a possible option.
Herman suggests he could ask his brother to move in and provide the support he needs. The local area coordinator confirms that individualised living options cannot provide funding for a relative to live in his home and provide support.
Herman still thinks that individualised living options support might suit his changing circumstances.
Herman completes and submits a Supporting evidence form – home and living and a Change of details or change of situation form. He has recently uploaded reports from allied health professionals about his disability and support needs to the myplace portal .
Would we fund this?
Yes, in Herman’s case we would typically fund individualised living options Stage 1: Exploration and Design in his plan.
The maximum hours of Exploration and Design support that we would likely fund in Herman’s case is 30 hours.
Why would we fund Stage 1: Exploration and Design funding?
Herman knows the supports he needs. He can make decisions on his own and prefers a housemate who lives at his home and assists him with his support needs.
Herman needs at least 6 hours of support each day but does not need support all the time or overnight. If he needs less than 6 hours of support each day, or a lot more, other supports are likely to better suit his needs.
His support needs are changing due to his degenerative condition. We have recent reports from his allied health professionals detailing his disability and support needs.
What else do we think about?
When we approve Herman’s plan, we also provide him with an estimate of the individualised living options funding that he might receive for Stage 2 support.
Stage 2 Individualised living options support is funding to implement the supports identified in Stage 1.
We provide the estimate so he and his provider can design supports and complete a service proposal that match with any future funding he receives.
There is no guarantee that Herman will receive Stage 2 funding. We’ll still need to assess the supports he designs in his service proposal against the NDIS funding criteria.
Herman implements his Stage 1: Exploration and Design funding
Herman hires an NDIS provider who provides individualised living options services. They discuss Herman’s home needs and preferences and are able to match a housemate Ian, who will live with him.
Herman and Ian agree on the personal care support and companionship that Ian will provide. The provider helps them with a written agreement which details this support. The agreement also details everyday issues like room usage, bill sharing and practical things relating to living with someone.
The provider also proposes paid on-call support for weekends. This will help Ian take a break when he needs it to pursue interests outside the home.
Herman’s family are also able to visit and help on weekends.
Herman and his provider complete a service proposal form detailing all the proposed Stage 2: Individualised living options support. This includes details of the financial arrangement where Ian’s rent would be covered if Herman’s plan is approved for this funding.
The arrangement is based on the services that Ian will provide and is agreed to by Herman, Ian and facilitated by the provider.
The service proposal details how members of Herman’s family will provide unpaid informal support. They’ll spend time with him on weekends and help with some of his support needs. They’ll also take him out for an activity at least once a week.
The service proposal also details and costs the provider’s services and how they and Herman will meet regularly. They’ll meet to discuss how the arrangement is working and to assist with any adjustments Herman needs.
At the end of Stage 1: Exploration and Design, Herman returns the service proposal form to his local area coordinator. We assess the form to decide if Stage 2: Individualised living options support meet the NDIS funding criteria.
Would we fund Stage 2: Individualised living options support?
In Herman’s case we decide to fund Stage 2: Individualised living options support in his plan.
Herman needs regular direct personal care and supervision with household tasks from his primary supports. He also needs paid on-call and structured unpaid supplementary supports from his family.
We might be able to fund Herman up to a maximum $150,000 per year for his Stage 2: Individualised living options support in his plan. The exact amount will depend on his individual circumstances and the support he needs.
Why would we fund this?
Herman has a goal to remain independent in his own home for as long as he can.
Herman’s service proposal clearly details and costs how primary and supplementary supports will assist him in his home. His service proposal also includes a comprehensive and costed monitoring program, tailored to his needs.
Recent reports from his allied health professionals detail the supports he needs because of his disability. These supports align with information in Herman’s service proposal.
We wouldn’t expect family or friends to be able to provide the level of support that Herman needs.
The proposed supports include a combination of paid formal supports and unpaid informal supports, which Herman has designed and knows will meet his needs.
We decide that Stage 2: Individualised living options support meet the NDIS funding criteria.
What else do we think about?
Herman’s degenerative condition means that his needs will continue to change. We make sure the monitoring in his service proposal will be able to identify if his changing needs mean that his supports need to be adjusted.
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