Getting it right

Understanding how Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and sharing support works, and finding good, clear information can be really difficult. Knowing your rights, who does what, and how to give feedback, can also be hard. Here is some information to help NDIS participants living in SDA and shared support arrangements and those who work with them. This information is useful for NDIS participants, Providers (housing and support), and both professional and personal supporters.

It is important that NDIS participants know their rights and how to take action when they feel a situation puts their rights at risk. At the same time, Providers need to build a positive culture of 2-way conversations with participants and be open to receiving feedback and solving problems. Supporters may include family members, friends, advocates and support coordinators.

As you work your way through the information you may find it helpful to refer to the NDIS Housing Speak Glossary.

The NDIS Housing Speak Glossary provides clear and concise definitions of key terms related to housing support within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), helping individuals and their support networks better understand available services and accommodations.

How do we build a positive culture?

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Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about how important it is to build a positive culture around giving and receiving feedback.

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Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder showcases best practices, helping participants, providers, and supporters shape a more effective and inclusive culture.

Who to talk to about a problem?

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Roles & Responsibilities Sheet

This document helps clarify team roles and responsibilities, ensuring everyone knows what they should be doing. Print or laminate it for easy access.

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Escalation Chart

This Escalation Chart helps identify who to contact if you are having difficulty resolving an issue, with example problems included.

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Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder offers best practices to guide participants, providers, and supporters on effective communication: what, who, how.

What are we agreeing to?

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Service Agreement Guide

This guide helps NDIS participants and providers create service agreements that balance and reflect both voices effectively.

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Service Agreement Conversations

This guide offers conversation prompts to help discuss service agreements with housing or support providers effectively.

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Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about service agreements and how participants and providers should have a 2-way conversation.

How should shared support work?

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Tenant Advisory Committee Checklist

This checklist guides you on setting up a Tenant Advisory Committee, with topic suggestions for productive Committee Meetings.

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about the different ways shared support may be provided.

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about tenants’ rights and how they can be upheld in a shared living environment.

Image

Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder helps participants and providers understand support requests and shared vs. 1:1 support through best practice scenarios.

Back to the top

Was this article helpful?

Acknowledgements

This information has been co-created with people with disability, their supporters and providers, based on their shared experiences with SDA and shared support. This information has been made by the Housing Hub and Summer Foundation with funding assistance from the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission. 

The following people and organisations co-designed this information: NDIS housing tenants: Bridget Doyle, Christie Louis, Gretta Serov, Helen Burt, Jamie-Lee Dwyer, Kate Skene, Linda Bone, Mark Blowers, Dr Pamela Dean, Sijan Dahal, Stuart Hurst; SDA self provider: Allan Hunter; Supporters of people with disability: Jeanette Wait, Tania Giorgio, Court Walters (Milparinka), Tania Griffiths (Doing it Differently) Tessa Irwin (Links Occupational Therapy); Housing providers: Brianna Barry (Accessible Homes Australia), Helen Wood (Access Accom), Louise Molland (BlueCHP), Michelle Goding and Shane Jamieson (Youngcare), Simon Bartlett (DPN Casa Capace); Support providers: Angie Mellors (Nextt), James Woods (Mable) Melissa Cofre (Yooralla), Melissa Shubin (Community Living Options)

Thanks to these people and organisations for sharing their experience, insights and time. Your input has made these resources better than they could have ever been without you.

Getting it right

Understanding how Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and sharing support works, and finding good, clear information can be really difficult. Knowing your rights, who does what, and how to give feedback, can also be hard. Here is some information to help NDIS participants living in SDA and shared support arrangements and those who work with them. This information is useful for NDIS participants, Providers (housing and support), and both professional and personal supporters.

It is important that NDIS participants know their rights and how to take action when they feel a situation puts their rights at risk. At the same time, Providers need to build a positive culture of 2-way conversations with participants and be open to receiving feedback and solving problems. Supporters may include family members, friends, advocates and support coordinators.

As you work your way through the information you may find it helpful to refer to the NDIS Housing Speak Glossary.

The NDIS Housing Speak Glossary provides clear and concise definitions of key terms related to housing support within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), helping individuals and their support networks better understand available services and accommodations.

How do we build a positive culture?

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about how important it is to build a positive culture around giving and receiving feedback.

Image

Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder showcases best practices, helping participants, providers, and supporters shape a more effective and inclusive culture.

Who to talk to about a problem?

Image

Roles & Responsibilities Sheet

This document helps clarify team roles and responsibilities, ensuring everyone knows what they should be doing. Print or laminate it for easy access.

Image

Escalation Chart

This Escalation Chart helps identify who to contact if you are having difficulty resolving an issue, with example problems included.

Image

Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder offers best practices to guide participants, providers, and supporters on effective communication: what, who, how.

What are we agreeing to?

Image

Service Agreement Guide

This guide helps NDIS participants and providers create service agreements that balance and reflect both voices effectively.

Image

Service Agreement Conversations

This guide offers conversation prompts to help discuss service agreements with housing or support providers effectively.

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about service agreements and how participants and providers should have a 2-way conversation.

How should shared support work?

Image

Tenant Advisory Committee Checklist

This checklist guides you on setting up a Tenant Advisory Committee, with topic suggestions for productive Committee Meetings.

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about the different ways shared support may be provided.

Image

Video Explainer

Watch this video to learn about tenants’ rights and how they can be upheld in a shared living environment.

Image

Knowledge Builder

This Knowledge Builder helps participants and providers understand support requests and shared vs. 1:1 support through best practice scenarios.

Back to the top

Was this article helpful?

Acknowledgements

This information has been co-created with people with disability, their supporters and providers, based on their shared experiences with SDA and shared support. This information has been made by the Housing Hub and Summer Foundation with funding assistance from the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission. 

The following people and organisations co-designed this information: NDIS housing tenants: Bridget Doyle, Christie Louis, Gretta Serov, Helen Burt, Jamie-Lee Dwyer, Kate Skene, Linda Bone, Mark Blowers, Dr Pamela Dean, Sijan Dahal, Stuart Hurst; SDA self provider: Allan Hunter; Supporters of people with disability: Jeanette Wait, Tania Giorgio, Court Walters (Milparinka), Tania Griffiths (Doing it Differently) Tessa Irwin (Links Occupational Therapy); Housing providers: Brianna Barry (Accessible Homes Australia), Helen Wood (Access Accom), Louise Molland (BlueCHP), Michelle Goding and Shane Jamieson (Youngcare), Simon Bartlett (DPN Casa Capace); Support providers: Angie Mellors (Nextt), James Woods (Mable) Melissa Cofre (Yooralla), Melissa Shubin (Community Living Options)

Thanks to these people and organisations for sharing their experience, insights and time. Your input has made these resources better than they could have ever been without you.