Building Confidence and Independence

Moving into supported accommodation can be a major step toward greater independence. For some people, it means leaving the family home. For others, it means finding a living arrangement that better reflects their current support needs, abilities and personal goals.

Supported Independent Living Preston provides eligible NDIS participants with assistance in their home while giving them opportunities to develop practical skills, make everyday choices and participate in their community.

I-Help Disability Services provides Supported Independent Living and other NDIS services from its Preston location. Its approach is centred on individual support needs, independence, dignity and participant goals.

What Is Supported Independent Living?

Supported Independent Living, commonly known as SIL, is an NDIS support for eligible participants who need assistance or supervision with everyday activities at home.

The type and amount of support varies considerably between participants.

Depending on individual needs, support may include:

• Personal care
• Meal preparation
• Household tasks
• Daily routines
• Skill development
• Community participation
• Assistance with appointments
• Support with communication
• Supervision and safety
• Support relating to complex needs

The purpose is not simply to have support workers complete tasks for a participant. Where appropriate, support can help the person participate in activities, develop skills and exercise greater control over their daily life.

What Can Day-to-Day Life Look Like?

There is no standard SIL routine.

A participant might receive assistance getting ready in the morning, preparing breakfast and organising the day. Another person may require more substantial support with personal care, mobility, communication or behavioural needs.

The participant’s abilities and preferences should influence how support is delivered.

For example, someone learning to prepare breakfast may complete the steps they can manage while receiving assistance with the parts they find difficult. As their confidence develops, they may be able to take greater responsibility.

The same principle can apply to laundry, cleaning, shopping, cooking and other household activities.

Everyday activities can become opportunities for developing practical skills.

Developing Independent Living Skills

Living independently involves many ordinary skills that can be developed gradually.

Depending on the participant’s goals, these may include:

• Preparing meals
• Grocery shopping
• Laundry
• Cleaning
• Organising belongings
• Managing appointments
• Following a schedule
• Using household appliances
• Making everyday decisions
• Developing community skills

Progress does not necessarily mean eventually completing every activity without assistance.

For some participants, independence may mean doing more of a task themselves. For others, it may mean having greater control over how and when support is provided.

The appropriate goal is individual.

Choice and Control at Home

A supported home should still be the participant’s home.

Where appropriate, participants should have opportunities to make decisions about everyday matters such as what they eat, what they wear, how they spend their free time and which activities they want to pursue.

Personalising their living space can also help create a stronger sense of ownership.

Photos, artwork, books, personal belongings and other familiar items can make a new environment feel more like home.

Support should assist the participant without unnecessarily taking control away from them.

Building Confidence in the Community

Independence does not stop at the front door.

A participant may have goals involving shopping, recreation, appointments, education, employment, social activities or other community experiences.

Support may help someone learn to:

• Navigate familiar areas
• Use public transport
• Visit local shops
• Attend appointments
• Participate in recreational activities
• Maintain friendships
• Explore new interests

The level of assistance depends on the individual.

Someone may initially require a support worker throughout an activity but later become comfortable completing familiar parts of the journey with less assistance.

The objective is to support meaningful participation while recognising the person’s actual abilities and needs.

Choosing the Right Support Workers

The relationship between a participant and their support workers is an important part of everyday life.

Support workers may assist with personal routines, household activities and other highly personal aspects of living. Respect, communication and compatibility therefore matter.

When appropriate, a participant’s preferences may be considered when establishing their support team, including:

• Communication style
• Personality
• Interests
• Experience
• Specific support requirements
• Preferred routines

Consistency can also be valuable for participants who benefit from familiar workers who understand their communication methods and routines.

The right arrangement will depend on the participant.

Support for Complex Needs

Some participants require more specialised support because of complex behaviours, significant physical disabilities, psychosocial disability, autism, communication difficulties or other disability-related needs.

In these situations, coordination can be particularly important.

I-Help Disability Services supports participants with complex support needs and provides clinical oversight involving Registered Nurses.

Depending on the participant’s circumstances, support workers may also work alongside behaviour support practitioners, allied health professionals, healthcare providers, families and support coordinators.

Clear communication between the relevant people can help maintain consistency and respond appropriately when a participant’s needs change.

Personal Care and Daily Support

Some participants require assistance with personal activities such as:

• Showering
• Dressing
• Grooming
• Toileting
• Personal hygiene
• Other daily routines

These activities require particular attention to privacy and dignity.

The participant should be involved in decisions about how their support is provided wherever possible.

Other participants may require assistance with medication routines, mobility or health-related tasks. The exact support available depends on the participant’s needs, funding and applicable requirements.

Moving Into Supported Independent Living

Transitioning into a new home can take time.

Good preparation can make the change easier.

Before moving, it can help to establish:

• The participant’s preferred routine
• Important appointments
• Support requirements
• Personal belongings to bring
• Family and social connections
• Community activities
• Communication preferences
• Important strategies for providing support

The first few weeks can also reveal where adjustments are needed.

A participant may discover that one part of their routine works particularly well while another needs to change. Support arrangements can then be reviewed according to the participant’s circumstances.

Understanding I-Help’s Role in SIL Accommodation

When researching Supported Independent Living Preston, it is important to understand the difference between the support provided by a SIL provider and the accommodation itself.

I-Help Disability Services provides SIL support. It does not own SIL or SDA properties.

A participant may therefore live in a suitable property owned or managed by another organisation or accommodation provider while receiving Supported Independent Living support from I-Help.

The accommodation and the support are separate parts of the overall living arrangement.

For example, a participant may live in specialist disability accommodation provided by an SDA provider while I-Help delivers the SIL support within that home. The appropriate arrangement depends on the participant’s individual circumstances, NDIS funding and support needs.

This distinction is important:

• SIL: Provides the support a participant needs to live as independently as possible.
• SDA: Provides specialist disability accommodation for eligible NDIS participants with specific housing needs.

A participant may have SIL without SDA, SDA without SIL, or both.

When considering a supported living arrangement, participants and families should therefore consider both the accommodation and who will provide the day-to-day support.

The Importance of the Home Environment

The physical accommodation is another consideration when choosing supported living.

Participants and their support networks may want to consider:

• Accessibility
• Bedroom privacy
• Bathroom arrangements
• Shared areas
• Kitchen facilities
• Space for equipment
• Location
• Transport access
• Housemate compatibility

The property itself does not determine the SIL support. Rather, the accommodation needs to be suitable for the participant while the support arrangement is designed around their individual requirements.

If SDA is involved, the participant’s eligibility and approved SDA funding will determine the type of specialist accommodation they can access.

Why Location Matters

Preston is in Melbourne’s north and provides access to shops, services, transport and community facilities.

For a participant, however, the value of a location depends on their personal circumstances.

Being close to family may be important to one person, while access to public transport, employment, education or a favourite community activity may matter more to another.

When considering Supported Independent Living Preston, the location should therefore be assessed in relation to the participant’s existing life and future goals.

I-Help Disability Services in Preston

I-Help Disability Services is located at 84 Hotham Street, Preston VIC 3072.

The organisation provides Supported Independent Living alongside other NDIS services, including Core Supports, Short-Term Accommodation, Medium-Term Accommodation and transition-related support.

I-Help’s role in SIL is to provide the support required by eligible participants rather than own the properties where participants live.

This means accommodation arrangements can involve a separate property or housing provider. Where appropriate, I-Help can provide SIL support within the participant’s living environment.

I-Help describes its approach as person-centred, with a focus on participant goals, dignity, independence and individual support requirements.

The organisation also provides support for participants with complex needs and can provide clinical oversight as part of its service approach.

Current service capacity, individual support arrangements and any accommodation-related options should be discussed directly with I-Help, as participant needs and availability can change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Supported Independent Living?

Supported Independent Living is an NDIS support for eligible participants who require assistance or supervision with everyday activities in their home.

What does SIL include?

Depending on the participant’s needs, SIL may include personal care, household tasks, meal preparation, skill development, daily routines, community participation and other forms of everyday support.

Is SIL the same for everyone?

No. SIL is designed around the participant’s individual support needs, abilities and goals.

Does SIL mean a person cannot live independently?

No. SIL is intended to help eligible participants live as independently as possible while receiving the support they require.

Can SIL help with cooking and household tasks?

Yes. Depending on the participant’s goals and abilities, support can include assistance with cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping and other household activities.

Can SIL include community participation?

Depending on the participant’s plan and support needs, SIL can assist with activities such as shopping, appointments, recreation and other community participation.

Is SIL the same as SDA?

No. SIL is a support service, while SDA is specialist disability accommodation. Eligible participants may receive both.

Does I-Help own SIL or SDA properties?

No. I-Help Disability Services provides SIL support but does not own SIL or SDA properties. A participant may receive I-Help’s SIL support while living in accommodation provided or managed by another organisation.

Does I-Help provide Supported Independent Living in Preston?

I-Help Disability Services provides Supported Independent Living and is based in Preston. The specific support arrangement and current availability should be confirmed directly with the organisation.

Exploring Supported Independent Living in Preston

The right supported living arrangement should reflect the person who will live there.

For some participants, the priority may be developing household skills. For others, it may be maintaining relationships, increasing community participation, managing complex support needs or having greater control over everyday decisions.

There is no single definition of independence.

What matters is creating an appropriate combination of support, choice and opportunity around the participant’s individual circumstances.

For people researching Supported Independent Living Preston, I-Help Disability Services can discuss individual support requirements and available NDIS services. While I-Help does not own SIL or SDA properties, its SIL support can form part of a participant’s broader living arrangement where appropriate.

I-Help Disability Services
84 Hotham Street
Preston VIC 3072
Phone: 1300 004 437

A well-designed supported living arrangement can provide more than day-to-day assistance. It can give a person the opportunity to develop skills, maintain relationships, make choices and build a life that reflects their own goals and preferences.