What Is A SIL Assessment
NDIS participants can access funding for specialised shared living on their NDIS plan if they meet certain criteria.
A SIL assessment is made to determine whether an applicant is eligible to access SIL funding. This article will give you all the information you need on the assessment process, but let’s start with establishing what SIL is.
What is SIL?
SIL stands for Supported Independent Living. It is a government-subsidised scheme designed to help people with disabilities get the help they need in an environment that lets them independently build their skills.
SIL is usually a shared living environment where a group of SIL users can live together, while also having access to daily assistance with household and personal tasks- such as cleaning, shopping and medical management.
It is aimed at users aged over 18 who are unable to live on their own without this level of support.
What are the benefits of SIL?
There are lots of benefits to the SIL scheme. Firstly, the users have access to disability support workers daily, who know and understand their specific needs and challenges.
On a personal and social level, it enables users to develop their social skills and independence and live with people their age who share similar interests. The shared accommodation also allows them to save on rent and utilities, which is a bonus!
What Supported Independent Living funding is available?
Funding comes in three different levels, dependent on the participant’s support needs:
1. Lower need- provides supervision of their living arrangements but is not hands-on 24/7.
2. Standard needs- is more around-the-clock support; including supervision for many of their daily tasks, and overnight sleepovers may be required.
3. Higher needs- require frequent daily assistance to support more high support needs and challenging behaviours. Coordinated management of their medical needs- such as ventilators- may be needed here too.
What services does SIL funding cover?
SIL funding gives access to trained staff who either visit throughout the day, or stay overnight at the property, depending on the needs of the users and their household.
Examples of the support available includes:
* budgeting and financial management
* cooking and meal preparation
* help with grocery shopping
* help with cleaning
* help with laundry
* personal care, including grooming and hygiene
* organising household and social activities
* help catch public transport for appointments or visits to friends and family
What is a SIL assessment (NDIS)?
To access Support Independent Living Support, you must be assessed and show that you can not live without the 24/7 support of SIL- this is established by a Functional Assessment Report (FAR) made by an Allied Health professional.
Eligibility also factors in any informal support that your friends, family and the wider community provide.
It can be a long process.
* An occupational therapist first assesses the level of support you need.
* Before submitting an Identifying Housing Solution report, a support coordinator looks through your current support and how it meets your needs.
* If you are deemed eligible, your coordinator works to find suitable Specialist Disability Accommodation.
* Once a SIL provider is approved {internal link to Service Provider blog URL}, a Roster of Care (ROC) is made to establish the timetable of support coordination you need throughout the week, broken down into 30-minute blocks.
* After you sign off on your ROC and let the NDIS know you would like to move into SDA, your co-ordinator needs to submit a Change In Circumstances form to the
* National Disability Insurance Scheme.
* They then review your supporting evidence, assessing whether it meets their “reasonable and necessary” criteria.
* The SIL budget is then moved into your NDIS funding once your RoC gets approved.
As we said, it doesn’t happen overnight! But if you are eligible, the SIL support scheme can play a vital role in allowing you to enjoy many of life’s freedoms and pleasures while still accessing all the support you need.
We hope you’ve found this article useful, but for any further information, contact us at or