We aim to support participants and providers to better understand how they can effectively communicate about their needs and concerns and better understand their roles and responsibilities.

The purpose of this “Knowledge builder” is to provide common examples/scenarios that NDIS participants face in their NDIS-funded accommodation. The examples of how someone might approach each scenario are not in order of priority and there is no correct answer - there are different options that reflect people’s different living circumstances. 

While it is not possible to cover every scenario that may occur, it is hoped the learnings from the scenarios below can be applied to people’s own experiences. These suggestions are also just a starting point for building culture, and there may be other ways to deal with different issues.

This “Knowledge builder” aims to provide best practice scenarios so that participants, providers and supporters can see how to communicate effectively, who they should be communicating with and what they should communicate about. 

The scenarios below show what providers should be doing to make sure that people’s roles and responsibilities are clear. The suggested options for learning more, may be followed up by a participant, or a provider, or both.

How to contact people to raise a concern or issue

Alannah lives in an SDA apartment and wants to contact the SDA provider about some issues she is having with the new SDA tenant that has moved into the apartment across the hall. Her main contact (tenancy manager) is not answering her phone calls or emails and she has just heard from other SDA tenants that she no longer works with the SDA provider. 

What can Alannah do?

Select from the options below to learn more.

Getting support to speak up about an issue in my home

Deepa lives in an SDA house with two other people with SDA funding. Deepa has been having trouble with one of the support workers. The support worker works at the house full-time and does the afternoon/evening shift most weekdays. 

The support worker has not been following Deepa’s Care Plan that outlines how she prefers to have her routine in the afternoon/evenings completed. Deepa likes to have her shower after dinner, but her support worker keeps showering her before dinner. Deepa does not feel confident enough to talk to the SIL provider about it because they are also her SDA provider. She is worried that if she makes a fuss her care and support may be negatively affected. 

Deepa’s parents live far away and she does not want to contact them because her mother is unwell. Deepa does not have any other family in Australia. Deepa wants someone to help her with talking to the SDA/SIL provider. 

Who can Deepa talk to?

Supporting communication

Alex works for an SDA provider as a tenant outcomes manager. In their role, Alex talks with SDA tenants often. One of the hardest parts of Alex’s job is hearing from tenants about problems they are having with support that is not run by Alex’s organisation. In the properties Alex works with, on-site support is provided by organisations who were chosen by the initial group of tenants in each SDA development. 

What can Alex do?

Select from the options below to learn more.

What to do when I have accidentally broken something in my home

Sophie lives in a Fully Accessible SDA apartment with her partner. Sophie uses a wheelchair when she is outside her home.  When Sophie is inside the apartment, her wheelchair is parked in the corner of the living area to be charged. The last time Sophie was backing her wheelchair up into the corner she hit the wall leaving a large mark on the wall. The wall is slightly dented in and some paint has come off. 

*SDA providers expect that a level of ‘wear and tear’ will happen in SDA apartments.

What should Sophie do?

Select from the options below to learn more.

Making a change to your home 

Lucas lives in a non-SDA accessible unit he rents from his support provider.  Lucas lives on his own. He has recently completed a review of his NDIS plan. At his plan review meeting, he expressed his goal of learning to cook a meal for himself, and cook meals for his family and friends in his apartment in the future.

Lucas has a disability that impacts his muscle strength and longevity. This means he cannot stand for long periods of time without having breaks where he can sit on his manual wheelchair. Lucas wants to know who to talk to about installing an adjustable bench in his kitchen. The landlord of Lucas’ non-SDA unit is not obligated to modify the unit, however Lucas can still find out if this is possible.

What can Lucas do?

Select from the options below to learn more.

What to do if a support worker damages something in my home 

Zac lives in a Robust SDA home that he shares with one other NDIS participant. Their single home has been designed as two separate living quarters. Zac and his housemate have the same support workers from the same SIL provider. The access door lock to the shared outdoor area has been accidentally damaged by a support worker. 

Zac, his housemate and their families are trying to work out who to contact to get the lock fixed. While Zac does this, reporting this accidental damage is the support worker’s responsibility.

What can they do?

Select from the options below to learn more.