Home & Living Assessments
Evidence for the biggest decision in a plan: where someone lives, and who supports them there.
A Home and Living assessment looks at where a person lives now, what support they need across a full week, and what living arrangement would let them live as independently and safely as possible. It produces the report the NDIA relies on when considering Supported Independent Living (SIL), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) or Individualised Living Options (ILO).
Who this is for
Young adults moving out of the family home for the first time
Families worried about what happens when they can no longer provide the support
People whose current housing genuinely isn’t working — unsafe, unsuitable or isolating
Participants being discharged from hospital into a housing decision
Support coordinators preparing a home and living request
What you end up with
- A home modification report with clear specifications
- Cost estimates and quotes coordinated with builders
- Evidence formatted for your funder’s requirements
- A final visit to check the work is safe and usable
What’s involved
Understanding the situation
Where things stand now, what’s working, what isn’t, and what the person actually wants. Their voice leads this, not ours.
Functional assessment
Support needs mapped across a full 24-hour cycle and a full week, including the nights and weekends that get overlooked.
Exploring the options
What SIL, SDA and ILO each mean in practice, and which ones are realistic. Often the answer isn’t the one people arrived expecting.
The report
A considered written case with the evidence the NDIA looks for. We don’t rush these — a housing decision lasts years.
How it’s funded
Home and Living assessments are usually funded from Capacity Building — Improved Living Arrangements or Improved Daily Living, depending on the plan. In many cases a functional capacity assessment is needed alongside it, and we’ll tell you upfront if we think that’s the case rather than discovering it halfway through.
Why we do this in your home
You cannot assess someone’s living situation without seeing it. The stairs they avoid, the room they never use, how far it is to the bathroom at 3am, whether they can hear the doorbell.
We also see the household — the ageing parent doing three transfers a night, the sibling who’s become a carer. That context belongs in a housing report and it doesn’t come through on a video call.
Common questions
-
SIL funds the support — the workers who help with daily living, often in a shared home. SDA funds the housing — a purpose-built or modified dwelling for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Some people receive both; many receive one; ILO is a third option built around a more individual arrangement.
-
Often, yes. The two reports do different jobs and the NDIA frequently wants both. We’ll assess what’s needed at referral and quote for it honestly rather than selling you two reports by default.
-
Longer than most assessments, because it involves multiple visits and conversations with several people. We agree a timeframe upfront and keep you updated.
-
Yes, and that’s one of the most common situations we see. Moving out of the family home is a major transition and it deserves proper planning rather than a crisis response.
-
We can assess in hospital and coordinate with the treating team and discharge planners. Getting the housing evidence started early makes a real difference to how long someone stays in a bed they don’t need.
Related services
Talk to us about home & living assessments
Tell us what’s going on and we’ll tell you whether this is the right service, what it will involve, and when we could get to you.