Housing and Supported Independent Living – Service Disclosure Statement

These are the Terms and Conditions for the service Supported Independent Living. You need to read these with the My Service Agreement Terms and Conditions.

  1. What is Supported Independent Living at Northcott?

Supported Independent Living is Northcott staff assisting you with personal care, medication and health support, social support, preparing meals, washing clothes, cleaning, and other daily tasks you may need help with at home. 

  1. To live in Northcott housing you will need to:
    1. Have Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding in your NDIS Plan and be willing to choose Northcott to be your Supported Independent Living provider.
      OR
    2. Have Assistance in Supported Independent Living in your Disability Support for Older Australians (DSOA) Individual Support Package.
      OR
    3. Be Self-funded and able to cover the cost of your supported independent living needs
      AND
    4. Agree to allow Northcott workers access to your bedroom, bathroom or other personal spaces to provide you with necessary support. Northcott workers will respect your personal space at all times
  2. How is Supported Independent Living funded?
    1. If you have an NDIS Plan:
      1. Your regular routine at home will be funded under Supported Independent Living from your core support. The amount we claim from your core support will depend on your support needs, agreed Roster of Care and what the NDIA agree to fund you. We will claim from your core supports weekly. The weekly claim accounts for both shared and individual supports. This bundled support includes all planned supports within a typical week in the shared living environment. If you do not wish for Northcott to claim weekly for these supports, please advise your Customer Partner.
      2. If you spend more time at home than your regular routine, for example if you stay at home sick or your Day Program is closed, Northcott will claim funding from your Irregular Supports.
      3. If you do not have enough funding in your Irregular Supports, Core Supports may be required and you will be required to go for an early plan review.
      4. In line with the NDIS guidelines for exceptional circumstances, a payment for Supported Independent Living supports may be made from your plan where you no longer occupy the supported independent living residence, and: 
        the supported independent living supports were shared by two or more residents and you either;
        1. pass away; or
        2. exit the accommodation permanently where there is an irretrievable breakdown of supports/relationship which requires an immediate exit where your personal health and safety, or that of others, is critically compromised. In these circumstances, only one claim for 28 days or 4 weekly claims are permissible per provider during a plan period. This does not apply to exits where there is no critical risk to participants.
    2. If you have a DSOA Individual Support Package:
      1. Your regular routine at home will be funded under Supported Independent Living from your DSOA Individual Support Package. The amount we claim will depend on your support needs, agreed Roster of Care and what the DSOA agree to fund you.
      2. If you do not have enough funding in your DSOA Individual Support Package we will support you to submit a change of needs application.
    3. If you are self-funded:
      1. The amount we invoice you will depend on your support needs, your agreed Roster of Care and what you have agreed to pay in your My Service Agreement.
      2. If you spend more time at home exceeding your regular routine, for example if you stay at home sick or your Day Program is closed, Northcott will review and discuss these changes that may also need to be updated to your My Service Agreement.
  3. What is not included in your Supported Independent Living funding?
    1. Any costs for your visitors.
    2. Replacement or repairs and maintenance costs for personal furniture and items you may use at home such as electrical appliances and bedroom furniture.
    3. Your personal mobile phone or streaming services costs.
    4. Personal items you may use at home such as toiletries, clothes, household items, electrical appliances and bedroom furniture.
    5. Personal care equipment such as slings, continence aids, HEN products and communication devices.
    6. Medication costs, Health Care Assessments and medical treatments.
    7. Cost for your Northcott Worker to be with you during activities. For example drinks, meals, event tickets and entry fees that are not covered by your Companion Card.
    8. Insurance for your belongings in the house (contents insurance). 
  4. What Terms and Conditions do I need to follow?

You will need to follow the Terms and Conditions below:

  1. Board
    1. You will need to pay a fortnightly fee for your board to cover your share of food, laundry, housekeeping, and common utilities. This fortnightly fee will be 50% of the Disability Support Pension maximum basic rate (or an equal amount if you are not eligible for the Disability Support Pension) plus 100% of your Energy Allowance (if you are eligible for this) and will be paid by you using an automated payment arrangement, for example Centrepay.
    2. As your board is a percentage, it will change if your Disability Support Pension and Energy Allowance changes. We will assist you to update your automated payment arrangement when this occurs.
    3. If you use Northcott Internet you agree that you will not to use the internet to do anything illegal. If Northcott suspects you may be using the internet to do anything illegal we can look to see what you are doing on the internet to make sure that you are following the Northcott Internet policy and the law. For more information please read the Northcott Internet policy.
  2. Transport
    1. If you are unable to catch public transport and you need Northcott to provide you with reasonable household related travel to medical appointments, shopping, your day program or other household outings in your local community you will also need to pay a fortnightly fee for your transport. Unless you have a separate arrangement in place, this fortnightly fee will be 100% of your Transport Allowance (Mobility Allowance) and will be paid by you using an automated payment arrangement, for example Centrepay.
    2. Transport will only be offered to you if Northcott has a suitable vehicle available.
  3. What will others expect from me if I am in share accommodation?
    1. Have your say in making decisions about how the house is run.
    2. Be willing to share doing household tasks such as shopping, meal preparation and cleaning to the best of your ability.
    3. Let others (the people you live with and staff) know if you are having visitors over and make sure visitors behave in a way that does not put other residents and staff in danger.
    4. Talk with the other residents if you have a disagreement. If you still don’t agree, ask a staff person to help you.
  4. Can I have Pets?

You may be able to have a pet if:

  1. Your Residential Tenancy Agreement lets you have pets on the property and you have approval in writing from your Landlord, before getting a pet.
  2. You will be responsible for the care of your pet, their behaviour and the cost of looking after your pet. Northcott does not take responsibility for the care and safety of pets.
  3. It is safe for you and the people you share with to have a pet in the house. Northcott will do a risk assessment to determine if it is safe.
  1. What happens if my support needs change during my Agreement with Northcott?
    1. If you have an NDIS plan and your support needs at home change, the amount we need to claim from your NDIS plan may change. If this happens:
      1. You will need to tell the NDIA that you have had a change and request a plan review.
      2. Northcott will need to complete a new Roster of Care and send it to the NDIA.
      3. The NDIA will need to provide you with a new SIL package that supports your changed needs.
      4. Once the NDIA approve your new package Northcott will update Your Service Agreement with the new amount we will need to claim.
      5. Any changes to your Northcott My Service Agreement will be in writing, and we will ask you to sign and date the new agreement.
    2. If you have a DSOA Individual Support Package:
      1. We will support you to submit a change of needs application.
      2. Northcott will need to complete a new Roster of Care and send it to NSW Health.
      3. NSW Health will need to approve these changes and update the funding agreement with Northcott.
    3. If you are self- Funded and your support needs at home change, it may change how much we invoice you.
      1. Any changes to your Northcott My Service Agreement will be in writing, and we will ask you to sign and date the new agreement.
  2. Tenancy Agreements (where applicable)
  1. Customers who reside in a property where Northcott holds the head lease, are required to sign a Share Housing Agreement.  
  2. You will need to pay a fortnightly fee for your rent. This fortnightly fee will be 25% of the maximum basic rate of the Disability Support Pension (or an equal amount if you are not eligible for the Disability Support Pension) plus 100% of the maximum rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance payable for a person who is not under 21 and not a member of a couple and not sharing. And will be paid by you using an automated payment arrangement, for example Direct Debit.  
  3. As your rent is a percentage, it will change if your Disability Support Pension changes. We will assist you to update your automated payment arrangement when this occurs in line with your Tenancy Agreement and required notice periods.  
  4. The standard terms of residential tenancy in New South Wales are implied by law. They may be viewed at or downloaded from: www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2019-0629 and www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/forms (and scroll down to ‘Residential Tenancy’) 

8. Ending this Agreement and moving out of the house? 

The conditions of when we can both end this agreement are covered in the ‘My Service Agreement Terms and Conditions.’ For Shared Individual Housing, additional terms and conditions apply: 

  1. Moving out of the house will end your Service Agreement with Northcott. You will need to give Northcott notice that you are moving. The notice period for moving out of the house will be the same amount of notice you are required to give under your Tenancy Agreement or 60 days if you have no Tenancy Agreement. 
  2. If you give Northcott notice that you are moving out and then your plans change and you are no longer able to move out of the property on the move out date, you will need to notify Northcott immediately to request an extension as there may be other customers scheduled to move in. 
  3. You will need to keep paying Rent and/or Board and Transport during the notice period.  
  4. If you leave the accommodation permanently without giving us the required notice, we may charge you a maximum of four-weeks of your customer contributions. 
  5. Northcott will continue to claim funding from your NDIS plan or DSOA package during the notice period. If you are self-funded, we will continue to invoice you for support provided. 
  6. Northcott may need access to your bedroom, bathroom, or other personal spaces during the notice period to show a new tenant. We will give you 48 hours’ notice if we need to do this. 

Note. Version 2.2

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Welcome to our new website.

If you have any questions, please speak to your Service Manager, Service Coordinator or call us on 1800 818 286.

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