The NDIA has released a new consultation paper, An Ordinary Life at Home, which invites comments until 27 August.

This consultation will inform the development of a Home and Living policy, with the aim of giving participants more choice and control over where they live, who they live with, the supports they use and how they can be assisted to build the skills they need to live more independently.

The Independent Advisory Council and the Participant Reference Group have been involved in the development of the paper, which lists the following concerns:

• Group homes often do not represent an ordinary life
• Planning meetings focus on support categories instead of your needs
• Changes in day-to-day life need a quicker response
• Not enough support options or appropriate housing
• Lack of community, capital and capacity building supports in plans
• Home is seen as a workplace first and a home second
• An opportunity for greater market stewardship
• Conflicts of interest prevent choice

Many providers of Supported Independent Living will be surprised to read how critical the authors are of that model. Directed at participants, the paper states:

"For many of you today, the options you have are limited, restrictive and don't give you choice about who you live with. People with disability are still often living in accommodation that has been built for service delivery convenience that are invisible to the wider community. These places are often very impersonal, where privacy and your sense of home are limited. We think the move away from these types of places has been slower than what was imagined when the NDIS became available. As a result we understand that you may have low expectations of your life chances and opportunities, and possibly have low aspirations with the decisions you make because of this experience."

This approach does not facilitate collaboration across stakeholders.

NDS will be making a submission and wants to hear from members on suggestions for how to:

• Inform, empower and support participants to exercise greater choice over their housing options
• Reform the funding model
• Give more choice and control through flexible budgets
• Engage the market and drive innovation

Please submit any input to submit enquiry/feedback by Friday, 13 August.