March, 2025
Down Syndrome Australia (DSA) supports mandatory registration of Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers. It is vital that SIL providers are not only registered with the NDIS Quality & Safety Commission (the Commission), but that they are also required to meet quality, safety and human rights standards, and that those are monitored and enforced. DSA advocates for inclusion and for services and support to align with a human rights model of disability, informed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Many people with Down Syndrome live in congregate housing operated by service providers. By way of example, 2,131 adults with Down syndrome are in SIL, which represents 27% of NDIS participants with Down syndrome.1 Housing and support arrangements can vary from institutional group homes, so called “SIL homes” in which one provider manages the housing and supports, or in an ILO arrangement which can include a person without disability providing informal support.
As mentioned in the consultation paper, multiple reviews and inquiries have discussed the poor quality of supports and risks to safety and wellbeing that are present in segregated, congregate disability housing. These inquires highlight abuse, neglect and exploitation that have occurred in these settings, as well as isolation, lack of autonomy and choice, and poor quality care.2 We know these risks increase if the resident has Down syndrome or intellectual disability and has limited or no family support.
In addition to SIL provider registration, we believe the Commission must undertake additional reforms to ensure human rights are upheld in housing and support.