The NDIS + Short Term Accommodation
Written by: Anthea Taylor | NDIS Plan Management Team
As avid readers of the Canny Group newsletter and the Canny Plan Management blog articles, you will recall an earlier article posing the question Will the NDIS Fund My Holiday? Although the straight answer is no, the article provided information and options for supports during a holiday, it also made mention of the Short-Term Accommodation and Respite support.
Short-Term Accommodation and Respite or STA as it is referred to in the NDIS sector is a specific support option within the vast catalogue of the National Disability Insurance Scheme supports, and a very attractive support to participants through their core funding.
The term ‘Short-Term Accommodation’ on its own can be a bit misleading because there is more to it than ‘accommodation’. And whilst it’s nice to get away for a few days, Short-Term accommodation and Respite is not about a charge of scenery. It can’t be used for hiring an AirBnB, renting a holiday house or staying in a hotel for a few days as a standalone support.
An Assisted Break
In essence, STA is an assisted break. It enables an NDIS Participant and their informal carers to have a break from each other – that’s the respite bit. STA can also be used as an opportunity for an NDIS Participant to be assisted to learn and develop life skills during their respite or through an independent experience.
Short-Term Accommodation and Respite is and inclusive support in that it is based on the engagement of required support workers, and accommodation, and food over a 24-hour period.
The NDIS Disability Support Worker Cost Model Assumptions and Methodology states the three components as:
- Labour – The cost for the disability support workers providing the required support.
- Capital – The cost of the accommodation. The NDIS cost model notes $146.75 per day.
- Hotel – The cost of the food, utilities, cleaning, etc. associated with the support. The cost model notes $59.90 per day.
The NDIS has set the maximum rate claimable by a provider at $2,033.53 per weekday for 1:1 supports inclusive of the three components. The cost increases for weekends, but does decrease when the ratio of participants to support workers increases. All NDIS Participants have the right to negotiate a lower rate, especially if less support is required.
Like all NDIS supports, Short-Term Accommodation and Respite is subject to NDIS criteria and rules. As with all supports, STA must be a reasonable and necessary support.
Not sure what classifies as reasonable and necessary? Check out this blog we have previously put together: What Actually Is Reasonable and Necessary?
Participants and STA providers alike need to ensure STA is reasonable and necessary in relation to:
- The NDIS Participant’s funded disability;
- The NDIS Participant’s goals in their NDIS Plan;
- Helping the NDIS Participant participate in the community;
- Being value for money; and
- Is comparable to the level of supports the NDIS Participant’s family and other informal supports provide.
Where it does meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, a participant can use their Core Funding flexibly for Short Term Accommodation and Respite to stay somewhere other than their home for a short period of time and engage support workers because they or their informal carers need a respite break, their usual carer supports and network are not available for a short period of time, or as part of their independence and life skill building goals and strategies.
How Short Is ‘Short’ With Short Term Accommodation?
The ‘short’ in “short-term” is generally up to 14 consecutive days, and up to 28 days total access a 12 month period.
A Change Can Be As Good As A Holiday
When Short-Term Accommodation and Respite is used in the way it is meant to be, it can have great outcomes.
As the saying goes:
A change can be as good as a holiday!
Where the intent is respite, the NDIS Participant and carers can have a recharge. The NDIS Participant continues to receive their needed supports in a different supports in a different setting other than their usual home.
The opportunity to learn, develop and use life skills can never be underestimated. Canny Plan Management has heard wonderful stories from some of our clients about their Short-Term Accommodation and Respite supports and the skills they developed and continue to use. With the assistance from their Support Workers they have planned their respite including reviewing and booking suitable accommodation, planning their itinerary, planning meals, and cooking, planning activities and budgeting, all whilst increasing their independence and social skills.
STA providers who work with the NDIS Participant to create a meaningful supported respite or skill building experience are gold!
One such provider, Life is Worth Living was featured in a Canny Client Insider post earlier this year. Check it out here: Client Insider – Life Is Worth Living.
Watch Out For Pretend Short Term Accommodation + Respite Providers
STA is a big-ticket item in the NDIS world.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) keeps a keen eye on Short-Term Accommodation and Respite claims and carries out audits to check if NDIS Participants and providers are complying with the criteria. Over the years there has unfortunately been come misuse and inappropriate claiming of duns for holidays or “getaways” in the guise of Short-term Accommodation and Respite when neither respite, support workers nor independence or skill building have been delivered.
In a March 2023 syndicated article “Luxury NDIS respite care lets Australian families stay for free” journalist Julie Cross exposed a provider advertising “Luxury respite packages for NDIS participants. 100% funded by the NDIS” costing over $15,500 for a week. The “package” included a three-bedroom apartment, double tickets to multiple shows and activities, food and travel allowance. What it did not include was any support or care workers – the main component of STA. The package inclusions were not disability related and costs were inflated by 100% compared to the actual costs of the accommodation and activities. Unfortunately, this article is behind a paywall but if you subscribe to your local or a national newspaper or have access to newspapers through your local library it is worth a read.
More information can be found via the NDIS website:
- How do we make decisions about Short Term Accommodation.
- Short Term Accommodation or Respite Operational Guide
- NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (pp46-48).
It can be difficult to know what to look for in NDIS Providers, luckily for you, we’ve created an article on exactly what too look out for! What Makes A Good NDIS Provider?
Canny Plan Management + Information On STA + Respite
At Canny Plan Management we work for our clients and raise awareness or issues of concerns.
We want to ensure our clients are getting the best supports, value and outcomes from their plans.
Canny Plan Management has a team of NDIS Plan Managers that are available to discuss the definitions and the use of choice and control as well as provide the applicable National Disability Insurance Agency information to our clients and to you, to help you make an informed decision.
Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help you and how we can form part of your support network to ensure that your supports are supporting you!
