Individualised Living Options (ILO)

For people with low to moderate disability support needs, Individualised Living Option (ILO) provides the opportunity to live in your own home or somewhere else and is supported by a range of paid and unpaid supports, with or without engaging family and friends depending on your choice. ILO enables you to explore and design different housing and support options for how, where, and with whom you want to live. This could mean sharing a home with family, friends, partners, or housemates, living in the home of a host family, or on your own. With ILO supports, you will discover and decide the way you want to live beyond just accommodation. An Individualised Living Option (ILO) is an NDIS support that lets you choose the home you live in and set up supports in the way that best suits you. An ILO is a package of supports that can help you live how you want in the home environment you have chosen. It’s not the home itself. It’s not just about living arrangements but whole-of-life planning.

ILO supports allow you to work out how you want to live, where you live, and with whom you live. There are lots of choices with ILO. You can share your home with friends or housemates. Or you might have a Host arrangement or live on your own with tailored support.

ILOs are funded in two parts. The first stage is all about exploring and designing the supports you would like. This will help you work out where you want to live, with whom, what support you would need, and who you want to provide that support.

The second stage is funding to put those supports in place. The supports depend on how and where you want to live and what you need. You can also include the support you get from friends and family, so everything works together how you want it to. The ILO support package can be changed if your needs change and will be designed to provide the safety, stability, and flexibility you need.

We only look at funding the second stage once you have finished the first part and worked out what ILO supports would work for you.

Funds for ILO supports can’t be used for your rent or mortgage payments.

What makes an ILO different

ILO supports are designed to work with other support you receive from the NDIS, your family, friends, or other networks so that you can have a:

1. Sense of home and belonging.
2. Connection with others.
3. Safe and supportive lifestyle.

ILOs provide support for an in-depth exploration and design process which will identify home and living options for you. You will have a personalized and detailed home and living supports package.

There are many ways in which the package of supports can be designed. Some of these involve helping you to live in the community with housemates, or in Host arrangements (where you live in the home of a non-related person who provides in-home disability-related supports, household assistance, emotional support, and a family environment).

All ILO packages have primary and supplementary supports that enable flexibility as both minor and more significant changes are required.

An ILO is not:

1. A group home arrangement where individuals with disability are grouped together and supported and have not chosen who they live with.
2. A ‘placement’ where children and adults with disability are placed with a family or other people to ensure a roof over their heads.
3. A facility, hostel, or other shared accommodation service.
4. A program of 1:1 rostered care.
5. Standardized solutions where the individual is fitted into pre-existing, inflexible service options that do not take into consideration the specific needs of the individual.

During the exploration and design process, some meetings and conversations may occur via video chat or phone. You can contact a Capacity Building Organization in your area for information and assistance with this.

You may also want to discuss your thoughts and ILO request with another local provider you know; they may be considering expanding their business to include ILO. Although they may not yet be an ILO provider, they may be interested and willing to work with you to develop and implement your ILO.

You may also want to self-manage your ILO, however, you should consider the nature of your arrangement, your situation, and capacity before exploring this option. Self-managed ILOs work best if the arrangement is not complex, and if you are able to manage things like finding, employing, and paying your supports.

You should also be able to educate and coordinate the people involved in delivering your formal and informal supports or have support from family, friends, or advocates to do this.

affectioncare.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PB-ILO-Participant-Scenarios-PDF-3.pdf

How can ILO work? Read the ILO participant scenarios for examples of established ILOs:

ILO participant scenarios (PDF 185KB)

For more info please contact us.