Effectiveness of Supported Living in Relation to Shared Accommodation

Abstract

This research project aims to build on existing knowledge, and increase understanding about accommodation services and housing for people with disabilities. The objective is to improve service delivery to people with disabilities. The project entailed two main parts. Part 1 (Improving Access to Housing for People with Disabilities), aimed to improve understanding of how people with disabilities access housing in Australia, as well as to identify strategies to improve access to housing. Part 2 (Improving Accommodation Models for people with disabilities who require 24-hour care) described innovative models of care for people with disabilities requiring 24-hour support, developed a service framework identifying and describing key components of successful models, and a cost-effectiveness analysis of selected models compared to 24-hour staffed group homes. The report combines the two Parts and includes an overview of existing national and international approaches to 24-hour supported living, including examples of innovative models; an outline of the primary goals of supported living; an analysis of facilitators and barriers to successful provision of supported living; a framework for assessing the effectiveness of approaches to 24-hour accommodation support based on the goals and facilitators and barriers outlined in previous sections; a detailed analysis of six case studies of innovative Australian approaches to supported accommodation, followed by an application of the assessment framework to the six case studies and a cost effectiveness analysis of the case studies; and a conclusion for policy implications of the research.