In the Ministry of Health Supported Living Services documentation, the Ministry defines the purpose of these services as follows:
"Supported Living Services:
are a range of flexible and individually responsive service approaches for eligible people that are based on an individual support plan;
encourage and support people to think about how they might want to live and how self defined supports can be provided to foster opportunities for people to access their choices;
are based on a collaborative approach and are contingent on the development of strong partnering between disabled people, families and/or whanau, service providers, generic community support and wider communities;
provided under this Specification may be additional to other funded services provided for the person as part of a wider support package. (see 7 - Exclusions);
are provided to people living in their own home, except when supporting a person to move from their current living arrangement (which may be the family home or a residential service) to a more independent living situation - such transitions are expected to be supported for no longer than 3 months, other than exceptional circumstances as agreed with the NASC organisation;
are not provided in living arrangements where the Person leases the house from the Provider."
The Ministry then list 8 Principles of Supported Living. In addition to factors such as cost, eligibility and separation of accommodation and support, these include:
"Inclusiveness: Barriers to inclusion should be minimised, supporting disabled people to make informed choices and decisions. Supported Living builds links and opportunities which may increase levels of inclusiveness of disabled people in the community.
Individualised and flexible support: Supports must focus exclusively on the individual within and across any chosen community environment. The services/supports that a person receives should reflect changing needs.
Relationships: A commitment to building community and meaningful networks. People’s family and/or whanau, friends, other important people in their lives and their community are central to the person. An emphasis should be placed on identifying, developing and supporting these natural supports.
Choice and control: Individuals should be able to exercise choice over where and with whom they live, take a central role in deciding what they do, and the types of services, supports and activities they participate in.
Life building: the focus of support is long term and services need to be committed to the ongoing pursuit of autonomy and life long personal fulfilment for the person."
This document can be viewed in full at the bottom of this page.
Home and Community Support Services, funded by the Ministry, will help you continue to live at home.
Household management may include help with:
meal preparation
washing, drying or folding clothes
house-cleaning, vacuuming and tidying up.
Personal care may include help with:
eating or drinking
getting dressed or undressed
getting up in the morning or getting ready for bed
showering or going to the toilet
getting around your home.
You’re eligible if you:
are under 65 years old
meet Disability Support Services’ definition of being disabled
have had a needs assessment saying you need home-based support services.
Household management is only available to:
people who have a Community Services Card
children under the age of 16 whose parents/caregivers have a Community Services Card.
Whether or not you can get a Community Services Card depends on income and family size.
A booklet explaining the Community Services Card, and an application form, can be found at the bottom of this page.
Individualised Funding
Individualised Funding (IF) is a way of paying for home and community support services which let you directly manage the resources you've been allocated for disability supports.
If you can manage your own services, or have someone in your support network willing to do so, then IF may be right for you.
You can get IF if you:
are eligible for Ministry-funded services
have been allocated Home and Community Support Services
have talked to a Needs Assessment Service Coordination organisation (NASC) to see if IF is suitable for you.
If you want to use IF to manage your support allocations, you must do this through an IF Host organisation. These are organisations contracted by the Ministry of Health.
To learn more about Home and Community Support Services and IF funding, contact your local Needs Assessment Services Coordinator.
A booklet explaining Individualised Funding can be found at the bottom of this page.
