LHA & SDA Minimum Standards Don't Work for HPS SDA

After seeing another dozen or so High Physical Support Houses that just don't work and having to tell owners there is no way they are getting HPS clients I thought it worth posting.

There are so many builders and sales people flogging the NDIS returns for HPS out there but are just building to minimum standards.

The minimum standards, particularly in bathroom sizes, layouts and bedroom sizes rarely work.

It's not nice having to tell owners who contact us with their newly completed building that they are not suitable and we won't be able to be the provider for them (most cases) or we can be the provider for them but they are going to be suitable for Fully Accessible or Improved Liveability participants only. They have been sold something that just doesn't work.

You can throw all the standards and turning circles in the world from accessibility codes at a plan to see if it works and means nothing compared to having someone in a big power chair try to turn the right angle past the end of their bed into a bathroom or having to try and shower in a chair or bed next to a toilet.

Many of the standards are based off someone in a light wheelchair, the sort you can wheel with your hands manually. If someone can wheel a manual chair they are lucky to be eligible for fully accessible, let alone high physical support. I have seen 960 wide chairs, try driving that through a 1020 door around a corner with your hand, let alone your chin or your mouth.

Unfortunately there are loads of "expert" designers and consultants in this space who have previously worked with some of the large providers on design. You would think they would know, but unfortunately the large providers have staff that make decisions who would be lucky to have set foot in property. When you ask the carers they say management never asks, let alone listens. It's the same as when you hear the government spent gargantuan sums on a new hospital and when the nurses finally get to see the wards, they tell them the equipment doesn't fit or it doesn't work.

Don't listen to "experts", listen to carers and other people who actually live in the properties.

We might have hundreds of places under development, but it is not enough to help enough people and so I am so disappointed to see willing investors spend money on something that you can't use.

 

Hi,
Thanks for the above information. Is there a way to ensure that the builders are not building to the minimum standards? Is there an authority or process that can ensure this? Will be great if you could provide any pointers.

Appreciate your help mate.

Regards
N

 

Hi Nithin

Work with a housing provider who knows what they are doing, not one who used to be an NRAS sales team.

 

Thanks mate

 

Hi RPI, if an investor send you the building plans of a SDA built by other builders, will you be able to advise whether the house will fit for purpose and you can be their provider?

 

Hi

Happy to comment.

If we can make it work we would, we have told many people to just sell their properties as they are poorly designed and poorly located, but we do find some good ones.

 

Thanks, I am thinking of buying a SDA House and Land package, what’s the best way to send you plans? Can I get your email address? Thanks

 

[email protected] will filter through to me. Attn Darryl

 

Having looked at the plans. Suitable for 2 participants at Fully Accessible.

 

I am interested in developing a 4 to 5 unit SDA apartment building in Sydney.
Would this building be able to be head leased to a provider?
Thinking of doing a HPS design.

 

Hi Cris. We would take that on board if the location and design is right. We have in house architects who can design.

 

Thanks for your response.
Are any of these architects based in Sydney?

 

All of our Architects are based in Brisbane but we do work much further south than Sydney and over to Perth as well.

 

Hi RPI, I am building a single dwelling house designed to fit 3 HPS tenants, it was said to be built in accordance with NCC 1a standard, but I just noticed this has been changed to NCC Class 1b on the working drawings. Which one do you reckon is better for SDA? Thanks

 

Not sure on the specifics of the standards you mention but my observation , is that building to a standard doesn't necessarily get you a product that caters to the needs of clients .

Designs need to be done by some one who is experienced with the needs of disabled people , not what the standards are . That's the important thing . My understanding is there are properties designed and built to a standard that have no tenants

A house that is design to the needs should also comply with the standards, but not necessarily vice verse .

I think that's the whole point of RPI's thread

Cliff

 

Its not the classification but whether it far exceeds the SDA standards or not.

 

I am building a NDIS home in Moreton Bay in Queensland.
However, the builder has change the spec, and reduce the internal corridor from 1.5 to 1.35 m, as well as expending the external side wall ( on both left and right hand side of the house ) to fence to 1.5m. My proposed home is class 3. Does any one know if this is a legal requirement ? of just an excuse to save cost for the builder.

 

this is what i got from the net.. i.e a boarding house, guesthouse, hostel, farm stay or the like with four or more unrelated residents who do not form a common household. A class 1a building – a single dwelling where any number of occupants form a common household.
I am building 1 with ncc class 3 - Class 3 A residential building, other than a Class 1 or 2 building, which is a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated persons. Example: boarding-house, hostel, backpackers accommodation or residential part of a hotel, motel, school or detention centre.

 

Not my expertise , but what you seem to be quoting appears to have nothing to do with NDIS

SDA properties have a whole set of standards which apply to properties designed specifically for people disabilities , rather than what class 3 buildings are described as in your quote .

Given the specifics of your questions you need to be talking to some with expertise designing and building these . Also noted by RPI , just because something is designed to standards doesn’t means it’s fit for purpose .

We have one property finished with tenants and are going through the process of designing our second .

Since doing our first one , the process has changed . Now , once you done your design , it has to be reviewed externally including by an OT and effectively Pre approved .

Not sure when this started.

Presumably this has been brought in because places being built weren’t “ as fit for purpose “ as the owners expected . That’s an expensive mistake .

If you’re building an SDA property ( NDIS ) , you should be asking the people who are designing the property to SDA standards . If you’re relying on what you found in the net , I’m not sure you have a full grasp of the complexity of SDA

Myself and my wife are very hands on and good at designing properties and I was reading up about NDIS , including reading the standards for around a year before deciding to go ahead .

Our properties are designed by designers who ( to the best of my knowledge ) working just in SDA ( @RPI , correct me if that’s wrong ) . Once the initial design was done , we suggested a couple of tweaks which were included .

If our builder has suggested narrowing corridors , first thing I would have been doing is asking our advisors if that was appropriate , but ,( not commenting on the dimensions you mention ) I’d be stunned if they wanted the builder to make ANY substantive changes , in particular in relation to corridor width .

cliff

 

Hi.
These are questions that your SDA provider should be all over.

Depends on the design category but typically that hallways size is too small.

Class 3 - no, shouldn't be a class 3 unless it's being run as an institution.