What is onsite overnight assistance in SDA?

What onsite overnight assistance means

Some people living in Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) need help during the night, such as repositioning, toileting or a quick response if something goes wrong. Onsite overnight assistance is the physical space that makes this possible: a bedroom in a shared house, or a whole apartment in a building, used only by support staff.

OOA is a feature of the building, not a type of support. Think of it as the place the night worker sleeps or waits, so they are close to the people they support rather than travelling in.

OOA in houses and in apartments

In a shared SDA house or villa, the OOA is usually an extra room used by staff, separate from the residents' bedrooms. In an SDA apartment building, it is usually a separate apartment, and staff working from it can respond to participants who each live alone in nearby apartments.

The NDIA only pays the OOA amount when the extra room or apartment is actually used by support staff who provide support overnight to participants in the same dwelling or a nearby one.

Who pays for it

OOA is paid for through SDA funding. When an SDA dwelling has an OOA room or apartment, the NDIA pays the registered SDA provider an extra amount on top of the standard SDA price. The NDIA says this amount covers the expected costs of maintenance, property and tenancy management, and the SDA provider cannot charge rent for the OOA.

The exact amounts are set in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements for Specialist Disability Accommodation, which are updated each year. Your SDA provider or support coordinator can tell you whether a dwelling is enrolled with OOA.

How OOA is different from SIL and overnight support

OOA pays for the space, not the worker. The staff who use it are paid through your support funding, most often Supported Independent Living (SIL), or through onsite shared support in some apartment buildings. These are separate payments, often to separate providers.

It also helps to know the overnight support types, because they affect how the OOA room is used:

• Sleepover support: the worker sleeps onsite and is woken if you need help
• Active overnight support: the worker stays awake all night
• On call overnight monitoring: a worker is available to respond, onsite or off site, if needed

Onsite shared support in apartments

Onsite shared support (OSS) is a model for people who live alone in SDA apartments and need unplanned help at any time of day or night. Workers are based in the OOA apartment so they are onsite and available when needed.

Under NDIA guidance, an OSS provider needs an agreement with the SDA provider to use the OOA apartment, must pay the utility bills while using it, and is responsible for damage beyond normal wear and tear.

What to ask before you move in

• Does the dwelling have an OOA room or apartment, and is it enrolled with the NDIA that way?
• Who provides the overnight support, and is it sleepover, active overnight or on call?
• How do I call for help at night, and how quickly will someone come?
• Is my SIL or support provider registered? Since 1 July 2026 SIL providers must be registered with the NDIS Commission
• Can I choose a different support provider and still live here?

For SDA and support providers

Make sure the OOA room or apartment is used the way it is enrolled, by staff providing overnight support to residents in the same or a nearby dwelling. Put the arrangement between the SDA provider and the support provider in writing, including utilities, access and damage. Keep housing and support separate in your agreements with residents, so participants can change support providers without losing their home.