The Disability Accommodation (Under 18s) Project was a state-wideinitiative focused on understanding and improving pathways to appropriateaccommodation for children and young people with disability.
Delivered in partnership with Wellbeing SA and the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, the project examined the availability, accessibility, and coordination of accommodation and supports required for NDIS participants under the age of 18. It was driven by a recognised need to better support children who remain in hospital after they are clinically ready for discharge, due to challenges accessing suitable community-based options
HealthQ Consulting was engaged to deliver a comprehensive review of disability accommodation pathways for children and young people. We applied a mixed-methods approach combining data analysis with stakeholder engagement to develop a system-wide understanding of demand, supply, and discharge dynamics.
The project was delivered across three stages:
The methodology included a statewide provider stocktake and survey of NDIS accommodation providers, stakeholder consultations, and analysis of NDIS and accommodation data. Stakeholder engagement was central throughout, ensuring findings reflected both operational realities and system-level challenges across health, disability, and social services.
This approach enabled HealthQ to develop a holistic, evidence-based understanding of the factors influencing hospital discharge and access to accommodation for this cohort.
The project provided Wellbeing SA and partners with a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities in delivering disability accommodation for under-18 NDIS participants exiting hospital.
HealthQ’s work supported the system to:
Importantly, the project highlighted the complexity of the system and the need for coordinated, multi-agency approaches to support children and families.
Overall, the work provided a strong evidence base to inform future service design, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and improve pathways to safe, timely discharge into community-based care.
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