Supported independent living in Melbourne's west

Supported independent living (SIL) is help with everyday tasks in a home you share with a small number of other people, with support workers rostered to the house. Dilla Support Services provides SIL from our office in Williams Landing, for participants across Melbourne’s west including Caroline Springs, Melton and Taylors Hill.

SIL is about the support, not the building. You live in a home, you have your own bedroom, and our workers help with the parts of the day you need help with: getting ready in the morning, cooking, medication prompts, keeping the house running, and getting out to the things you want to do.

What SIL looks like day to day

Every house runs differently, because the people in it are different. As an example, a week in a SIL home could look like this:

• Weekday mornings: a worker helps with showering, dressing and breakfast, then makes sure everyone gets to work, day programs or appointments on time.
• During the day: support for whoever is home, such as household tasks, a trip to the shops, or practising a skill like making lunch.
• Evenings: cooking dinner together, medication prompts, and winding down.
• Overnight: sleepover or active overnight support, depending on what each person’s plan includes.
• Weekends: more time for community activities, visiting family, sport or church, planned with each person.

Your roster is built around your goals, not the other way round. You can tell us which workers you get on with and what you would like done differently, and we change it.

How we match homes and housemates

Living with other people works best when it is a good fit. Before anyone moves in, we:

1. Meet you, and your family or support coordinator if you want them there, to hear what matters to you in a home: quiet or social, pets, routines, culture and language, how far from family.
2. Talk about the people already living in the home, with their permission, and whether day-to-day routines would suit everyone.
3. Arrange visits, a shared meal or a short stay so you can see the home and meet housemates before you decide.
4. Agree on a move-in plan, including what support you will have in the first weeks.

Nobody is pressured to move in, and current residents are asked for their views too.

How to start

1. Call us on (03) 9967 9524, or support coordinators can send a referral.
2. We talk through your goals, the supports in your plan and the kind of home you are looking for.
3. If we have a suitable vacancy, we arrange visits. If not, we tell you straight away rather than keep you waiting.

SIL vacancies

Availability changes often. Call (03) 9967 9524 for current SIL vacancies and availability.

We also help with accommodation and tenancy if you are still looking for the right home, and with shared living support where you already live with others.