NDIS Functional Capacity, Home and Living Needs Assessments

Available across Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.

A Home and Living Assessment examines how a participant’s disability affects their everyday functioning, support needs, safety, and ability to live in their current or proposed home.

People Centred Therapies completes detailed assessments that consider the participant’s functional capacity, current living arrangements, daily and overnight support needs, environmental requirements, risks, goals, and future housing needs.

Our occupational therapists develop clear recommendations regarding suitable housing, formal supports, support ratios, assistive technology, home modifications, capacity building, and other services relevant to the participant’s circumstances.

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What Is a Functional Capacity, Home and Living Needs Assessment?

A Functional Capacity, Home and Living Needs Assessment is an occupational therapy assessment of how a participant functions within their home, completes everyday activities, manages risks, and accesses the support they require.

The assessment considers the interaction between:

  • The participant’s functional capacity

  • Their current and future support needs

  • Their home environment

  • Their household and tenanting arrangements

  • Their formal and informal supports

  • Their goals and preferences

  • The risks that may arise if their needs are not met

  • Available mainstream, supported, or specialist housing options

The assessment may be used to determine whether the participant’s current living arrangement remains suitable or whether changes to their support model, environment, equipment, or housing should be considered.

When May a Home and Living Assessment Be Helpful?

A Home and Living Assessment may be helpful when detailed evidence is required regarding the participant’s accommodation, daily support needs, overnight support, environmental requirements, or future housing options.

  • The participant’s current home is unsafe, unsuitable, or no longer sustainable

  • The participant is preparing to leave the family home

  • The participant’s disability, health, mobility, behaviour, or support needs have changed

  • Current family or informal supports are no longer sustainable

  • The participant requires individual staffing or a different support ratio

  • Active overnight support or sleepover support is being considered

  • The participant’s current tenanting arrangement is unsuitable

  • Mainstream housing options require assessment

  • Supported Independent Living is being considered

  • An Individualised Living Option is being considered

  • Specialist Disability Accommodation may be required

  • Assistive technology or home modifications may be required

  • The participant requires a new or revised support roster

  • Evidence is required for an NDIS planning or reassessment process

  • Long-term housing and support needs require planning

What Functional Areas May Be Assessed?

The occupational therapist assesses the areas relevant to the participant’s disability, goals, living arrangements, risks, and reason for referral.

  • The assessment may consider mobility, balance, transfers, fine motor skills, sensation, physical access, falls risk, and the assistance or equipment required to move safely within the home and community.

  • The assessment may consider orientation, memory, attention, problem-solving, judgement, decision-making, insight, learning, executive functioning, emergency responses, and the participant’s ability to maintain their own safety.

  • The occupational therapist may consider whether sensory processing differences affect regulation, behaviour, routines, sleep, relationships, safety, or participation within the home.

  • The assessment may consider how the participant understands information, communicates their needs, requests assistance, interacts with others, and manages shared household relationships.

  • The assessment may consider how mood, emotional regulation, mental-health fluctuations, perceptual experiences, motivation, or behaviours affect the participant’s functioning and living arrangement.

  • The occupational therapist may assess the assistance, prompting, supervision, equipment, or environmental support required for:

    • Showering

    • Personal hygiene

    • Dressing

    • Eating

    • Toileting and continence

    • Sleep

    • Personal health routines

    • Mobility and transfers

    • Other personal activities relevant to the participant

  • The assessment may consider the participant’s ability to manage:

    • Use of phones and other devices

    • Shopping

    • Meal preparation

    • Cleaning

    • Gardening

    • Laundry

    • Medication

    • Transport

    • Financial management

    • Appointments

    • Household routines

    • Other responsibilities required for independent living

  • The assessment may consider leisure, community access, social participation, education, employment, coordination of supports, and the participant’s ability to manage or participate in their NDIS services.

Understanding the Current Living Arrangement

The assessment examines the participant’s existing living environment and whether it continues to meet their needs.

This may include:

  • Where the participant currently lives

  • Who the participant lives with

  • The physical features of the home

  • Environmental barriers

  • Existing modifications

  • The suitability of existing modifications

  • Current assistive technology

  • The participant’s bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and shared spaces

  • Privacy and dignity

  • Household routines

  • Current tenants or housemates

  • The suitability of the tenanting arrangement

  • The stability and sustainability of the arrangement

  • The participant’s preferred location

  • Proximity to family, services, transport, and community activities

Daily, Individual, and Overnight Support Needs

The assessment may determine the type, frequency, intensity, timing, and ratio of support required throughout the day and overnight.

This may include:

  • Verbal prompting and guidance

  • Supervision

  • Physical assistance

  • Personal care support

  • Household assistance

  • Community access support

  • Behaviour support

  • Support during periods of emotional distress

  • Medication-related support

  • Assistance with mobility and transfers

  • Support to use assistive technology

  • Support to implement routines

  • Capacity-building assistance

  • Emergency response

  • Sleepover support

  • Active overnight support

  • Immediate access to support

  • One-to-one support

  • Shared support

Where supported by the assessment evidence, the report may recommend the number of support hours required, the appropriate support ratio, and the circumstances in which individual staffing or overnight support is necessary.

How Individual Staffing and Overnight Support Are Considered

The occupational therapist may examine whether the participant requires individual staffing, shared support, sleepover support, or active overnight assistance.

Clinical reasoning may consider:

  • Limitations completing personal and instrumental activities of daily living

  • Mobility, transfer, and falls risks

  • Safety awareness and complex problem-solving

  • The participant’s ability to respond to emergencies

  • Behaviours of concern

  • Risks to the participant or other people

  • Complex health or personal care needs

  • The participant’s ability to be left without direct assistance

  • The sustainability of informal supports

  • The suitability of sharing support with other residents

  • The participant’s overnight routines and risks

  • The level and immediacy of person-to-person assistance required

The report aims to connect the participant’s functional evidence and identified risks to the recommended staffing arrangement.

What Housing and Support Options May Be Considered?

The assessment may compare different accommodation and support options to determine which arrangement is likely to be safe, suitable, sustainable, and consistent with the participant’s goals.

  • The occupational therapist may consider whether ordinary rental housing, social housing, private housing, or living with family could meet the participant’s needs with appropriate supports, assistive technology, or modifications.

  • The assessment may consider whether the participant requires ongoing assistance with daily activities within a shared or individual living arrangement.

    Recommendations may address daily and overnight support, support ratios, individual staffing, shared support, and the participant’s roster of care.

  • The assessment may consider whether an individually designed living arrangement could meet the participant’s preferences and support needs.

  • Where the participant has significant functional impairment or very high support needs, the assessment may consider whether Specialist Disability Accommodation is required.

    This may include consideration of the appropriate design category, building type, dwelling arrangement, physical features, location, and relationship between the accommodation and formal support model.

How SDA Needs May Be Assessed

Where Specialist Disability Accommodation is being considered, the assessment may examine whether the participant presents with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

The occupational therapist may consider:

  • The participant’s capacity for mobility, self-care, and self-management

  • The level of person-to-person support required

  • Whether support must be immediately available or continuous

  • Whether assistive technology or home modifications are sufficient

  • Whether mainstream housing options have been tested or thoroughly considered

  • Whether informal supports are sustainable

  • Whether capacity-building supports could adequately address the participant’s needs

  • Whether SDA could reduce or manage identified risks

  • Whether SDA could support the participant’s goals

  • Whether SDA could prevent deterioration or improve functional capacity

  • Whether SDA could support skill development

  • Whether SDA could provide stability and continuity

  • Whether the proposed option represents value for money compared with alternatives

The report may identify a recommended SDA design category, building type, accommodation type, and location where the evidence supports this.

Environmental Design and Housing Features

The assessment may identify design features required to support the participant’s accessibility, safety, regulation, privacy, independence, and formal supports.

Areas considered may include:

  • Step-free entry and access

  • Slip-resistant pathways and level thresholds

  • Corridor and doorway widths

  • Wheelchair turning space

  • Accessible doors and hardware

  • Reinforced walls or impact-resistant finishes

  • Non-slip and low-glare flooring

  • Accessible bathrooms and toilets

  • Transfer space

  • Grab rails and hoist infrastructure

  • Adjustable kitchen features

  • Accessible appliance controls

  • Bedroom turning space

  • Emergency call or alert systems

  • A separate support-worker room

  • Secure medication storage

  • Smart-home or environmental controls

  • Backup power

  • Fire-safety systems

  • Accessible emergency egress

  • Soundproofing and acoustic treatment

  • Low-stimulus finishes

  • Dimmable lighting

  • Secure outdoor areas

  • Reinforced or tamper-resistant materials

  • Safe staff observation or retreat areas

  • Proximity to transport, services, and community

  • A familiar or preferred location

  • A low-noise and appropriate surrounding environment

The template contains a detailed environmental design checklist covering access, internal layout, bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, support-worker areas, emergency systems, sensory features, outdoor access, robustness, and location.

How We Complete a Home and Living Assessment

PCT reviews the referral to understand the participant’s current living arrangement, proposed changes, goals, risks, support needs, and the evidence required.

Step 1: Referral and Planning

The occupational therapist meets with the participant and, where appropriate, their family, support workers, or other relevant people.

The interview explores the participant’s history, goals, functioning, current supports, living preferences, concerns, and future needs.

Step 2: Initial Interview

The occupational therapist assesses the participant’s physical, cognitive, sensory, communication, psychological, behavioural, daily living, and community functioning as relevant to the referral.

Step 3: Functional Assessment

Where clinically appropriate, the occupational therapist assesses the current or proposed home, including accessibility, layout, safety, design features, modifications, tenanting arrangements, and environmental barriers.

Step 4: Environmental Assessment

The occupational therapist examines the support required throughout an ordinary day and overnight, including support ratios, individual staffing, shared support, and the sustainability of current arrangements.

Step 5: Support Needs Assessment

With appropriate consent, the occupational therapist may review:

  • The participant’s NDIS plan and goals

  • Previous occupational therapy reports

  • Medical and allied health reports

  • Behaviour Support Plans

  • Risk and incident information

  • Current support rosters

  • Roster-of-care documents

  • Housing proposals

  • Existing SDA information

  • Assistive technology reports

  • Home-modification information

  • Progress notes

  • Information from current service providers

Step 6: Review of Documentation

Assessment may include standardised tools, structured questionnaires, clinical interviews, direct observation, task-based assessment, and non-standardised occupational therapy methods.

Tools are selected according to the participant’s presentation and the purpose of the assessment.

Step 7: Standardised and Clinical Assessment

The occupational therapist analyses the available evidence and prepares a detailed report outlining the participant’s functional capacity, support needs, risks, housing requirements, options considered, and recommendations.

Step 8: Analysis and Report Preparation

What Is Included in a Home and Living Assessment Report?

The exact content depends on the participant and the reason for referral. A report may include:

  • A summary of functional impact and risk

  • Relevant history and current circumstances

  • Current living arrangements

  • Environmental features and barriers

  • Tenanting arrangements

  • Physical functioning

  • Cognition

  • Sensory processing

  • Communication and social interaction

  • Psychological and emotional functioning

  • Behaviour-related functional impacts

  • Activities of daily living

  • Instrumental activities of daily living

  • Occupational performance

  • Current formal and informal supports

  • Recommended support hours and ratios

  • Justification for individual staffing

  • Justification for overnight support

  • Housing options considered

  • SDA considerations

  • Environmental design requirements

  • Supported accommodation recommendations

  • Assistive technology and home modifications

  • Therapeutic recommendations

  • Life-stage and long-term planning

  • Core, capacity-building, and capital support recommendations

  • Clinical reasoning supporting each recommendation

Our Approach to Home and Living Assessment

  • We consider where and how the participant wants to live, what is important to them, and what support they require to live safely and meaningfully.

  • We examine the relationship between the participant’s functional capacity, physical environment, household arrangement, support model, and everyday routines.

  • We seek to understand the assistance required across an ordinary day, including times when immediate, individual, shared, sleepover, or active overnight support may be required.

  • Where relevant, we consider mainstream housing, supported living arrangements, specialist accommodation, assistive technology, modifications, and alternative support models.

  • Our reports aim to clearly connect the participant’s functioning, goals, risks, environment, support needs, and recommended housing and support arrangements.

Home and Living Assessment FAQs

  • A participant, nominee, family member, support coordinator, treating professional, or another authorised person may submit a referral.

    The participant or their authorised representative must provide consent before information is gathered or shared.

  • A home visit may be recommended when accessibility, environmental design, equipment, modifications, household arrangements, or risks need to be directly assessed.

  • Yes. Where supported by the assessment evidence, the report may describe the type, frequency, duration, timing, and ratio of formal support required.

  • Yes. The report may recommend sleepover support, active overnight support, or immediate access to assistance where this is supported by the participant’s functional needs and risks.

  • Yes. The occupational therapist may assess the participant’s daily and overnight support needs and whether a Supported Independent Living model is appropriate to consider.

  • Yes. Where relevant, the assessment may examine the participant’s functional impairment, support needs, risks, environmental requirements, and whether SDA should be considered.

  • No. Mainstream housing, existing accommodation, modifications, assistive technology, formal supports, and other living options may also be considered.

    Recommendations depend on the individual evidence gathered.

  • The occupational therapist may identify functional, behavioural, sensory, communication, routine, privacy, and support factors relevant to a shared living arrangement.

    The occupational therapist does not select or approve individual housemates.

  • No. The assessment provides clinical evidence and recommendations.

    Funding decisions remain the responsibility of the NDIA.

  • The time required depends on the participant’s circumstances, assessment scope, home visits, support-roster analysis, documentation, consultation requirements, and report complexity.

  • PCT provides Home and Living Assessments across Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, and Toowoomba.

    Availability depends on the participant’s location, assessment requirements, travel considerations, and clinician capacity.

Home and Living Assessments Across Brisbane and Surrounding Regions

People Centred Therapies provides Functional Capacity, Home, and Living Needs Assessments across:

  • Greater Brisbane

  • Ipswich

  • Logan

  • The Gold Coast

  • Toowoomba

Assessments may occur in the participant’s current home, proposed home, community, or another relevant environment where clinically appropriate.

Service availability depends on the participant’s exact location, assessment requirements, travel considerations, and clinician capacity.

View Our Service Locations

Request a Home and Living Assessment

Complete our referral form with information about the participant, their current living arrangements, the reason the assessment is being requested, their location, and the preferred contact person.

Our team will review the referral and contact the nominated person to discuss service suitability, availability, assessment requirements, and the proposed next steps.

Make a Home and Living Referral
Contact PCT
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