Legislative review of the Supported Residential Facilities Act 1992
Consultation has concluded
Understanding supported residential facilities from the proprietor’s perspective.
What's being decided?
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is undertaking a legislative review of the Supported Residential Facility Act 1992 (SRF Act).
We want to engage with proprietors of supported residential facilities to enhance understanding of the sector from your perspective and help inform successful outcomes.
Background
In South Australia, Supported Residential Facilities (SRFs) are a valuable commodity providing a combination of accommodation and personal supports to residents in a group setting.
Originally introduced as a way to provide vulnerable people in the community with the opportunity to access stable housing that supports their needs, the role of SRFs has changed over time with the SRF landscape becoming increasingly complex.
DHS is responsible for SRFs under the SRF Act, with local council authorities providing regulatory services, including enforcing the requirements of the SRF Act and licensing SRFs within their council districts.
In 2013, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced, and created uncertainty within the SRF sector, particularly as the SRF Act and National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 do not align. There are also other Commonwealth and State legislative schemes and regulatory frameworks that impact the SRF Act which needs to be considered and captured as part of this legislative review.
Developing a new SRF Act, will ensure alignment with other existing regulatory schemes while reducing ambiguity, reinforce best practice and strengthen resident safeguarding measures for vulnerable people residing in these settings.
Get involved
Find out more read the following documents:
Have your say by:
- taking our survey
- register for a follow up workshop
What are the next steps?
We will collect your responses and prepare a report of the findings. The findings will be shared and discussed at the upcoming secondary consultation workshop on 4 October 2024.