Individualised Living Options (ILO) in Brisbane and Logan

Individualised Living Options (ILO) is NDIS funding that helps you set up a living arrangement built around you: where you live, who you live with and how you're supported. It often means living with a host or sharing your home with a housemate who gives some of the support. ILO happens in two stages. First you explore and design the arrangement, then it is set up and supported over time.

Trailblazer is a registered NDIS provider (registration number 4050133378) delivering ILO supports across Logan, Ipswich, Brisbane and Redland Bay, with a registered nurse overseeing clinical care.

Who ILO suits

According to the NDIS ILO page, ILO may suit you if:

• you're 18 or older, or 17 and planning ahead for moving out
• you need formal or informal support at home for at least 6 hours a day

ILO tends to suit people who want something more personal than a rostered shared house, and who don't need paid support around the clock. If you need workers there day and night, Supported Independent Living (SIL) may fit better. The NDIA's SIL guideline itself says ILO "can be a good place to start" if you're unsure. Our SIL vs ILO vs SDA guide compares the options side by side.

The two stages of ILO

Stage 1: exploration and design

This is the planning stage. You work with a provider to look at how you want to live, what support you need, who already helps you and what could work in practice. The NDIA says this usually takes between 30 and 100 hours. At the end you should have a clear design for your arrangement, and the evidence the NDIA needs to fund it.

Stage 2: the arrangement in place

Once the NDIA funds your ILO, the arrangement starts. Stage 2 includes your main supports, extra support when you need it, and regular checks that things are working for you. If something isn't right, the arrangement can be changed.

We deliver both stages. We can work with you to explore and design an arrangement in stage 1, then provide the ongoing support once it's in place.

Host and housemate arrangements

The NDIA describes two common ways ILO is set up. Many arrangements mix in support from family, friends and community as well.

Living with a host

You live in the home of a host, which might be a person, a couple or a family. The host gives you some day-to-day support and company as part of the household, and the provider helps match you, sets up the agreement and checks how it's going.

Living with a housemate

You share your home with a housemate who agrees to give some support, such as being around in the evenings or helping with meals. In return they usually get reduced rent or a payment. The housemate isn't a support worker on a roster. It's more like a flatmate who has agreed to help in particular ways.

Getting the match right matters more than anything else in ILO. A good host or housemate arrangement depends on people who get on, have clear expectations and know who to call when something changes.

How ILO funding works

ILO funding pays for the design work and the support, not your housing. You still pay rent, a mortgage or board, and everyday costs like food and power. If you live with a housemate who gets reduced rent, that arrangement is set out in writing so everyone knows where they stand.

To ask for ILO, talk to your my NDIS contact or support coordinator. The NDIA will want evidence of your support needs and how you want to live. Only the NDIA decides what goes in your plan.

What to expect from us

When you get in touch, we'll talk about how you'd like to live and what your plan currently funds. If ILO looks like a fit, we'll explain what we can do and what the next steps are. If another option suits you better, we'll say so.

We don't provide support coordination, plan management or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). If you have a coordinator, we're happy to work with them. How we screen workers, manage incidents and handle complaints is set out on our quality and safeguarding page.