Disability group home

What are your rights if you live in a disability group home?

If you live in a group home gazetted under the Disability Act 2006, you have specific protections under this Act.

These protections include things that the provider must do to try and solve problems before telling you that you must leave.

The provider must tell OPA if it gives you a letter telling you that you must leave (a notice to vacate) or live elsewhere for a time (a notice of temporary relocation). Someone from OPA will then contact you and the provider to talk about what has happened.

Community Visitors are trained volunteers who have the right to come to your home and check that it is clean and suitable for your needs, and that you are getting the support that you need.

You can talk to a Community Visitor about what is happening in your home.
With the rollout of the NDIS, most group homes are becoming Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) properties.

If you were living in a group home on 1 July 2019, you will continue to have the same rights and responsibilities under the Disability Act 2006 until you get a new agreement from your SDA provider.

To help you, your SDA provider must also give you information that has been developed by Consumer Affairs Victoria. The SDA provider must give you the information in a way most likely to help you understand it.

If you are not given this information, you may be able to end the agreement by giving a ‘notice of intention to terminate’ the agreement.

Disability group home

What are your rights if you live in a disability group home?

Further information

Office of the Public Advocate

Disability group home

What are your rights if you live in a disability group home?

How can Community Visitors help?

What happens if your group home becomes an SDA home?

Further information

Office of the Public Advocate