In Queensland, residential services provide accommodation, and often also other services, for four or more people who are not related and who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
The Queensland Department of Housing (DOH) oversees the registration and accreditation of residential service providers under the Residential Services (Accreditation) Act 2002 (Qld). There are three levels of service accreditation.
The level of accreditation each service requires is dependent upon the services that are provided to residents. All residential services must obtain level 1 accreditation, which relates to the provision of accommodation services. One service can include multiple sites. Individual residents in these settings have separate rental agreements (i.e., rooming agreements). Services that are accredited at Level 1 only are often referred to as boarding houses.
Level 2 accreditation relates to the provision of food and meal services and is a requirement for services that opt to provide meal services to residents.
Services that are accredited at level 3 (level 3 residential services), which are often referred to as supported accommodation, include the provision of accommodation and personal care services to residents. All services that provide personal care services must hold level 3 accreditation.
All services that are accredited as level 3 services must also be accredited at level 1. Most also provide meal services and are therefore also accredited at level 2, however this is not compulsory.
'Safe, secure and affordable'? The need for an inquiry into supported accommmodation in Queensland
This report was tabled in the Queensland Parliament on 12 September 2023. It focuses on the provision and regulation of level 3 residential services in Queensland, however many of the concerns that are discussed in the report relate to the broader supported accommodation sector, being inclusive of level 1 and 2 residential services and other kinds of shared-living arrangements in which Queenslanders with significant support needs are residing.
Critical systemic issues identified in the report include:
- Complex regulatory and legislative frameworks, at all levels of government. While the legislative environment is complex, key elements critical to the well-being of residents are also not addressed, including a regulated fees and charges schedule.
- Fragmented and disjointed safeguarding mechanisms.
- Blurred lines of responsibility and potential conflicts of interest resulting from the dual role of providers as accommodation and service providers. This is heightened if residents are also National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, as many accommodation providers (or closely related entities) are also NDIS service providers.
- Standards of accommodation, food and services provided to residents.
- The potential for level 3 services to be closed environments, where residents have limited access to externally provided services or opportunities to participate in broader community life.
- The suitability of this model of accommodation and service provision to meet the needs of residents with complex support needs, many of whom have an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, mental health concerns or issues with drug and alcohol use. The number of residents with mental health concerns is reported to have increased significantly over the last decade, with entry into level 3 residential services now being a recognised discharge pathway for people from authorised mental health facilities who are without family or other supports.
A copy of the report 'Safe, Secure, and Affordable'? is available here .
The report included only one recommendation – that a Parliamentary Inquiry be conducted into the provision and regulation of supported accommodation in Queensland.
In line with this recommendation, a Parliamentary Inquiry took place into the 'Provision and Regulation of Supported Accommodation in Queensland' from October 2023 to June 2024, when the Committee's report was tabled in the Queensland Parliament.
A copy of the Committee's report is available here (opens in new window - PDF, 3.2MB).
The Public Advocate is now working with the Queensland government on progressing the recommendation of this report and the consequent Inquiry,