Respite care · Sydney North Shore

NDIS respite on the North Shore.

Q: Is respite funded in my plan?

Short Term Accommodation is usually funded as its own line—often expressed as a number of nights per year. In-home respite generally comes out of Core. Read us the plan and we will tell you which you have.

Q: How much notice do you need?

For a planned stay—the more the better—holidays and long weekends fill first. For emergencies—ring us and we will tell you what we can do that day.

Q: Can the carer visit during the stay?

Of course. It is not a separation—it is a break. Some families visit daily—others prefer a clean gap. Both are fine.

Q: How many nights of STA do I get?

Most plans fund up to 28 days a year —and providers will usually take a booking of up to 14 days at a time . It does not have to be used in one block—splitting it into weekends across the year is common and often more useful.

Q: What is the difference between STA—MTA—SDA and SIL?

STA is a short stay—up to 28 days a year. MTA is medium-term—up to 90 days—usually while you wait for housing. SDA is a purpose-built home you live in. SIL is the support staffing inside a home you already live in. People mix these up constantly—and they are funded completely separately.

Q: Can my usual support worker come with me?

Often yes—and for people who find a new environment hard it is worth arranging. It is funded differently to the stay itself—so ask us early and we will work out what it draws on.

Q: Will I hear how the stay went?

Yes. You get a plain summary afterwards—what worked—what did not—and what we would change next time. You should not have to interrogate anyone to find out how it went.

A proper break for the carer, and a stay the participant actually enjoys, close to home. Planned blocks, regular weekends, or help at short notice when something has gone wrong.

Call 0421 959 006 Request a call back

Answered Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm.

Sydney Harbour seen from Bradleys Head in Mosman, with a yacht under sail and the Harbour Bridge and Opera House on the far shore

Free, no obligation

Tell us what you need and we’ll ring you back.

Name

Phone

Who is the support for?

Do they have an NDIS plan?

Or call 0421 959 006 now. Referring someone? Use the full referral form.

Registered NDIS provider
Local to the North Shore
Meet your worker first
Help before you have a plan

Respite care

Respite works when nobody has to feel bad about it

Most families leave it far too late, usually because booking respite feels like admitting something. It is not. It is maintenance. A carer who gets a regular break keeps going for years longer, and the participant gets a change of scene rather than a household under strain.

Call 0421 959 006

A support worker kneeling to help a woman in a wheelchair settle in at home

What’s included

Short Term Accommodation (STA), from a single night up to 14 days
In-home respite, where the worker comes to you and the carer goes out
Regular weekend blocks booked ahead so everyone can plan around them
Emergency respite when a carer is admitted to hospital or a placement falls over
Personal care and daily support for the whole of the stay
Activities during the stay, not just supervision

How it works

Getting started

Work out what is funded

STA is funded as a separate line and is usually quoted in nights. We will read your plan and tell you what you have.

Look at dates

School holidays and long weekends book out first. Booking early is the whole trick.

Meet the people first

Wherever we can, a visit or a meet & greet before the first night, so it is not a room full of strangers.

The stay, then a handover

You get told how it went, what worked, what did not, what to change next time.

Our patch

We know these streets, because we work on them

Between the hospital precinct, the station and the bush tracks at Lane Cove, the North Shore isn’t one place. Support that works in Crows Nest doesn’t automatically work in Wahroonga.

Balmoral Beach, Mosman

The flat concrete promenade along the Esplanade at Balmoral on a clear winter morning

The Esplanade, Balmoral

The picnic shelters at Bobbin Head with Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park bushland rising behind them

Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase

West Head lookout

Photographs: Balmoral Beach by Jeremy (CC BY 2.0) · The Esplanade by Junekingsyd · Bobbin Head by Schomynv · West Head by Travelstine · hero, Bradleys Head, by Mina20h, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA.

Meet & greet

Meet your support worker before you decide

Nobody should have to pick a provider off a website. Come and meet the person who’d be turning up. Have a coffee. Ask the awkward questions. If it isn’t a fit we’ll find someone else, and it costs you nothing either way.

A support worker and a young man in a wheelchair talking on a park bench

Arrange a meet & greet Ask a question first

Who this is for

Ring us if any of these sound like you

A family carer who has not had a break in a long time
You want a regular weekend arrangement rather than a crisis response
A carer is going into hospital or needs to travel
You have STA or Core funding and have never used it

Who you’ll be dealing with

Small team. Same faces.

You won’t get a different worker every fortnight, and you won’t be handed to whoever is free. The person you meet is the person who turns up.

[Name]

Director

One line, in their words — why they started this.

[Name]

Support coordinator

One line — what they help people sort out.

[Name]

Support worker

One line — the part of the job they actually like.

[Name]

NDIS Navigator

One line — what they wish more people knew about the NDIS.

Where we work

Areas we serve

Our office is at 11/82–86 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065. We work across these local government areas. Pick yours to see the suburbs. Can’t find it? Ring us anyway and we’ll tell you straight away whether we cover you.

North Sydney
Crows Nest
St Leonards
Cammeray
Neutral Bay
Cremorne
Kirribilli
Milsons Point
McMahons Point
Waverton
Wollstonecraft
Lavender Bay

Call 0421 959 006 Don’t see your suburb? Ring us, we most likely still cover it.

Common questions

Respite

Is respite funded in my plan?

Short Term Accommodation is usually funded as its own line, often expressed as a number of nights per year. In-home respite generally comes out of Core. Read us the plan and we will tell you which you have.

How much notice do you need?

For a planned stay, the more the better, holidays and long weekends fill first. For emergencies, ring us and we will tell you what we can do that day.

Can the carer visit during the stay?

Of course. It is not a separation, it is a break. Some families visit daily, others prefer a clean gap. Both are fine.

What happens in an emergency?

Ring 0421 959 006 during business hours and we will move as fast as we can. If we genuinely cannot help, we will say so straight away and point you to who can, rather than leaving you waiting on a callback.

How many nights of STA do I get?

Most plans fund up to 28 days a year, and providers will usually take a booking of up to 14 days at a time. It does not have to be used in one block, splitting it into weekends across the year is common and often more useful.

What does the daily rate actually cover?

STA is billed as one daily rate that bundles the accommodation, meals, personal care and the support staffing for the whole stay. What it does not cover is entry fees and tickets for outings, personal spending money, and transport to and from. Those come from elsewhere in your plan or your own pocket, and we will tell you which before you book.

Is STA the same thing as respite?

Near enough. “Respite” is the old word and the one most families still use. “Short Term Accommodation” is what the NDIS calls it in your plan, so that is the line item to look for.

What is the difference between STA, MTA, SDA and SIL?

STA is a short stay, up to 28 days a year. MTA is medium-term, up to 90 days, usually while you wait for housing. SDA is a purpose-built home you live in. SIL is the support staffing inside a home you already live in. People mix these up constantly, and they are funded completely separately.

Can my usual support worker come with me?

Often yes, and for people who find a new environment hard it is worth arranging. It is funded differently to the stay itself, so ask us early and we will work out what it draws on.

Will I hear how the stay went?

Yes. You get a plain summary afterwards, what worked, what did not, and what we would change next time. You should not have to interrogate anyone to find out how it went.

Do you take self-managed and plan-managed participants?

Yes. Self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed. If you’re not sure which you are, tell us and we can work it out from your plan.

How soon can support start?

It depends on the support and the hours you need. Call and we’ll give you a straight answer on availability rather than putting you on a list.

Can I meet the support worker before we start?

Yes, and we’d encourage it. Meet whoever would be supporting you before anything is signed. If the fit isn’t right, we find someone else.

What if I’m not on the NDIS yet?

That’s exactly what our NDIS Navigators do. Eligibility, evidence, the Access Request, all before you have any funding.

Are you a registered NDIS provider?

Yes, Thrive Ability Services is a registered NDIS provider.

I’m a support coordinator. How do I refer someone?

Use the referral form or call 0421 959 006. We’ll come back to you on capacity and likely start dates.

Also on the North Shore

Our other services

Support coordination Support at home Community access Reintegration Everything we do

Talk to someone on the North Shore

One call, no obligation, no sales pitch. If we’re not the right people for you, we’ll say so, and tell you who might be.

Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:00pm · 11/82–86 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065

Call 0421 959 006 Request a call back

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