We are proud of the work we are doing and the change we have created so far. We are a passionate organisation, striving to make a highly positive difference in people’s lives.
Sections you’ll find on this page:
We are highly knowledgeable in the SDA space and we’re proud of that. We provide assistance and advice on navigating NDIS and SDA eligibility criteria and approval processes. We also provide confidence and a greater chance of application success and quicker outcomes through our multidisciplinary team supporting the report development process.
Our Story
Who we are
Watch this short 1:26 minute video about who we are and what we do with our CEO Amanda
Our Beginning
SDA Services was founded by our Senior Consultant Greg Barry in 2017 and Greg has been devotedly involved in the SDA space ever since.
Greg has been co-carer for his severely disabled, now adult daughter since her birth.
Our Team
Our wider team comprises a diverse range of professionals from a range of relevant academic and professional disciplines including, for example, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Law and Maths & Economics.
SDA Services is a very proud employer of people with disabilities who are integral and cherished contributors to our services.
Our Experience
This rather unique combination of professional and lived experiences along with very considerable passion has earned SDA Services a reputation nationwide as a premier Home and Living consultancy service.
Our values are the cornerstones of who we are, and how we do things.
These are the values we live by every day.
Our Values
Empathy
We listen with an open mind and we care.
Transparency
We are clear, upfront and responsive because of our intent to provide clear and prompt communication.
Integrity
We are true to our word, reliable and honest.
Success
We celebrate great outcomes and milestones.
Respect
We are committed to client relationships and respect personal values.
Our Philosophy, Our Responsibility: The Principles Which Guide Us
We’ve thought and we’ve read a lot about how housing affects people and we’re driven by the relationship between housing and possibilities for lives.
Good housing enhances safety and well-being. It nurtures and cultivates a person’s possibilities, whereas poor housing obstructs possibilities.
For people with disability, poor housing outcomes are exponentially more detrimental than for people who don’t live with disability. Poor housing places extra barriers before lives that are already challenged. Good housing, on the other hand, assists people with disability to navigate and address barriers. It can break down barriers altogether.
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From good housing people with disability can soar from a suitable, secure and safe platform. A place from where goals can be achieved and new possibilities can be discovered, possibilities that might never have been within sight before.
Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is wonderful. It leads the world as a gold standard. NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) enables superb, life-changing, suitable, secure and safe housing outcomes for eligible NDIS participants.
When well implemented, it goes a long way towards fulfilling Australia’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD):
Persons with disabilities have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement CRPD Article 19 (a)
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The SDA approval pathway is complex and can often involve very challenging steps. If you’re seeking SDA approval we would be very happy to assist you. In particular, we provide the following services:
Help you navigate the process of requesting SDA support through the NDIS.
With your assistance, gather all the evidence required by the NDIS.
Present your story and your preferences to the NDIS, backed up by the evidence gathered.
Assist with requesting reviews of decisions by the NDIS, in the event of erroneous decisions which sometimes occur.
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Because, it’s life-changing.
These words have been expressed about SDA outcomes separately and spontaneously by many NDIS participants whom we’ve had the privilege to meet and to support. It’s the most common description we’ve heard from SDA-eligible participants, speaking of SDA’s effect.
We’re very proud of the outcomes of journeys we contribute to. We will stand with you as you seek a housing outcome that meets the environmental challenges that you face, and will work our hardest to provide you with a platform from which to soar.
Meet Our Team
Leadership and Management Team
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Greg Barry
Founder and Principal Consultant
Greg has been closely involved in the SDA space since its inception. He is focused entirely (and independently) upon assisting NDIS Participants on their SDA journeys, particularly on SDA approvals. He brings a unique combination of industry expertise and decades of lived experience as a carer. Greg is greatly enjoying providing these services Nationally.
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Amanda Dodds
Chief Executive Officer - Operations
Amanda is proud to be SDA Services Chief Executive Officer, supporting clients, the team and nurturing the growth of the business in line with our values. Amanda has previously spent years working within the construction health and safety industry and not for profit organisations where she found her passion for making a difference in people’s lives.
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Loretta Rossborough
Operations and Accounts Manager
Loretta joined SDA Services in 2017 to fulfill the Administration and Accounts role. Loretta brings a unique combination of accounts and HR experience within property and SDA. She is responsible for supporting the team at SDA Services and participants to achieve positive housing outcomes.
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Kirstin Marsh
Engagement Manager
Kirstin is SDA Services’ Engagement Manager and Executive Assistant to Greg Barry, supporting Greg and the team to achieve suitable disability housing outcomes for participants. Kirstin has previously spent the last 20 years in the Aviation Industry and Travel Industry that have armed her with exceptional organisational and communications skills and fostering a positive experience for customers and clients.
Report Consultant Team
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Cindy Minett
Participant Interviewer
Cindy has 12 years’ experience in corporate roles in the mental health and disability sector. She is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities and joins the SDA team with lived experience as a carer/family member. Cindy is client-focused and solution-orientated, with experience working across a diversity of considerations and challenges; including acquired brain injury (ABI) and ex-military personnel. Cindy attends to her work with professionalism, compassion, and a strong attention to detail.
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Deborah Law
Participant Interviewer
Deborah’s studies in Social Science (Psychology) and 15 years’ experience in government human services roles and in the health and community sector, gave her valuable experience working with a diverse range of people in the community with varied disabilities and challenges.
She is a passionate advocate for diversity and equality and an LGBTQIA+ ally. She proudly works within the SDA team for optimal housing outcomes for First Nations peoples and enjoys immersing in country and culture when travelling to visit participants in the Northern Territory.
With many years lived experience as a carer, she is client-focused and brings empathy and understanding to her role at SDA Services.
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Jack Gillespie
Participant Interviewer
Jack is a Participant Interviewer utilising his skills gained during his Bachelor of Arts qualification in Journalism and Creative Writing, and his experience in writing across multiple media platforms. His role in the team is to interview clients seeking SDA and to reflect their circumstances, needs and aspirations in a clear and detailed manor for our SDA reports. Jack also has lived experience as an NDIS participant and SDA recipient.
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Melissa Tanner
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Emma Wood
Report Consultant
Emma's role with SDA Services is to work together with Participants to gather information about their housing needs and preferences and collate their SDA application. Emma has a Bachelor of Arts in English, History, and Creative Writing complimented with a Graduate Certificate in Human Services.
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Kitsa Yanniotis
Report & Review Report Consultant
Kitsa has a background in law, psychotherapy and nutrition and has also created a number of businesses in the health/wellness space. She is an innovator at heart and loves finding solutions to problems. Her role is to work with participants and their supports to prepare their SDA submissions. She has 20 years lived experience as a carer and brings empathy, understanding and compassion in her approach.
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Debby Snell
Report Consultant
Debby has previously worked as a personal carer for clients living with a disability. She has also been a foster/respite carer and spent her life growing up with foster brother and sisters whom she still keeps close contact with. Debby is a proud volunteer for Angel Gowns Australia.
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Kellen Chow
Report Consultant
Bio coming soon….
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Rose Burke
Review Report Consultant
Rose is currently completing her fourth year of a Combined Bachelors of Laws and Communication with a Major in Social and Political Science. Her role involves working within the review process to aid participants in reaching their SDA goals. Rose enjoys applying both areas of her studies to her work in interpreting legislation and assisting the review team.
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Bridget Bailey
Review Report Consultant
Bridget is currently completing her third year in a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Forensic Science at the University of Technology Sydney. She enjoys applying both her studies and her experience in client-based roles to assist participants in achieving their desired outcome.
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Ryan Bayley
Team Assistant
Ryan brings his lived experience and clear understanding of the disability space to the team. He has previously worked in mental health and mentoring programs, began studying a bachelor a psychology science and has lived with a disability since birth. Ryan doesn’t let anything stop him or slow him down and has a deep passion to fight for what is right.
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Tom Biddle
OT Support
Tom has recently completed his Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree where he has learnt and applied the importance of justifying appropriate housing solutions for participants and loved ones. Whilst studying, Tom acquired a background working in disability spaces with both children and adults, and loves seeing a participant's needs put first to achieve desirable outcomes.
Value for Money Team
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Jason Bretz
Occupational Therapist Team
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Greg Hoogstrate
Occupational Therapist
Greg has over 10 years’ experience as an Occupational Therapist. Greg has also worked as a support worker for clients with physical and intellectual disability which provided a unique insight into what was required to support people who face challenges living in their home.
Greg has worked in most of the major hospitals in Brisbane, predominantly in rehabilitation settings and has assisted many people living with neurological conditions such as stroke, acquired/traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s, MS and MND through the rehabilitation process with a person-centred approach, where Greg found his passion for assessing function within the home, and making recommendations for modifications, supports and services.
Greg is now utilising this experience to help formulate OT Reports to support SDA home applications. Greg engages the client and their supports in a goal setting process to provide the best chance of a desirable housing outcome. -
Danielle Brown
Occupational Therapist
Danielle is an occupational therapist with over 18 years of experience. Danielle conducts comprehensive assessments with the participant to determine their current functional capacity. Following the assessment Danielle provides a report with detailed recommendations for the participant’s housing requirements based on their clinical needs as well as their preferences.
Danielle is accredited to provide access advice on building renovations as well as private dwellings. Her experience enables her to recognise complex issues and clearly articulate the best solutions for each participant through her report writing.