Service

Respite care (STA)

Short Term Accommodation, now also called short term respite: time away from your usual care arrangements, with support, while the people who care for you take a break.

Greater Western Sydney, Ryde and Macquarie Park, and The Hills

Young man in a wheelchair on the beach with a friendA real break

Respite, in plain words

Short-term accommodation is an NDIS support that gives you time apart from your usual care arrangements, like your family, friends or carers.

It can be used to support you while the people who usually help you take a short break from their caring responsibilities.

Source: NDIS, What is short-term accommodation (current as of 1 July 2026)

How we can help

Ways we can support a break

Short Term Accommodation is about the support you receive during an agreed stay. We can also support you at home or in the community while your carers take a break.

One-on-one

Paired with a support worker for a time that suits your needs, at home or out in the community.

Agreed before it starts

Where the stay happens, how long it lasts, the staffing and your support needs are discussed and confirmed with you before support begins.

Overnight or weekend

An agreed overnight or weekend stay, with support for personal care, meals, daily routines and activities.

Young woman with Down syndrome laughing
Why a short stay

Good for you, and for the people who care for you

A short stay away from home can help you:

  • Make new friends and meet new people
  • Try new activities
  • Enjoy a change of scenery
  • Step outside your comfort zone
Getting started

Three steps to your first support

  1. Reach out

    Call us, send a message, or ask your support coordinator or another professional to refer you.

  2. Talk goals

    We listen to what you want to do and look at your NDIS plan together. There is no pressure to decide on the spot.

  3. Start, your way

    We confirm availability, agree your supports in a service agreement, then match you with support workers who suit you and keep checking in.

Questions

Questions people ask

Still unsure? Call 1300 212 035. There are no silly questions.

Goaldis Community Services is a registered NDIS provider: check the NDIS Commission register. This page is general information from Goaldis, checked against official NDIS sources. Current as at October 2026.

Where do you provide respite and short term accommodation?

In Greater Western Sydney (Parramatta to the foothills of the Blue Mountains), Ryde and Macquarie Park (Gladesville to North Ryde), and The Hills (Norwest, Cherrybrook, Kellyville). Live somewhere else in Sydney? Call 1300 212 035 and ask us.

Is respite the same as STA?

In the NDIS, respite is funded as short-term accommodation (STA). The NDIS now also calls it short term respite. Source: NDIS.

How many days can I use?

Short-term accommodation is usually funded for up to 28 days per year. For example, you can use it for a block of up to 14 days at a time, or one weekend per month. Your plan decides what you have.

Does it pay for food?

No. Short-term accommodation funding does not pay for food or meals. It pays for the support you need and standard accommodation.

Can children use short-term accommodation?

The NDIS may fund short-term accommodation for participants younger than 18 in some situations. In NSW, care for a child away from home for 3 or more nights in any 7 days is called SSRC. Read about SSRC.

Who can get short-term accommodation funding?

The NDIS says you may be able to get it if you live with your main informal supports, like family, friends or a carer, or get daily drop-in support, and you get disability-related support from them for more than 6 hours a day. Source: NDIS.

How do I book a stay?

Call 1300 212 035 or send us a message. We look at your plan and what you would like to do, then talk through the options.