The National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS is a scheme to provide tailored support for people with disabilities in Australia, so that they lead an independent and fulfilling life. Among the services, one such key service is the Supported Independent Living (SIL). SIL supports participants with their daily needs and encourages them to live independently, either in shared or individual living arrangements. Looking to deliver or scale SIL services within your organisation? Book a free consultation with our team to see how we can support your business.
What is Supported Independent Living?
SIL is a style of NDIS support that ensures support with most day-to-day living activities – such as personal care, laundry, cooking and cleaning, assistance with managing and maintaining finances-and more. Therefore, Supported Independent Living fits people who would need 24/7 assistance or intermittent oversight so that these individuals can still live as independent as possible, yet in an environment that accommodates their condition.
SIL arrangements are usually offered in shared accommodations or single-occupancy settings where participants live with other NDIS members based on their particular needs and preferences.
What counts as SIL under the new rules
It is worth being precise about what now counts as SIL, because the definition is written into the rules. A person is receiving assistance with supported independent living when they need constant, or immediately available, person-to-person support during all or a substantial part of the day, and that support is delivered as a managed package that helps them with, or supervises, the everyday tasks of living so they can live as independently as possible at home and get out into their community. The provider also manages that package of supports.
One useful clarification: if a person chooses, directs and rosters their own support workers, that is not SIL, and the mandatory registration change does not apply to them.
What is SIL Provider?
A SIL provider is an organization or person approved by NDIS to provide Supported Independent Living services NDIS. Such providers are in charge of offering qualified staff, accommodations, and support services as needed to achieve the participant’s goals.
SIL service providers are critical in the NDIS environment as it ensures that participants get quality care to maintain their independence and increase overall well-being.
What changed for SIL providers on 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, the rules for delivering Supported Independent Living changed in a big way. SIL is now a class of support you can only deliver if you are a registered NDIS provider. The change was announced by the Minister for the NDIS, Jenny McAllister, in late 2025, and it is now written into the provider registration rules.
Two things sit behind it. First, SIL was pulled out of the older ‘assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement’ category and given its own class of support, with its own registration requirement under section 73E of the NDIS Act. Second, a new practice standards module, Module 5A: Assistance with Supported Independent Living, now applies to every SIL provider on top of the Core Module.
If you were already delivering SIL before 1 July 2026, you are not shut out overnight. You have a transition window and need to lodge your registration application by 1 October 2026. Apply in time and you can keep delivering SIL while the Commission assesses you. Miss that date, or choose not to register, and participants will need to move to a registered provider. The safest move is to start your application early rather than wait for the deadline.
The new SIL practice standards (Module 5A)
Every registered SIL provider now has to meet Module 5A, which the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission added to the practice standards on 1 July 2026. It sits alongside the Core Module and is checked through a certification audit, so an approved quality auditor looks at how you actually deliver support in people’s homes, not just your paperwork.
Module 5A is built around four standards. Each one describes an outcome the participant should experience, backed by quality indicators your auditor will look for. Here is what each covers and what it means day to day.
Supported decision-making
This standard is about making sure the person you support is genuinely making their own choices about life at home and in the community, rather than having decisions made for them. In practice you give people information in the language and format they understand best, respect their dignity of risk, and back them to weigh up the pros and cons themselves.
Your auditor will want to see policies that guide workers through supported decision-making: allowing enough time, working out when extra support is needed, asking the person how they want to be supported, and factoring in their cultural values. Workers should be trained in this, with refresher training, and should know when to involve a nominee or other authorized decision maker for day to day choices.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding under Module 5A goes well beyond keeping a risk register. The outcome is that each person lives in a home that feels safe, respectful and supportive, with the right protections in place both at home and out in the community.
What this looks like in practice: workers who follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, who can spot and respond to harm, bullying or conflict quickly, and who are trained in de-escalation, trauma-informed practice and positive behaviour support. Where people share a home, you are expected to manage conflict between housemates in a way that respects everyone’s autonomy. You also help people keep their informal safeguards strong, meaning their family, friends and community connections, and build stable relationships with the workers who come into their home. Safeguarding approaches should be reviewed with the person regularly and adjusted as things change.
Practice governance
This standard focuses on the workforce and the systems behind it. The outcome is that people are supported by workers who have the training, knowledge and skills for the job, and who use evidence-informed methods suited to the individual.
For providers that means real investment in worker development: planning, delivering and evaluating training, with proper mentoring and supervision, including on cultural safety and positive behaviour support. Workers should be assessed as competent in person-centred and trauma-informed practice, active support and supported decision-making. Governance also reaches into who lives with whom. Before a new person moves into a shared home, the people already living there should be consulted, and housemates matched so everyone feels safe. Emergency planning in shared living needs oversight too, with arrangements that are coordinated, rehearsed and tailored to each person.
Agreements about tenancy, housing and support
This is the standard many providers will find newest, and it matters most where you deliver both the SIL support and the housing. The core idea is that a person’s support should never be tangled up with keeping their tenancy.
If you provide both SIL and tenancy to the same person, you must have separate service and tenancy agreements, and the person needs to understand they are legally separate. One is not conditional on the other. You are expected to keep conflict of interest policies, written so the person can understand them, and to point people towards independent advocacy or legal help so they know their rights.
The standard also protects a clear set of rights in practice: the person can change their SIL provider at any time during the tenancy without losing their home, they hold their own house keys and control who enters their private space, and no limits are placed on their access or possessions unless a behavior support plan calls for it, applied in the least restrictive way. Their service agreement should set out how concerns get raised, how conflicts with housemates are handled, how vacancies are filled with their input, and how they can have visitors.
Eligibility criteria for NDIS SIL registration
Participants who meet their eligibility requirements for NDIS can be registered for Supported Independent Living. Eligibility requirements include:
- Being NDIS Participation: Participants must have an approved NDIS plan to receive SIL services.
- Support needs assessment: A participant’s functional capacity will be assessed for SIL funding.
- Accommodation Needs: The participant should show a need for support in everyday activities and a supported living environment.
- Goals Alignment: SIL funding should be aligned with the participant’s NDIS goals, like enhancing life skills or increasing independence.
How Do People Apply for SIL?
People who are interested in SIL can apply by following these steps:
- Discuss with an NDIS Planner or Support Coordinator: Identify the need for SIL in discussions or review of plans.
- Functional Assessment: The individual must undergo an assessment that will look at their support needs and the needs they have in daily living.
- Submission of Evidence: Present medical reports, functional assessments, and housing preferences.
- Approval and Funding: Once SIL is approved, funding will be added to the participant’s NDIS plan. Participants can then select an SIL provider that suits their needs.
What are the Levels of SIL Funding?
The NDIS offers three levels of SIL funding to cater for different support needs:
- For participants with relatively low needs, for example, support in personal care or some level of meal preparation.
- For people who require ongoing support in all their basic needs, including personal living skills and access to their community.
- Participants who have complex and high-risk disabilities necessitating extremely high-level support 24/7.
Role of SIL Providers in Participant’s Support
SIL providers play an important part in creating a safe, supportive environment for NDIS participants. Their duties include:
- Common Daily Living Assistance, which includes assistance with meal prep, personal care, and household tasks.
- Social and Emotional Support to promote community engagement & building relationships.
- Skill Acquisition to help participants develop basic life skills, such as cooking or budgeting.
- Monitoring and periodically reporting to NDIS planners or support coordinators on the participant’s progress.
- Crisis Management for immediate support in times of crisis or challenging situations.
Advantages of Being an NDIS-Registered SIL Provider
Some of the benefits of being an NDIS-registered SIL provider include:
- NDIS registrations allow SIL providers to easily access funding for accommodation and support services, ensuring financial stability and sustainability.
- The registration provides support services to individuals with disabilities, which help them to be independent and live a healthy life.
- Compliance with NDIS quality and safeguarding requirements ensures SIL providers provide safe, person-centred, and high-quality support to participants while meeting the highest possible standards of care.
- SIL providers benefit from continuous training and professional development opportunities, helping them refine their skills and adapt to the changing needs of participants.
- Registering with NDIS SIL provider status increases the profile of the organization, thereby developing trust and allowing organizations to engage with other providers.
- Becoming an NDIS-registered SIL provider enables organizations to significantly enhance and improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.
- For organizations whose goal is to serve people with disabilities, NDIS registration empowers them to achieve what they want to and make an enduring impact on the community.
Categories of SIL Services & Accommodations
SIL accommodations differ from one participant to another. Some of the common ones are:
- Shared living: People living with others where individual support takes place.
- Private Living: Single-occupancy homes customized to participants who require 24/7 care.
- Daily Support Services: Cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, and management of medication.
- Recreational Support: Encouragement to pursue hobbies, attend events, and make social connections.
SIL funding can assist with services such as:
- Personal care
- Behavioral support
- Skill building (cooking, cleaning, etc)
- Social skill development
- Personal safety and security
- Medication management
- Accompanying with Medical appointments
- Access to therapy sessions or visiting family and friends
Conclusion
NDIS Supported Independent Living is one such very important program that supports participants to remain in their preferred living situations while accessing assistance that enables them to do so. Ensuring that participants acquire the skills and personalized support they need, SIL contributes to overall well-being and quality of life for people with a disability. For participants and providers alike, SIL offers a gateway to further independence and a stronger community.
FAQ
1. What NDIS Practice Standards apply to SIL providers?
The key practice standards that apply to SIL providers are those included in the Core Module:
– rights and responsibility for participants”
– provider governance and operational management
– provision of supports
– provision of supports environments.
Additional practice standards may apply if additional high risk services are delivered in the SIL facility, such as implementation of behaviour support plans, or assistance with high intensity daily personal activities.
2. How do providers conduct SIL risk assessments?
SIL risk assessments consider the service delivery environment where SIL is delivered, as well as the support needs and risks of Participants utilising the SIL facility. Risk assessments of the SIL facility should be conducted when the environment changes, or otherwise annually.
3. What audits do SIL providers face?
SIL Providers are Certification Registered, requiring ongoing midterm and renewal audits following the initial 2-stage Registration Application audit.
4. What are SIL claiming rules for providers?
NDIS Providers must be registered to deliver SIL services from 1 July 2026, and will need to adhere to the NDIS Pricing Arrangements when claiming for the delivery of SIL services. For more information on NDIS Pricing, visit <https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements>.
5. What training is mandatory for SIL staff?
SIL staff must undertake baseline NDIS Worker training, including completion of the NDIS Worker Orientation Module and Infection Control training. Additional worker/participant-specific training may be required for SIL support delivery, including First Aid and Emergency/Disaster Preparedness training.
6. How do providers handle SIL incident reporting?
SIL Incidents must be managed by Registered Providers in accordance with their Incident Management and Reporting Policy. For SIL Provider guidance, including what should appear in your Policy for compliance, please visit <https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/housing-and-living-supports-and-services/supported-independent-living-provider-guidance>.
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