NDIS Practice Standard: Supported Independent Living Explained (2026)

What changed and why it matters for SIL providers

For years, many Supported Independent Living providers operated without mandatory registration. That changes on 1 July 2026. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission confirmed in December 2025 that SIL is classified as a high-risk support, placing it in the same mandatory registration category as plan management and early childhood supports.

Two deadlines matter:

• 1 July 2026 — you must have commenced a registration application to continue delivering SIL legally from this date.
• 1 October 2026 — if you have not submitted an application by this date, you must cease delivering SIL until you have one approved.

This article explains the new SIL Practice Standards module, what an auditor will assess, and the practical steps your organisation needs to take. It is general information only — not legal or compliance advice.

The two-layer framework: Core Standards plus the SIL module

All registered NDIS providers must already meet the Core NDIS Practice Standards (Rights and Responsibility, Governance and Operational Management, Provision of Supports, and Support Provision Environment). SIL providers will need to meet those Core Standards and the new SIL-specific module on top of them.

The NDIS Commission published a draft of the SIL Practice Standards module in May 2026 (see Practice Standards reform hub). The final version is expected to be published before 1 July 2026. The four outcome areas in the draft module are:

What "Supported Independent Living" actually covers

SIL is NDIS-funded in-home support to help people with disability live as independently as possible. It can include assistance with personal care (showering, dressing), domestic tasks (cooking, cleaning), and supervision in shared accommodation. It is one of the most significant funded supports in the NDIS — and because it involves people's homes, health, and daily safety, the Commission has identified it as requiring stronger oversight than lower-risk supports.

The audit type your organisation will face

Registration for SIL triggers a certification audit — the most rigorous audit type under the NDIS framework. Certification audits are conducted by an approved quality auditor (not the Commission itself) and occur at registration and at renewal (typically every three years). They assess compliance with both the Core Standards and the SIL module.

Key points about certification audits:

• Audit costs are the provider's responsibility.
• Auditors review documentary evidence and conduct on-site observations, staff interviews, and participant interviews.
• The audit report gives a rating for compliance with each Practice Standard and quality indicator.
• Non-compliance identified in an audit is reported to the Commission and may trigger conditions on registration or regulatory action.

What an auditor actually looks for — practical notes

Understanding the difference between having a policy and demonstrating a system in practice is the most common gap providers fail to close before their first SIL audit.

Documentary evidence auditors will request

• Incident management records — are incidents reported, investigated, and followed up with corrective action?
• Complaints register — does it show resolution and systemic review, not just logging?
• Worker files — NDIS Worker Screening checks current, Worker Orientation Module completed, role-specific training records.
• Support plans — are they person-centred, regularly reviewed, and authored with (not for) the participant?
• Emergency plans — one per shared home, rehearsed with all residents, not a generic template.
• Tenancy and support agreements — separated documents (or clearly separated sections) so participants can see exactly what is housing and what is funded support.

What auditors observe and probe in interviews

• Do staff know how to support a participant to make a decision, rather than making it for them?
• Can participants describe how they raised a concern and what happened?
• Is there visible evidence of routines being driven by participant choice, not staff convenience?
• Are housemate compatibility and conflict management processes documented and actioned?

Worked example: the tenancy/support agreement gap

One of the most common audit findings in SIL environments is that a single document blurs the line between tenancy rights and NDIS support. Consider this scenario:

A provider uses one "Resident Agreement" that covers rent contributions, house rules, support hours, and incident reporting in a single document. A participant cannot easily identify what happens to their housing if they change SIL provider.

What an auditor wants to see instead: a clear, plain-English tenancy agreement (or licence to occupy) that sits separately from the NDIS Support Agreement. The support agreement should state the supports being delivered, review intervals, how changes to supports are managed, and the participant's right to change provider without losing their home.

Fixing this before your audit is a straightforward but critical documentation task.

Registration transition pathways

The Commission has published a transition guide for providers moving from unregistered to registered status specifically for SIL (see Mandatory registration — SIL). Transition pathways allow existing providers to continue delivering SIL while their application is being assessed, provided they have commenced the application by 1 July 2026.

Providers who are already registered under a different registration group (for example, Assistance with Daily Life) will need to check whether their existing registration covers SIL as a support type under the new mandatory registration rules, or whether a variation to registration is required.

Get your organisation audit-ready

The SIL Practice Standards represent a genuine lift in what is expected of SIL providers — not a bureaucratic checkbox exercise. The goal is to ensure that people living in supported accommodation have meaningful choice, are safe, and have their housing rights clearly protected. Preparing early gives your organisation time to close documentation gaps, train staff, and engage participants in reviewing support plans before an auditor arrives.

If you want a plain-English summary of exactly what the NDIS Commission expects from SIL providers in 2026, download our free SIL Readiness Pack. It includes a pre-audit self-assessment checklist, a guide to separating tenancy and support agreements, and a summary of the four SIL Practice Standard outcome areas — written for providers, not lawyers.

This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or compliance advice. Always refer to the current NDIS Practice Standards and guidance published by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and seek independent advice for your specific circumstances.