SIL Vacancy Management Template and Example

Why SIL providers need a vacancy management template

Supported Independent Living (SIL) providers operate within some of the most closely scrutinised corners of the NDIS framework. Every time a vacancy arises — whether through a participant transitioning out, a new SIL arrangement being established, or a change in house capacity — the provider must demonstrate that the process of filling that vacancy was safe, rights-based, and person-centred.

Under the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, providers registered in the SIL registration group must maintain documented systems for managing the continuity of supports and the compatibility of participants sharing a dwelling. The strengthened standards framework taking effect for the 2026 registration cycle reinforces this obligation by placing greater weight on governance, individualised outcomes, and evidence of ongoing quality review.

A well-constructed vacancy management template is not merely an administrative convenience — it is a core piece of evidence that an approved quality auditor will examine to determine whether your organisation genuinely embeds the rights of participants in operational decisions.

What a SIL vacancy management template must cover

Your template should capture every decision point from the moment a vacancy is identified to the point at which a new participant is settled and their support plan is reviewed. The following sections are considered baseline for audit readiness.

1. Vacancy identification and notification

• Date vacancy arose and reason (exit, hospital, transition, new dwelling, capacity change)
• Address and SIL house reference number
• Current number of participants in the dwelling and their support intensity levels
• Notification to the NDIS Commission if the vacancy or the departure creates a reportable situation (for example, if a participant left due to a safeguarding concern)
• Internal escalation pathway and person responsible

2. Candidate referral and screening

• Source of referral (participant's planner, LAC, Support Coordinator, self-referral, hospital discharge team)
• Date of referral received
• Participant's NDIS plan funding confirmation for SIL
• Preliminary support needs summary (from SIL Roster of Care or equivalent document)
• Flags requiring further assessment: behaviours of concern, restrictive practice authorisation status, medical complexity, communication needs

3. Compatibility and risk assessment

This is the section auditors scrutinise most closely. The NDIS Practice Standards require providers to assess and actively manage risks associated with participants sharing a living environment. Your template must document:

• Compatibility factors reviewed for each existing participant in the dwelling (sleep patterns, lifestyle preferences, communication styles, gender preferences, cultural considerations)
• Consent obtained from current residents (or their nominees or guardians) to consider a new resident — noting that participants have the right to have input into who they live with
• Any restrictive practices currently authorised in the house and whether they are compatible with the incoming participant's needs
• Risk rating (low / medium / high) and the specific controls proposed to address identified risks
• Sign-off by an appropriately qualified person (for example, a behaviour support practitioner if behaviours of concern are identified)

4. Transition planning

• Planned commencement date
• Trial or trial overnight visit dates (if applicable)
• Orientation and introduction schedule for the incoming participant
• Support worker briefing record — ensuring staff understand the incoming participant's needs before day one
• Interim or increased support hours agreed during the settling-in period

5. Decision record and outcome

• Decision: offer made / offer declined / referral not accepted (with reason)
• Name and role of decision-maker
• Date of decision
• If declined: alternative referral or advocacy support offered
• Review date — when the new arrangement will be formally reassessed

Example: Filled-in vacancy management record

The following is a realistic example of a completed vacancy management record for a two-person SIL house. Provider and participant names are fictional.

Step-by-step process for completing the template

1. Open the record immediately when a vacancy arises — do not wait for a referral before creating the file. Document the vacancy reason and any safeguarding implications from the outset.
2. Confirm NDIS plan funding for any prospective participant before investing significant assessment time. SIL funding is approved in a participant's plan; a referral without confirmed funding cannot proceed to placement.
3. Conduct a compatibility assessment with your existing participants, using your organisation's standard tool. Document what was discussed with current residents and their nominees, and record their responses.
4. Escalate if restrictive practices are involved. If the incoming participant has an authorised restrictive practice or if a behaviour support plan is in place, involve your behaviour support practitioner before any decision is made. Ensure the practice is lawfully authorised under the relevant state or territory legislation.
5. Brief support workers before the participant moves in, not after. The NDIS Code of Conduct requires workers to deliver supports safely; a participant arriving in a house where staff are unprepared creates an immediate risk.
6. Record the outcome — whether the placement proceeds or not. If a referral is declined, document the reason and what alternative support you offered or facilitated.
7. Schedule a formal review at an agreed interval after commencement (typically 90 days) and record that review in the same document thread.

Common audit findings in SIL vacancy management

Approved quality auditors frequently identify the following gaps during SIL certification and re-certification audits:

• No documented consent from existing participants before a new resident was introduced — a direct conflict with the right to choice and control.
• Risk assessments that are generic rather than house-specific and participant-specific.
• Restrictive practice status not checked at the referral stage, leading to placements where an existing authorisation was incompatible with the incoming participant's profile.
• No transition plan on file — the participant simply "moved in" with no documented orientation or support adjustment period.
• Vacancy records not linked to incident management data — auditors expect providers to be able to demonstrate that lessons from incidents in a dwelling inform future matching decisions.

Integrating vacancy management with your broader compliance system

Vacancy management does not sit in isolation. Your template should link to — or cross-reference — your participant intake policy, your behaviour support documentation register, your incident management system, and your complaints handling procedure. Auditors following the strengthened NDIS Practice Standards framework will look for evidence that these systems talk to each other.

Providers looking for a head start on building this interconnected compliance infrastructure may find the 74-document audit-ready SIL compliance kit available at ndiscompliant.com.au a useful foundation, covering everything from vacancy management through to restrictive practice registers and quality review schedules.