Mandatory SIL Registration from 1 July 2026 — What Families Should Watch For

Mandatory SIL Registration from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, Supported Independent Living (SIL) enters a new regulatory era. Every SIL provider in Australia must hold NDIS Commission registration and meet the new SIL Practice Standards. Unregistered SIL — previously a legal grey area where agency, plan-managed and self-managed arrangements could mix — will no longer be permitted for the actual delivery of SIL supports.

The change is one of the most consequential reforms for the families InLife serves. If your loved one is in a SIL arrangement, this is the diligence list you should work through before 1 July.

What the New Standards Cover

The new SIL Practice Standards build on the existing NDIS Practice Standards and add SIL-specific requirements. The highest-impact new requirements:

• Tenancy and service separation — the provider of accommodation cannot also be the provider of supports, unless specific conflict-of-interest protocols are in place and documented.
• Individualised roster of care — every SIL participant must have a documented, individualised roster that justifies each hour of support claimed, updated at least annually.
• Participant choice in staffing — participants must be given genuine input into who supports them, including the right to request worker changes.
• Medication management protocols — tightened medication protocols with double-sign-off for high-risk medications.
• Clinical oversight for participants with complex needs — registered nurse involvement required for specified high-intensity supports.
• Incident reporting and response — stricter reportable-incident timelines and root-cause analysis requirements.

The Family Diligence Checklist

Here is what to ask your current SIL provider — in writing — before 1 July 2026:

1. "Are you registered with the NDIS Commission for SIL delivery?" Get the registration certificate and check the effective dates.
2. "Does your registration cover all the modules my loved one's support plan requires?" For participants with high-intensity needs, Module 1 is essential. For participants with a behaviour support plan, Module 2A is essential.
3. "Do you provide both the accommodation and the support? If yes, what is your conflict-of-interest protocol?"
4. "Can I see my loved one's individualised roster of care?" It should be documented and signed.
5. "What is your process if I want to request a change of support worker?" There should be a clear pathway, not vague reassurance.
6. "How do you manage medications? Is there double-sign-off for high-risk medications?"
7. "What clinical oversight is in place for my loved one's support?" For participants with complex medical needs, the answer should involve a registered nurse.
8. "How do you handle and report incidents?"

If the answers are vague, or if the provider gets defensive, take it as a signal. Unregistered SIL is being phased out for a reason, and those reasons tend to show up in exactly these areas.

What Transition Looks Like If You Need to Move

If your diligence reveals that your current provider is not going to make the 1 July registration deadline, you have options. The NDIA and your support coordinator can help you identify registered providers in your area who have capacity. InLife operates a SIL service across our Melbourne, Geelong and Gold Coast footprint — our SIL vacancy page has more on how we run SIL.

A transition between SIL providers is typically a 4-8 week process: diligence, meet-and-greet, trial overnight stay, graduated transition with overlapping support, and finally full handover. Getting it right matters more than getting it fast.

Our Position

InLife supports the mandatory registration reform. The SIL market has, for too long, been one where the participant experience varied wildly depending on whether a provider ran registered or unregistered. The new standards bring a floor of accountability that participants and families deserve. They also add work for providers — which is why we are working with our teams on the implementation ahead of the deadline rather than at it.

If you want to walk through your current SIL arrangement with us in plain English (or Farsi, Urdu, Hindi or Punjabi) and work out whether it meets the new standards, our Plan Health Check is free and 15 minutes.

Source: NDIS Commission, ndiscommission.gov.au/media-centre/mandatory-registration-supported-independent-living · captured 2026-04-12.