Service types
NDIS SIL Practice Standards explained
The SIL Practice Standards are the new NDIS quality benchmarks for supported independent living — four standards covering decision-making, safeguarding, governance and tenancy.
In plain English
The SIL Practice Standards are a new module the NDIS Commission has published in draft — watermarked DRAFT, released for consultation — that supported independent living providers will be audited against, layered on top of the Core Module. There are four standards. The final version is due before 1 July 2026.
This page is based on the officially published draft module — the final wording may change, but the four standards and their intent are settled. Source: the draft SIL Practice Standards module (NDIS Commission).
Why this matters now
The standards arrive at the same moment registration becomes mandatory. Two dates decide whether you can keep delivering SIL:
1 July 2026 — registration becomes mandatory. You must have commenced an application to keep delivering SIL.
1 October 2026 — the apply-by cliff. If you have not applied by this date you must stop delivering SIL supports. Delivering SIL unregistered after the cut-off may breach the NDIS Act — maximum penalty 2 years' imprisonment, 120 penalty units, or both.
How the SIL module sits alongside the Core Module
Every registered provider is audited against the Core Module — the universal standards covering rights, governance, service delivery and environment. SIL providers are additionally audited against this SIL module, which speaks to the specific realities of shared and supported living: the home is the workplace, co-tenants share space, and the same worker supports decision-making, safety and tenancy all at once. For the full picture of the Core Module and every supplementary module, see the NDIS Practice Standards explained.
The four SIL Practice Standards
Each standard sets out an intent, expectation statements for participants, workers and providers, and quality indicators an auditor tests directly. Here is each one in plain English, with the evidence an auditor will look for.
1. Supported Decision-Making
Participants make their own decisions about their home, routines, relationships and goals — decisions made by them, not for them. Workers give participants the time, accessible information and consistent support they need, and uphold the participant's dignity of risk even when a choice carries risk.
What an auditor will want to see:
- A supported decision-making policy and procedure
- Worker training records in supported decision-making (with refreshers)
- Accessible-information formats matched to each participant's communication mode
- Records showing participant views were sought on whether and how they want support
- Dignity-of-risk decisions documented
(Draft module wording — subject to the final version.)
2. Safeguarding
Participants are safe from violence, abuse, neglect and harm while still being supported to have choice and dignity of risk. Workers recognise early signs of harm and respond using de-escalation, trauma-informed practice and positive behaviour support — including managing conflict, bullying and intimidation between people who share a home.
What an auditor will want to see:
- A safeguarding policy and procedure
- Worker training in de-escalation, trauma-informed practice and positive behaviour support
- House-level incident management records
- Records of safeguarding approaches reviewed with participants
- NDIS Code of Conduct acknowledgements for every worker
(Draft module wording — subject to the final version.)
3. Practice Governance
A competent, trained workforce delivers consistent, evidence-based practice in the participant's home — person-centred practice, trauma-informed approaches, active support and supported decision-making — backed by governance oversight of emergency planning for shared living and consultation before placing new co-tenants.
What an auditor will want to see:
- A workforce training and competency framework
- Supervision and mentoring records
- A documented vision, values, objectives and service-delivery approach for the home
- Rehearsed, individualised emergency plans per house
- Co-tenant consultation and matching records
(Draft module wording — subject to the final version.)
4. Agreements about tenancy, housing and support
Service agreements and tenancy agreements are kept legally separate and are not contingent on each other, conflicts of interest are identified and managed, housing stability is protected, and participants' tenancy rights — access to keys, private space, and having visitors — are upheld.
What an auditor will want to see:
- Separate, signed service and tenancy agreements
- A conflict-of-interest policy made available to participants in an accessible format
- Records the participant understands the two agreements are legally separate
- Service-agreement terms covering co-tenant conflict, how vacancies are filled, and visitors
- Evidence the participant holds a copy of each signed agreement
(Draft module wording — subject to the final version.)
How auditors will test these
Each quality indicator is a testable claim — "each participant is provided with information to help them communicate their will and preferences," for example. The auditor samples participant files, reads the policies and training records, and interviews participants and workers in the home to confirm the documents reflect what's actually happening. The evidence is the documents above kept current and in use — not a one-off pack assembled the week of the audit.
How Checkbase helps
Checkbase covers the document-evidence side of every SIL standard: the four policies, worker training and competency records, separate service and tenancy agreements, house-level incident registers, and a timestamped audit log that shows continuous — not just point-in-time — compliance. Every artefact is mapped to the Tier 1 evidence schema, so your auditor receives a structured Evidence Pack instead of a folder tree.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the final version of the standards?
No. It is the officially published draft, released for consultation. The final version is due before 1 July 2026. The four standards and their intent are settled; specific quality-indicator wording may be refined before the final version lands.
How is this different from the existing Tier 1 SIL requirement?
Two separate things. Registration is the gate — you must hold NDIS registration to deliver SIL. The Practice Standards are the quality layer — the benchmarks your evidence is audited against once you're registered. You need both.
Do I need this if I already hold Tier 1 registration?
Yes. The SIL module applies to all SIL delivery — you'll be assessed against the new standards at your next certification audit, whether you're newly registering or already registered.
When do I actually have to register?
SIL providers must commence registration by 1 July 2026 and have an application in by 1 October 2026. See the 1 July vs 1 October deadline breakdown.
Get the plain-English breakdown as a PDF
The 4 new SIL Practice Standards, decoded — what each means, the evidence an auditor will want, plus a 10-minute self-audit. Straight to your inbox.
Related terms
- Provider basics
NDIS Practice Standards explained
The NDIS Practice Standards underpin every audit. Here's the Core Module, every supplementary module, and which ones apply to which providers.
Read - Provider basics
NDIS SIL registration deadline 2026
Two dates decide whether you can keep delivering SIL: 1 July 2026 (registration becomes mandatory) and 1 October 2026 (the apply-by cliff). Here's what each means and the penalty for missing them.
Read
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