Latest details on Mandatory Registration for SIL

Key Points

• Mandatory registration from 1 July 2025 means all SIL providers must be registered to continue operating and delivering supports.
• New SIL-specific Practice Standards place greater emphasis on supported decision-making, human rights, and participant voice.
• The NDIS Commission is focusing on real outcomes, requiring providers to show how governance and systems translate into day-to-day practice.
• Providers should begin preparing now by aligning systems, reviewing service delivery, and strengthening governance to reflect SIL requirements.

Summary

Mandatory registration for SIL providers marks one of the most important changes the NDIS sector has seen in recent years. From 1 July 2025, providers delivering SIL must be registered, but the shift goes beyond compliance and reflects a stronger focus on participant outcomes and quality of life. The introduction of new SIL Practice Standards reinforces the need for supported decision-making, human rights, and governance to be clearly demonstrated in everyday practice.

In April 2026, the NDIS Commission released further details on mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and platform providers, alongside new SIL-specific Practice Standards.

And while many of us knew this was coming, this is the clearest signal yet of what’s ahead — and where the Commission is heading. In this article, we will break down what we know.

Read details directly from the NDIS Commission’s website here.

What’s actually changing?

From 1 July 2026:

• All providers delivering SIL will be required to be registered under a new support class
• This includes providers currently operating unregistered
• Platform providers will also be captured under mandatory registration

This is a structural shift, not just a policy tweak.

Up until now, SIL has sat in a space where:

• Many providers operated unregistered
• The Commission had limited oversight

That is now being removed — deliberately.

Why this is happening (and why it matters)

The Commission is being very direct:

• Increased risks to participant safety in SIL and platform models
• Ongoing concerns from Own Motion Inquiries and Government reviews
• Significant issues identified in group home environments

This isn’t about tightening paperwork.

This is about control, oversight, and risk reduction in higher-risk supports.

The bigger shift: New SIL Practice Standards

Alongside registration, the Commission is introducing SIL-specific Practice Standards.

And this is where it gets interesting.

The direction is clear:

Moving from “service delivery” → to “participant outcomes” Moving from broad expectations → to clear, measurable, enforceable obligations → Embedding human rights, tenancy rights, and choice/control into daily practice

Key focus areas include:

• Supported decision making
• Safeguarding and dignity of risk
• Practice governance in shared homes
• Tenancy, housing and support agreements

This is not just a rewrite of the Core Module.

It’s a recalibration of what “good” looks like inside a participant’s home.

What the Commission is really telling us

Buried in this document is a very important shift:

Providers won’t just need to have systems — they will need to demonstrate how those systems translate into real participant outcomes

Expect:

• Stronger audit scrutiny on what actually happens in the home
• Greater focus on participant experience and voice
• Less tolerance for generic, paper-based compliance

Timing

• Mandatory registration starts 1 July 2026
• Transitional arrangements are coming — but not finalised yet

But here’s the reality:

If you’re not already building systems, governance and evidence now… you will be behind. Because registration isn’t just an application.

It’s:

• Demonstrating implementation
• Demonstrating practice
• Demonstrating understanding

What providers should be doing now

Whether you are registered or unregistered:

1. Start aligning your systems to SIL-specific risks (not generic supports)
2. Review your home-based practices — not just your policies
3. Strengthen governance in shared environments
4. Make sure your team understands what “good” looks like in practice

Final thought

This isn’t just about bringing providers into registration.

It’s about reshaping the standard of care in people’s homes.

And for providers who are doing this well already — this is an opportunity.

For those relying on:

• templated systems
• surface-level compliance
• or “we’ll fix it at audit”

this will be a very different experience.

If you’re delivering SIL (or thinking about it), now is the time to get clear on where you stand.

Our experts at Engels Floyd Quality Consulting can help you assess your readiness and build a clear path to compliance. Contact us today and take the first step before July 2025.