Summary: The new SIL Practice Standards represent one of the most significant regulatory changes for Supported Independent Living providers in recent years. While they build on the existing NDIS Practice Standards, they introduce new and strengthened expectations around participant choice, safeguarding, governance, workforce capability and tenancy arrangements. Understanding what has changed, and embedding those changes into everyday practice, will be essential for providers preparing for Registration Group 0138 and future NDIS audits. This guide explains the key requirements, highlights what’s new, and outlines practical steps providers can take to prepare with confidence. 

Key Points 

• The new SIL Practice Standards commenced on 1 July 2026 alongside Registration Group 0138 – Assistance with Supported Independent Living.  

• The Standards introduce dedicated requirements specific to SIL providers.  

• Key focus areas include supported decision-making, safeguarding, practice governance, workforce capability, and tenancy and housing arrangements.  

• Providers are expected to demonstrate dignity of risk, participant choice and control, and evidence-based, trauma-informed practice.  

• New expectations include stronger co-tenant safeguarding, participant compatibility considerations, and clearer separation of housing and support.  

• Auditors will increasingly assess how providers implement the Standards in practice, not just whether policies exist.  

• Reviewing systems, updating workforce training and conducting an internal audit on whether your organisation is meeting the new standards are important steps towards implementation.  

If you’re a Supported Independent Living (SIL) provider, you would have heard plenty about the new SIL Practice Standards over the past few months. 

But for many providers, the biggest question isn’t that they’re here – it’s what they actually mean in practice. 

If you’re like many SIL providers, you may be asking: 

• What has actually changed?  

• How are the new SIL Practice Standards different from the existing NDIS Practice Standards?  

• What should we be doing now to prepare for our next audit? 

• What do we need to change in our day-to-day? 

The new SIL Practice Standards came into effect on 1 July 2026, alongside the introduction of Registration Group 0138 – Assistance with Supported Independent Living. 

Rather than simply introducing new compliance requirements, they represent a shift in how the NDIS Commission expects providers to demonstrate quality, participant choice and safe service delivery. 

In this guide, we’ll unpack what the new Standards are, what’s actually changed, and the practical steps providers should be taking now. 

Why were the new SIL Practice Standards introduced? 

For many participants, home is where they receive support every day, build relationships, make important life decisions and exercise choice and control. Because of this, the NDIS Commission recognised that SIL requires more specific expectations than those contained within the broader NDIS Practice Standards. 

The development of the new SIL Practice Standards was informed by extensive consultation with participants, families, providers and sector stakeholders. The feedback received reinforced the need for stronger participant choice and control, greater safeguarding within shared living environments, and clearer expectations for providers. As a result, the Standards place a much greater emphasis on how participants experience Supported Independent Living, not just how providers demonstrate compliance. 

The new SIL Practice Standards have been introduced to better reflect the realities of delivering SIL services and to provide greater clarity for providers, auditors and participants alike. 

Their focus isn’t simply on compliance. It’s about ensuring providers can demonstrate safe, person-centred practice in the places participants call home. 

Who do the new SIL Practice Standards apply to? 

The Standards apply to registered providers delivering Supported Independent Living under Registration Group 0138 – Assistance with Supported Independent Living. 

They are relevant for: 

• Existing registered SIL providers  

• Organisations transitioning to Registration Group 0138  

• Providers applying for SIL registration  

• SIL providers preparing for NDIS certification audits 

Even if you’re still working through your registration application, now is the time to start implementing the Standards, not just reading them. 

What are the new SIL Practice Standards? 

The new SIL Practice Standards are a dedicated set of quality requirements introduced by the NDIS Commission specifically for providers delivering Supported Independent Living (SIL) under the Supplementary Module 5A. 

They establish clear expectations around Supported Decision-Making, Safeguarding, Practice Governance, and Agreements about Tenancy, Housing and Support Arrangements. 

Their purpose is to improve the quality, consistency and safety of Supported Independent Living services while ensuring participants have greater choice, control and independence. 

If your organisation delivers Supported Independent Living, or is preparing to register under Registration Group 0138, understanding and implementing these Standards is critical. 

The Standards are designed around the everyday realities of delivering Supported Independent Living. 

Many of the underlying principles will already be familiar to providers. However, the new Standards introduce dedicated SIL-specific Practice Standards, strengthen expectations in key areas, and place a much greater emphasis on demonstrating how these requirements are implemented in practice. 

The four Practice Standards focus on: 

1. Supported Decision-Making  

2. Safeguarding  

3. Practice Governance  

4. Tenancy, Housing & Support Agreements  

Supported Decision-Making 

For the first time, Supported Decision-Making has its own dedicated Practice Standard, recognising that participants should be supported to make genuine decisions about their own lives rather than having decisions made on their behalf.  

Providers are expected to ensure participants receive information in a way they can understand and are provided with the support they need to express their will and preferences, consider available options and make informed decisions. 

This includes decisions about: 

• Daily routines  

• Household arrangements  

• Relationships  

• Community participation  

• Personal goals  

• Risks  

• The supports and services they receive  

Supported decision-making is not about making decisions for participants or determining what is in their “best interests.” Instead, providers should empower participants to exercise genuine choice and control while respecting their rights, preferences and dignity. Where participants require support to make decisions, that support should be tailored to their communication needs and maximise their independence.  

Safeguarding 

The Safeguarding Practice Standard sets out how providers should ensure participants living in Supported Independent Living are protected from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and harm while continuing to support choice, control and dignity of risk.  

Participants living in SIL have the right to feel safe in their home, knowing they will be listened to, supported to make informed choices and that concerns will be responded to promptly and appropriately. 

Safeguarding is not about eliminating all risk. Participants have the right to make informed decisions, even where those decisions involve an element of risk. Providers are expected to identify potential risks, implement appropriate safeguards and support informed decision-making that reflects each participant’s will and preferences. 

The Standard also recognises that safeguarding extends beyond worker-to-participant interactions. Providers must have systems to identify, prevent and respond to risks within shared living environments, including risks between co-tenants. Workers should be able to recognise the early signs of harm and respond using person-centred, trauma-informed and evidence-informed approaches. 

Providers should also demonstrate that workers receive appropriate training, supervision and support to safeguard participants, with evidence that risks are actively identified, monitored and managed both within the home and when participants access their community.  

Practice Governance 

The Practice Governance Practice Standard sets out how providers should create and maintain safe living environments through effective governance and practice leadership that upholds participants’ rights, dignity and freedoms within their home.  

Governance extends well beyond organisational policies. Providers are expected to demonstrate that leadership, systems and workforce capability consistently translate into high-quality practice in participants’ homes. 

This includes: 

• Leadership, accountability and organisational oversight  

• Workforce capability through recruitment, supervision, mentoring and ongoing professional development  

• Evidence-informed practice, including person-centred practice, trauma-informed approaches, active support and supported decision-making  

• Quality assurance and continuous improvement  

• Emergency planning and preparedness within shared living environments  

A key expectation is that each participant is supported by workers who have the necessary training, knowledge and skills to meet their individual needs. Workers should be assessed as competent in evidence-informed practices and consistently deliver supports that reflect each participant’s goals, preferences, communication style and cultural considerations. Participants should experience safe, high-quality supports regardless of which worker is providing support or when that support is delivered.  

The Standard also recognises the unique dynamics of shared living. Providers should support participants to have a genuine say about who they live with, promote positive household relationships and ensure emergency arrangements are coordinated and appropriate for everyone living in the home.  

Ultimately, the Practice Governance Standard is about demonstrating that governance is evident in everyday practice—not simply documented in policies. Auditors will be looking for evidence that governance systems consistently result in safe, person-centred, high-quality supports being delivered across every Supported Independent Living home. 

Agreements about Tenancy, Housing and Support Arrangements 

The Agreements about Tenancy, Housing and Support Arrangements Practice Standard reinforces that housing and support are separate arrangements and that participants should be supported to understand their rights and exercise genuine choice and control over both.  

Providers should ensure participants have clear, accessible and transparent agreements that distinguish between: 

• Their tenancy or housing agreement (where applicable)  

• Their Service Agreement  

• How the two arrangements interact  

• Their rights and responsibilities under each agreement  

Participants should understand that their tenancy agreement is separate from the supports they receive and that they have the right to change their SIL provider without automatically losing their home, where the tenancy arrangements allow. Providers should take reasonable steps to protect participants from undue influence or housing instability arising from changes to support arrangements.  

The Standard also places greater emphasis on supporting participants to understand and exercise their tenancy rights, make informed decisions about where and with whom they live, participate in decisions about their home environment, and maintain housing stability. 

Providers should be able to demonstrate that tenancy and support arrangements are not only documented, but are understood by participants, consistently applied in practice and promote security, choice and independence within the participant’s home. 

What’s new, and what’s evolved? 

While many of the concepts will already be familiar to providers, the new SIL Practice Standards introduce several important changes that are specific to Supported Independent Living. 

These include: 

• A dedicated Supported Decision-Making Practice Standard – for the first time, supported decision-making has its own standalone Standard, placing greater emphasis on supporting participants to express their own will and preferences, rather than relying on substitute decision-making or assumptions about a person’s “best interests”.  

• Greater focus on safeguarding within shared living environments – safeguarding now extends beyond worker-to-participant interactions to include identifying, preventing and responding to conflict, bullying, abuse and other risks between co-tenants.  

• Compatibility before placement – providers are expected to consider the compatibility of participants before a new co-tenant moves into a Supported Independent Living home and consult existing residents wherever possible.  

• Clear separation of housing and support – the Standards reinforce that tenancy and support are separate arrangements. Participants should understand their rights under each agreement and, where tenancy arrangements allow, be able to change their SIL provider without automatically losing their home.  

Strengthened Expectations 

The new Standards also build on many existing NDIS Practice Standards by strengthening expectations around: 

• Participant choice and control  

• Dignity of risk  

• Accessible communication  

• Workforce capability and competency  

• Evidence-informed and trauma-informed practice  

• Emergency planning and preparedness  

• Written service agreements  

• Tenancy rights and responsibilities  

• Continuous quality improvement.  

Many of these concepts are not entirely new. For example, participant choice and control, dignity of risk and accessible communication have long been reflected throughout the NDIS Practice Standards. However, the new SIL Practice Standards place a much greater emphasis on how these principles are applied within Supported Independent Living environments. 

There is also a stronger focus on workforce capability, with providers expected to ensure workers are appropriately trained, supervised and assessed as competent to deliver safe, high-quality supports. Emergency planning is similarly strengthened, with emergency arrangements expected to be tailored to participants and regularly practised where appropriate. 

Perhaps the biggest change for many providers is not introducing new policies, but demonstrating that these requirements are consistently embedded in everyday practice.  

Here’s where many providers get caught out 

One of the biggest misconceptions we see is organisations focusing solely on updating their policies. 

Policies are important, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle. Auditors will be looking for objective evidence that the Standards are being implemented across Supported Independent Living homes, not simply documented within policies and procedures. 

It can be useful to ask:  

• Can staff explain how they support participant choice? 

• Do participant records demonstrate supported decision-making? 

• Can your team explain how risks are identified and managed? 

• Are emergency plans understood by staff? 

• Do participants understand their tenancy rights? 

Increasingly, auditors are looking beyond what your documentation says to understand what actually happens across your organisation. 

That’s where many providers identify gaps. 

EFQC Tip: Don’t review your policies in isolation.  

The NDIS Commission have released an Evidence Guide for Providers and Workers to give practical information about the standards. They include:  

• Clear explanations of each standard 

• Examples of how the standards can be applied in practice 

• Guidance on meeting registration and compliance requirements 

• Information to support continuous improvement. 

Compare your policies and procedures against the SIL Evidence Guide and ask yourself: “Can we actually demonstrate this in practice?” If the answer is no, that’s often where your implementation work should begin. 
 
Our own Internal Audit Checklist for SIL providers is also a valuable tool.  

What should providers be doing now? 

Whether you’re already registered or preparing to apply under Registration Group 0138, now is the time to review your systems against the new Standards. 

We recommend providers: 

• Review policies and procedures against the new SIL Practice Standards.  

• Compare existing systems with the SIL Evidence Guide.  

• Identify gaps in documentation and objective evidence.  

• Review participant records and Service Agreements.  

• Update workforce training to reflect the new requirements.  

• Strengthen governance and quality assurance processes.  

• Conduct an internal audit before certification.  

Starting early gives your organisation time to address gaps before they become audit findings. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

When did the new SIL Practice Standards commence? 

The new SIL Practice Standards came into effect on 1 July 2026. 

Are the new SIL Practice Standards mandatory? 

Yes. They apply to registered providers delivering Supported Independent Living under Registration Group 0138. 

Are the SIL Practice Standards different from the NDIS Practice Standards? 

Yes. The SIL Practice Standards introduce additional requirements specifically for Supported Independent Living and should be read alongside the broader NDIS Practice Standards. 

What is Registration Group 0138? 

Registration Group 0138 is the new NDIS registration group for providers delivering Supported Independent Living services. 

Do I need to rewrite all of my policies? 

Not all of them. In most cases, the focus should be on reviewing and updating your existing policies, procedures and documentation rather than starting from scratch. 

The extent of the changes will depend on how well your current systems align with the new SIL Practice Standards. More importantly, providers must be able to demonstrate that the Standards have been embedded in practice—not simply documented. 

If you require assistance, EFQC offers individually developed Module 5A Supported Independent Living (SIL) Policies and Procedures that are tailored to your organisation. Rather than providing generic templates, our policies are customised to reflect your service model, operational practices and governance arrangements while addressing the specific requirements of the Module 5A SIL Practice Standards. This helps ensure your documented systems accurately reflect how supports are delivered in practice and are ready to support implementation and audit. 

Don’t wait until your audit to identify gaps 

The providers who will navigate these changes most confidently are those who start preparing now. 

Whether you’re transitioning to Registration Group 0138, reviewing your policies, training your workforce or preparing for certification, taking a proactive approach today will make your next audit significantly smoother. 
 
Our SIL Internal Audit checklist will help you be audit ready at all times. 

Need help understanding the new SIL Practice Standards?  

We work with providers across the disability sector to strengthen governance systems, improve operational readiness, review documentation, and prepare for evolving audit and compliance expectations as a trusted NDIS SIL registration consultant. 

If you would like expert guidance on the new SIL Practice Standards, SIL provider registration requirements, or preparing your organisation for the 1 July 2026 reforms, book a free consultation with our team today and take the next step with confidence.