To choose a SIL provider, first confirm it is registered for Supported Independent Living with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Then meet the team, ask how workers are matched and rostered, read the service agreement before signing, and check that you can change provider without losing your home.
Choosing who supports you every day, and often every night, is one of the biggest decisions in an NDIS plan. SIL support shapes your routine, your privacy and who walks through your front door. This guide gives you the questions that matter, what a good answer sounds like, and the warning signs. To see how we deliver it, visit our page on Supported Independent Living support in Sydney.
What does a SIL provider actually do?
A SIL provider employs and rosters the support workers who help or supervise you at home, up to 24 hours a day. It plans that support with you, writes it into a roster of care, delivers it within your plan’s SIL funding, and claims only for support it has delivered and you have agreed to.
It doesn’t have to provide your home. SIL is support funding only. Your home might be a shared Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) house, a private rental, social housing or a place you own. Our guide to SIL housing vs SDA explains how the two fit together.
Does your SIL provider have to be registered?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, SIL can only be delivered by a provider registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, however your plan is managed. Providers already delivering SIL had until 1 October 2026 to apply, and those that applied in time can keep going while the Commission decides. Registered SIL providers must also meet the new SIL practice standards that took effect on 1 July 2026.
You can check any provider on the Commission’s website. The Commission also lists SIL providers that have applied and are waiting on a decision. Our post on NDIS SIL mandatory registration covers the change in detail.
One exception: if you choose, direct and roster your own support workers, the NDIS says that isn’t SIL, and the registration rule doesn’t apply to you.
What should you ask a SIL provider?
Ask these twelve questions at your first meeting. Bring a family member, advocate or support coordinator if you’d like a second set of ears, and ask for the important answers in writing.
About registration and trust
- Are you registered for Supported Independent Living, and since when? A good provider gives you the date and its registration details straight away.
- Do you also own or manage the home, or provide my support coordination or plan management? Any yes means a possible conflict of interest. Ask for the policy that explains how it is managed.
- If I change support provider, can I stay in my home? Look for a clear “yes”, in writing.
About the workers
- How do you match workers to me, and can I say no to a worker? You should have a real say in who supports you, including gender and language preferences.
- How many regular workers will I have? A small, steady team means fewer strangers in your home.
- What happens when my regular worker is sick or on leave? Ask how quickly a replacement is found and how they are briefed about you.
- What training do workers get for my needs? For example, medication, mealtime support, behaviour support or communication methods.
About the roster and the money
- Can I see a draft roster of care? It should show your weekly hours, your ratio of support, standard or high intensity, overnight support, and irregular support.
- How do you handle overnight support? Ask whether it is a sleepover or an active, awake overnight, and what happens on a bad night.
- How do you charge, and how will I see what was claimed? Prices must stay within the NDIS limits for SIL, and you should be able to match claims to the support you got.
- What happens to my support if a housemate moves out? The NDIS doesn’t fund vacancies, so ask how the provider manages them without passing the cost to you.
About everyday life
- How will you help me build skills and get out into the community? SIL is meant to build your independence, so ask for a real example, such as learning to cook a meal or catch a bus.
What should a SIL service agreement include?
Get one, read it, and don’t sign until it matches what you were told. The NDIS requires a written service agreement for SDA and expects one for SIL. Its SIL guideline lists what to discuss:
| Item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Ratio, amount and intensity of support | Matches your plan and the roster of care you were shown |
| Prices | Within the NDIS price limits for SIL |
| Your responsibilities and the provider’s | Written plainly, in a format you can understand |
| Length of the agreement and how to change it | Notice periods that let you leave without penalty |
| Disputes | A complaints process, including how to contact the NDIS Commission |
| Holidays | How your support works if you travel |
| Vacancies | What happens to your support if someone moves out |
The guideline also says your SIL provider must give you a tenancy agreement about the rules of your home: who you live with, how you get support, what it costs, how to make changes and what to do if there’s a problem. If the home and the support come from different organisations, ask both how their agreements fit together. And remember the NDIS’s own reminder: providers can’t use a service agreement to contract out of the NDIS Code of Conduct or Australian Consumer Law.
Why choose a support provider that is separate from your housing provider?
Because it keeps your home and your support as two separate decisions. If one organisation is your landlord and your support provider, ending the support can feel like risking the roof over your head. The NDIS names this as a conflict of interest in its fact sheet on home and living supports, with the example of a participant who “feels pressured by their SDA provider to choose a particular in-home support provider”.
The fact sheet’s good practice includes separate service agreements for the home and the support, and protecting your “security of tenure” whatever you decide about the support in the home. A provider can do both well. But a separate support provider removes the pressure altogether.
We should declare our position. Blue Choice Support delivers support only. We don’t own or run SIL houses, so you can change your support without changing your address.
What are the warning signs?
- It can’t show you its registration, or says registration “doesn’t apply” to it.
- It won’t put the roster of care, prices or vacancy arrangements in writing.
- The home is only available if you also take its support, and it won’t say how you’d change support later.
- It wants to provide your support coordination too and doesn’t mention other options.
- It pushes you to sign at the first meeting.
- It charges extra when a housemate moves out. The NDIS says providers shouldn’t increase costs or claim extra from your plan to cover vacancies.
How do you compare SIL providers?
Keep it simple. Meet at least two providers, ask each the same twelve questions, and write the answers down while they’re fresh.
| Check | Provider A | Provider B |
|---|---|---|
| Registered for SIL (date) | ||
| Separate from my housing provider? | ||
| Can I stay in my home if I change support? | ||
| Size of my regular team | ||
| Draft roster of care received? | ||
| Overnight support type | ||
| Plan for vacancies in writing? | ||
| How they felt to talk to |
The last row matters more than it looks. These are the people in your kitchen at 7 in the morning. Trust your sense of whether they listened.
Can you change SIL providers later?
Yes. Your plan funds the support, not a particular organisation, so you can move your SIL to another registered provider. Check your current service agreement for the notice period, tell your support coordinator, and plan the handover: rosters, worker introductions and the people you live with are all affected. Earlier is easier. If you’re worried about the safety or quality of your support in the meantime, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544.
How does Blue Choice Support work?
Blue Choice Support is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission for Supported Independent Living (registration group 0138), effective 1 July 2026, and for daily tasks in shared living (0115). We support people in the home they already have or choose, and we charge within the NDIS price limits.
We’re based in Randwick and support participants in suburbs within about 16 km, including Coogee, Maroubra, Kensington, Kingsford, Bondi, Mascot, Rosebery, Botany and the Sydney CBD. Many participants combine SIL with independent living skills development or community access and participation support. Ask us any of the twelve questions above; we’d rather you did. Our Supported Independent Living and transition support page explains how we start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find registered SIL providers near me?
Use the NDIS provider finder or the NDIS Commission’s register, ask your support coordinator, and ask people you trust for recommendations. Then meet more than one provider.
Does my plan management type change who I can use for SIL?
No. SIL must be delivered by a registered provider whether your plan is NDIA-managed, plan-managed or self-managed.
Is there a list of SIL providers?
The NDIS Commission’s register shows registered providers, and the Commission keeps a separate list of SIL providers that have applied to register. A list only tells you who is allowed to provide SIL, so the twelve questions still matter.
How many irregular support days does SIL include?
The NDIS guideline says it generally funds 10 irregular support days a year for standard support needs and 15 for high intensity needs, for unplanned situations such as being sick at home.
Do I need a support coordinator to choose a SIL provider?
No, but it helps. If SIL is in your plan you may also have support coordination funding, and a coordinator can shortlist providers and sit in on meetings.
Ready to ask your questions?
If you’re choosing a SIL provider for the first time, or thinking about a change, we’re happy to answer all twelve. Contact Blue Choice Support or call 0485 021 986 for a no-pressure conversation.
Sources: the NDIS guideline What is supported independent living (SIL) and the full SIL guideline it links to, the NDIS pages How to find and choose a provider and What is a service agreement, and the NDIS fact sheet Conflicts of interest: Home and living supports, read in October 2026.
This post is general information, not advice about your own plan. For guidance on your funding, speak with your Support Coordinator, Local Area Coordinator or the NDIA.