Every so often the NDIS Commission releases a policy update. And then there are moments like this one. The new Practice Standards for Supported Independent Living are not a tweak to existing rules. They are a rewrite of what good support in shared accommodation looks like - and who is allowed to deliver it.
Three things worth understanding
1. Registration is now mandatory for SIL providers.
From 1 July 2026, any organisation delivering supported independent living must be registered with the NDIS Commission. The Minister for the NDIS announced this in December 2025. If you are currently delivering SIL as an unregistered provider, the transition clock is running. The Commission has published mandatory registration and transition pathway guidance - read it now, not in June.
2. The standards themselves have been rewritten.
The new SIL Practice Standards were developed with Inclusion Australia and people with disability. They introduce Expectation Statements - explicit descriptions of what good support looks like from the perspectives of participants, workers and providers.
This is new. It means auditors will not just assess process compliance. They will assess whether your support culture matches the participant-centred intent of the standards. The draft is available now. The final version lands before 1 July 2026.
3. A broader review of all Practice Standards is in progress.
The national consultation on the NDIS Practice Standards Review has closed. The Commission is analysing feedback to inform a new NDIS Quality Framework and potential changes to how all standards are assessed. The SIL standards are the first to land. Others will follow. The direction is clear: from meeting the minimum to demonstrating what good looks like.
If you are leading a SIL provider or advising one, now is the time to read the draft standards and map your registration pathway - before the final version drops and the July deadline is upon you.