If you’re currently living in a Supported Independent Living arrangement or looking at SIL options, one of the most important questions to ask right now is: Is my SIL provider registered with the NDIS Commission?
This matters more than ever because, from 1 July 2026, all SIL providers must be registered. If your provider isn’t registered by then, they will no longer be able to legally deliver SIL supports and receive NDIS funding. Knowing where your provider stands gives you time to plan and avoid any disruption to your support.
Let’s walk through how to check if a SIL provider is registered, what registration means, and what to do if your provider isn’t registered yet.
What Is a Registered SIL Provider?
A registered SIL provider has been formally approved by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to deliver Supported Independent Living supports. To become registered, a provider must:
- Meet the NDIS Practice Standards for SIL, which cover the quality and safety of the support they provide
- Pass a certification review, the most detailed check under the NDIS
- Make sure all workers have completed valid NDIS Worker Screening Checks
- Have clear processes in place for managing complaints, incidents, and emergencies
- Report any serious problems or safety issues to the NDIS Commission
Registration is essentially the NDIS’s way of saying: this provider has been checked, meets the required standards, and is accountable for the supports they deliver.
An unregistered SIL provider has not gone through this process. That changes from 1 July 2026, when registration becomes mandatory for all SIL providers with no exceptions.
Why Does Registration Matter for SIL Specifically?
SIL is one of the most significant supports in the NDIS. It involves people living in a home, often with others, and receiving daily hands-on assistance with personal care, meals, household tasks, and overnight supervision. The level of care is high, and the trust placed in a provider is significant.
The NDIS Commission identified SIL as a higher-risk support category precisely because of this. When workers are in someone’s home every day, often overnight, gaps in quality and safety are harder to spot. Mandatory registration fixes this by making sure every SIL provider follows the same rules and standards, no matter how big they are or where they operate.
For participants, this means a registered SIL provider gives you a clear way to raise concerns, standards they must legally meet, and an official body that can investigate and take action if something goes wrong. With an unregistered provider, those protections are not in place.
How to Check If Your SIL Provider Is Registered
There are two straightforward ways to verify a provider’s registration status.
Option 1: Search the NDIS Provider Register
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission maintains an online register of all approved providers. Go to the NDIS Commission website and search for your provider by name. If they appear with an “Approved” status and SIL is listed under their registration groups, they are registered and meeting the required standards.
Option 2: Use the NDIA Provider Finder
The NDIS website has a Provider Finder tool that lets you search by support type and location. When you search for SIL providers in your area, only registered providers will show up in the results.
Option 3: Ask your provider directly
Ask them: “Are you registered with the NDIS Commission for SIL?” A registered provider should be able to give you their NDIS registration number straight away and provide a copy of their registration certificate if you ask.
What to Do If Your Provider Isn’t Registered
If you find out your current SIL provider is not registered, don’t panic. The deadline is 1 July 2026, and the NDIS Commission has indicated there will be a changeover process to ensure participants aren’t left without support during the switch.
Here’s what to do:
Ask your provider about their timeline. Ask them: “Are you working toward registration? What is your timeline?” Providers who are serious about continuing to deliver SIL should already be in the process of registering.
Talk to your support coordinator. Your support coordinator can help you understand your options, find registered alternatives if needed, and make sure your living arrangement isn’t disrupted. If you don’t have a support coordinator, this is a good time to get one.
Know your rights. Your NDIS funding and SIL eligibility don’t change as a result of this reform. What changes is which providers can deliver your support. If your current provider can’t or won’t register, you have the right to move to a registered provider without losing your funding.
Don’t wait until July. If your provider is unlikely to register, starting to look at alternatives now gives you more time, more options, and less stress.
What the July 2026 Deadline Actually Means
There’s an important detail worth understanding about the deadline. From 1 July 2026, providers must have started the registration process with the NDIS Commission. They don’t necessarily need to be fully registered on that exact date, but they must have begun the process. Providers who haven’t started by then will not be able to continue delivering SIL supports.
Delivering SIL without NDIS registration after 1 July 2026 will be a criminal offence with significant penalties. This is a hard deadline, not a guideline.
For participants, the practical meaning is: if your provider hasn’t started their registration by July 2026, your support will need to come from a different provider. The sooner you know where your provider stands, the more time you have to plan.
What Registration Means for the Quality of Your Supports
When your SIL provider is registered, you benefit from:
- Higher standards: Registered providers must meet the NDIS Practice Standards, which cover everything from worker training and incident management to the physical safety of your home environment
- Worker screening: Every worker in your home must have passed an NDIS Worker Screening Check, a background check specific to working with people with disability
- A clear complaints pathway: If something goes wrong, you can raise a complaint directly with the NDIS Commission, which has the power to investigate and take action
- Incident reporting: Registered providers are required to report serious incidents to the Commission, which means there is a record of what happened and someone checking that things are being done properly, something that doesn’t exist with unregistered providers
- Regular reviews: Registered SIL providers go through certification reviews, the most detailed checks available, on an ongoing basis
None of this guarantees a perfect provider. But it does mean there are real consequences if standards aren’t met, and real protections in place for you as a participant.
Why Choose Hilda Care
At Hilda Care, we are a registered NDIS provider delivering SIL and a range of other disability supports across Melbourne and Victoria. Our registration means we meet the NDIS Practice Standards, our workers have completed all required screening checks, and participants have a clear pathway to raise concerns if needed.
If you’re looking for a registered SIL provider or want to understand your options, give us a call or reach out through our contact page. We’re here to help you find the right fit.
FAQs
My support worker is independent, not from an agency. Does this affect them?
Yes. Independent support workers delivering SIL supports will need to work under a registered SIL provider organisation from 1 July 2026. They cannot deliver SIL as an individual unregistered worker after that date.
How long does the registration process take?
The registration process can take several months, depending on the provider’s size and preparedness. This is why providers who haven’t started yet are already running late.
What if I live in a regional area and there aren’t many registered providers nearby?
The NDIS Commission has said it will ensure people don’t lose their supports during the changeover, especially in areas where there aren’t many providers. If you’re in a regional area, talk to your support coordinator about what options are available nearby.