NDIS SIL Rules 2026: What Registration Group 0138 Means for Providers and Participants

From 1 July 2026, every provider delivering Supported Independent Living in Australia must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. This is not a routine update. It is the most significant rule change to the SIL sector since the NDIS launched, and it affects both the providers delivering these supports and the participants relying on them.

Let’s explore what the new rules require, how Registration Group 0138 works, what the certification process involves, and what participants should know before the deadline.

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Why the NDIS SIL Rules Are Changing in 2026

Until now, Supported Independent Living (SIL) could be delivered by both registered and unregistered NDIS providers. Participants with plan-managed or self-managed funding had the option to use providers operating entirely outside the Commission’s oversight.

Several major reviews changed that, including the 2023 NDIS Review, the Disability Royal Commission, and two Own Motion Inquiries into supported accommodation. All of them found that SIL settings carried higher risks than other NDIS supports. People living in shared homes with high support needs were identified as particularly vulnerable, and the lack of mandatory oversight was seen as a significant gap in how the sector was regulated.

In December 2025, the Minister for the NDIS confirmed that all SIL providers would need to register from 1 July 2026. That decision became law when the NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Act 2026 passed Parliament on 31 March 2026.

What Is Registration Group 0138?

Registration Group 0138 Assistance with Supported Independent Living is the new registration category being added to the NDIS provider registration system specifically for SIL providers.

Previously, SIL supports were captured under Registration Group 0115 (Assisted Daily Life Tasks in Group or Shared Living). The creation of 0138 as a dedicated SIL class reflects the Commission’s position that SIL is a distinct, high-risk support requiring its own registration category and its own set of Practice Standards.

Once the updated Provider Registration Rules take effect, providers approved under 0138 will have this class added to their registration certificate. Any provider delivering SIL without holding this registration on or after 1 July 2026 will be in breach of the NDIS Act. The maximum penalty is 2 years’ imprisonment, a fine of 120 penalty units, or both.

Who Does This Apply To?

Any provider managing and delivering SIL supports to NDIS participants must meet the mandatory registration requirement. This includes:

Providers who arrange, coordinate, and deliver a package of SIL supports in a shared or individual home
Platform providers that facilitate participant access to SIL supports via online platforms.
Providers who have previously operated as unregistered providers under plan-managed or self-managed participant arrangements

This applies regardless of how many participants a provider supports.

One category is explicitly exempt from the mandatory registration requirement: participants who choose and manage their own support workers, including hiring, scheduling, and managing them. Where the participant is genuinely self-directing their own SIL workforce, the registration requirement does not capture them.

The Certification Audit Requirement

Registration under Group 0138 requires a certification audit, not a verification audit. This is a more comprehensive process, and providers who have only completed a verification audit previously will need to complete the full certification process.

Stage	What It Involves
1	Documentation review. An approved quality auditor checks whether the provider’s policies, procedures, and quality systems meet the applicable NDIS Practice Standards.
2	On-site assessment. Auditors interview staff, observe service delivery environments, and speak with participants to confirm that documented practices reflect how the service actually operates. Evidence is drawn from documents, records, direct observation, and conversations with workers and participants.

The full certification process typically takes 8 to 12 months from application to final approval under normal conditions. Providers who have not yet started should treat any time remaining before July 2026 as preparation time, not a grace period.

During the audit, auditors may identify areas where a provider does not fully meet the required standards. Minor issues can often be resolved quickly. Major issues must be fully addressed before certification is granted.

The New SIL Practice Standards

Alongside mandatory registration, the NDIS Commission has developed a new set of SIL-specific Practice Standards. These standards apply to all SIL providers from 1 July 2026, including those already registered who are approaching a mid-term or renewal audit.

The new SIL Practice Standards are structured around four domains:

Supported Decision-Making: How providers ensure participants exercise genuine choice and control over their daily lives and living arrangements
Safeguarding systems and practices that protect participants from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation in home and living settings
Practice Governance: the systems, processes, and workforce management practices that keep services safe and consistent
Agreements About Tenancy, Housing and Support Arrangements: How providers manage the relationship between a participant’s housing situation and their support package

In addition to these SIL-specific domains, providers must also meet the requirements of the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards, which applies to all registered providers and covers rights, governance, risk management, incident management, and supported decision-making.

Providers delivering high-intensity personal care as part of their SIL package will also need to meet the High Intensity Daily Personal Activities Module requirements. Where behaviour support plans are being implemented, the Implementing Behaviour Support Plans Module also applies.

What Transitional Arrangements Exist?

The NDIS Commission has developed transitional arrangements to support providers moving toward registration. The Commission’s published position is that providers will have enough time to prepare and that continuity of participant supports during the transition is a priority.

Transitional pathways enable providers who are not yet registered to begin the registration process while still providing SIL supports during the transition. After the transitional period, providers that remain unregistered must cease all SIL support delivery.

The Commission has announced it will offer support and resources to assist providers during the transition. Providers should regularly check the NDIS Commission website for updated guidance as the framework is finalised, since some details of the transitional arrangements will only be confirmed after the Provider Registration Rules are officially finalised.

What Providers Need to Do Now

For providers currently unregistered, the first step is to confirm whether the mandatory registration requirement applies to your service model. Check the draft updates on the NDIS Commission website and speak to a lawyer or regulatory consultant if you are unsure whether the rules apply to your business.

From there, the practical steps are:

Begin the documentation phase. SIL registration requires providers to meet the Core Module and the new SIL Practice Standards at minimum. Policies, procedures, incident management systems, and worker screening records all need to be in order before Stage 1 of the audit can proceed.
Engage an approved quality auditor early. The auditor queue and NDIS Commission processing timelines cannot be compressed, even when documentation is completed quickly. Starting late is the primary reason providers miss registration deadlines.
Ensure all staff complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. This is a free 90-minute course run by the Commission, and completion must be documented. Workers in SIL settings must also hold current NDIS Worker Screening clearances.

For providers already registered under existing registration groups, the new SIL Practice Standards still apply from 1 July 2026. Having existing registration does not mean a provider can skip being assessed against the new standards at their next audit.

The Broader Reform Context

The mandatory registration of SIL providers is part of a broader, step-by-step reform of how NDIS providers are registered and regulated. The 2023 NDIS Review proposed a tiered model based on the level of risk each support type carries, with four registration tiers. SIL is expected to sit within the highest tier, reflecting its classification as a high-risk support.

From July 2027, mandatory registration is expected to extend to providers delivering personal care, daily activities, and supports in closed settings such as group homes. The full rollout across all provider types is projected to be completed by December 2030.

Mandatory registration for support coordinators was also announced, but has been put on hold while the NDIS Commission reviews plans for a new NDIS navigator model.

The 1 July 2026 deadline for SIL is the first and most immediate step in this longer reform process.

A Note for Participants and Families

The intent of these changes is protective.

SIL participants often have significant disability-related support needs and live in shared settings where quality and safety are harder to observe from the outside.

Mandatory registration means every provider delivering SIL must meet independently verified quality standards, maintain documented systems for incident management and safeguarding, and employ workers who have passed NDIS Worker Screening checks.

These are the same requirements that registered providers like Hilda Care have operated under since registration was established.

If you have questions about how these changes affect your current supports, or you are considering moving to a registered provider before July 2026, speaking with your support coordinator or contacting a registered provider directly is the most effective first step.

Speak to Our Team

Hilda Care is a registered NDIS provider under Registration Number 4050126032, registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission since 2018. Our team delivers Supported Independent Living (SIL) and a range of disability support services across Melbourne, Victoria, and nationally.

Hilda Care Registered NDIS Provider

Phone: 1300 440 777

Email: info@hildacare.com.au

Address: Level 32, 367 Collins St, Melbourne VIC