From 1 July 2026, every provider delivering Supported Independent Living must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. No exemptions. No grandfather clauses. No minimum size threshold.
If you are currently delivering SIL supports as an unregistered provider, the transition has already begun — and the window to act is narrowing fast. The certification audit process alone takes six to twelve months from preparation to approval. Providers who have not yet started are already behind.
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What Is Changing and Why
In December 2025, NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister announced that mandatory registration for SIL providers and platform providers would commence from 1 July 2026. The decision followed recommendations from three major reviews: the NDIS Review, the Disability Royal Commission, and the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce.
Each review reached the same conclusion. SIL is a high-risk support category. Participants often live in shared arrangements, require 24/7 or near-constant support, and are among the most vulnerable people in the NDIS. The sector has historically operated with a mix of registered and unregistered providers, which created an uneven quality and safety landscape that the Commission could not adequately monitor.
Mandatory registration closes that gap. Going forward, every SIL provider must meet the same quality standards, undergo the same certification audits, and operate under the same reporting and accountability obligations as all other registered NDIS providers. The NDIS Commission gains direct oversight of the entire SIL market — and participants gain the protections that come with it.
Who Does This Apply To?
The requirement applies to every provider delivering NDIS-funded Supported Independent Living supports, regardless of size, operating model, or current registration status.
That means:
- Unregistered providers who have been delivering SIL to self-managed or plan-managed participants must now register.
- Registered providers who are not registered under Registration Group 0115 (Assistance with Daily Life) must add this group and complete the relevant audit requirements.
- Platform providers — those who coordinate or govern SIL arrangements rather than deliver supports directly — are captured by this reform and must register separately.
There is no minimum threshold. A provider supporting a single participant in a single home is subject to the same requirement as a large multi-site organisation. Providers who do not commence registration during the transition period will not be permitted to continue delivering SIL supports.
Key Dates and the Transition Timeline
Understanding the timeline is critical, because the dates carry different obligations.
| Date | What Happens |
|---|---|
| December 2025 | Mandatory registration announced by the Minister |
| February 2026 | Policy development and market readiness activities commence |
| 1 July 2026 | Transition to mandatory registration begins |
| TBC | End date for transition period — not yet confirmed by the Commission |
The most important distinction: providers do not need to hold a Certificate of Registration on 1 July 2026. They need to have commenced the process and be actively progressing through it. The Commission has indicated that transition arrangements will allow a period for providers to complete registration after the commencement date — but those arrangements have not yet been finalised, and the end date has not been confirmed.
Given that certification audits for SIL providers take six to twelve months from preparation to final approval, waiting for the end date to be published before starting is not a viable approach. Auditor availability is already tightening as the deadline approaches. Providers who book early have a meaningful advantage over those who wait.
What Registration Requires for SIL Providers
SIL falls within the Certification audit pathway — the most comprehensive registration route under the NDIS. This is not the lighter Verification pathway. It covers 22 or more practice standards, requires mandatory site visits, and involves interviews with management, staff, and participants alongside document and file reviews.
The four core requirements that come with registration are:
1. NDIS Practice Standards compliance
SIL providers must demonstrate compliance with the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards, which applies to all registered providers, plus any applicable supplementary modules. For most SIL providers, this includes the High Intensity Daily Personal Activities module. New SIL-specific Practice Standards are being developed alongside this reform. The Commission has indicated these will shift the focus from service delivery processes to measurable participant outcomes — covering human rights, privacy, appropriate worker training, and participant safety. Providers should not wait for the new standards to be finalised before reviewing their current systems. The existing standards are still in force and will be assessed.
2. Independent certification audit
An Approved Quality Auditor (AQA) will assess your organisation against the Practice Standards through a two-stage process. Stage one involves a document review — your policies, procedures, registers, and records. Stage two is the on-site audit, including interviews with staff and participants. The auditor is not just checking that documents exist. They are testing whether the people in your organisation understand and apply the policies in day-to-day practice.
3. Suitability assessment
The NDIS Commission will assess the suitability of the provider organisation and its key personnel to deliver NDIS supports. This covers governance, financial viability, and the absence of any disqualifying history among key personnel.
4. NDIS Worker Screening checks
All workers who deliver, or are likely to deliver, NDIS supports to participants must hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check. This is a non-negotiable requirement. Workers cannot continue in role once their check lapses, and the Commission has signalled that worker screening is one of the most scrutinised areas during certification audits.
What SIL Providers Need to Do Now
The steps below are manageable. The challenge is not complexity — it is time. Start now.
Step 1: Map your current position against the NDIS Practice Standards
Before you can address gaps, you need to know where they are. Review your existing policies, procedures, incident management systems, worker screening registers, and governance frameworks against the Core Module of the NDIS Practice Standards. Be honest about what exists in writing versus what is actually embedded in daily practice. Auditors test both.
Step 2: Audit your workforce screening register
Check every worker’s NDIS Worker Screening Check status today. Identify any expired or lapsing checks and set up renewal reminders at least 90 days before expiry. A worker operating without a current check during the audit period creates immediate compliance risk.
Step 3: Strengthen your incident management system
The NDIS Commission expects a clear, functional system that captures, investigates, and reports incidents according to strict timeframes. Serious incidents must be notified within 24 hours and fully documented within five business days. If your current system is informal or inconsistently applied, this needs to be addressed before you engage an auditor.
Step 4: Begin the NDIS Commission registration application
You can start your application through the NDIS Commission’s online portal. The application will require you to nominate your registration groups, confirm your key personnel, and provide initial information about your organisation. Submitting the application is the formal step that commences the process.
Step 5: Engage an approved quality auditor early
Auditor availability is finite and demand is rising. Book your audit now, even if you are still preparing your documentation. An early booking gives you a confirmed timeline to work toward and reduces the risk of delays caused by limited auditor capacity.
Step 6: Engage a consultant if internal capacity is limited
Many providers find that the documentation, systems, and processes are largely in place — but scattered, inconsistently applied, or not audit-ready in format. An experienced NDIS registration consultant can conduct a gap analysis, help you prioritise what needs attention, and prepare you for both stages of the certification audit. For providers without a dedicated compliance function, this investment typically shortens preparation time significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be fully registered by 1 July 2026?
No. Providers do not need to hold a Certificate of Registration on 1 July 2026. That date marks the commencement of the transition period — providers must begin the registration process by then and continue progressing through it. The end date for the transition period has not yet been confirmed by the NDIS Commission. However, given that the full certification process takes six to twelve months, starting as early as possible is strongly advised.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
Once the transition period ends, any provider that has not completed registration will not be permitted to deliver NDIS-funded SIL supports. This means participants must be transitioned to registered providers. The NDIS Commission has not indicated any intention to delay the 1 July 2026 commencement date, and providers should plan on that basis.
As an unregistered SIL provider, do I need to go through a certification audit?
Yes. SIL is classified as a high-risk support category, which means it requires the full Certification audit pathway — not the lighter Verification pathway. This involves a two-stage audit covering more than 22 practice standards, mandatory site visits, and interviews with management, staff, and participants. It is the most thorough audit process under the NDIS framework.
What will the new SIL-specific Practice Standards cover?
The NDIS Commission is developing new Practice Standards specifically for SIL providers as part of this reform. The Commission has indicated these will focus on participant-centred outcomes, human rights, privacy, appropriate worker training and assessment, and participant safety. These new standards will shift the audit focus from whether processes exist to whether they produce demonstrable outcomes for participants.
How long does the registration process take?
Under normal circumstances, the full process from starting preparation to holding a Certificate of Registration takes six to twelve months. This includes preparation time, the two-stage audit, and the Commission’s processing of your application. As the 1 July 2026 deadline approaches, auditor availability is expected to tighten significantly, which could extend these timeframes. Providers who engage auditors early are likely to secure shorter waiting periods.
Start the Process Before the Window Closes
Mandatory SIL registration is not a threat to good providers — it is a baseline that quality operators already meet in practice. The challenge is translating what you do well every day into a documented, auditable system that satisfies the Commission’s requirements.
VCCG works with SIL providers at every stage of this process: from the initial gap analysis and policy preparation through to audit readiness and Commission application support. We understand the SIL operating environment, the practical demands of shared living supports, and what auditors expect to see.
If you have not yet started, the best time to act is now.