VCCG · Compliance Tool

SIL Mandatory Registration
Health Checklist

A comprehensive self-assessment across all seven compliance domains — from registration readiness to Module 5A audit evidence. Know exactly where you stand before your auditor does.

57 checklist items 7 compliance domains Mandatory from 1 July 2026 Instant readiness score
Your progress
0 / 57

Before you start — your details

We’ll save your result and can walk you through your highest-risk gaps. No obligation.

Act Now
1 July 2026

Application must be commenced

You must have lodged your registration application to continue delivering SIL from this date.

Hard Stop
1 October 2026

Apply or cease SIL delivery

Providers without a lodged application must stop immediately. Criminal penalties apply.

How to use this checklist

Work through each of the seven sections below. Tick each item your organisation can currently demonstrate with evidence — not just intention. Partially complete or in-progress items should remain unticked. When you’re done, press “Show my result” at the bottom to reveal your score.

1
Open each section and read the items carefully
2
Tick only items you can evidence right now
3
Note the priority level — Critical items are audited first
4
Review your score and identify your highest-risk gaps
Critical — auditor will assess directly
High — likely to be sampled
Standard — must meet, lower immediate risk
01
Registration
Registration Eligibility & Application
Is your application on track and your organisation eligible?
0 / 8
▶
SIL requires the certification pathway — a two-stage audit process (Stage 1 documentation review + Stage 2 on-site assessment). The registration group is 0115 Supported Independent Living (and 0138 from 1 July 2026). Applications are submitted through the NDIS Commission's Applications Portal.
Application Status
A registration application has been submitted (or is actively being prepared) through the NDIS Commission Applications Portal
Applications require organisational details, key personnel information, proposed registration groups, and relevant history declarations.
Critical
Registration Group 0115 (Supported Independent Living) and 0138 (Assistance with SIL) have been selected in the application
Critical
All Key Personnel (including the Responsible Person) have been identified and their suitability assessments are complete or underway
Key Personnel must pass a suitability assessment conducted by the NDIS Commission.
Critical
An Approved Quality Auditor (AQA) has been contacted, quoted, and an audit date has been secured or is being arranged
Auditor capacity is filling fast. Contact multiple AQAs immediately if this is not yet done.
Critical
Organisational Readiness
The organisation has a current ABN, is a legal entity, and has no disqualifying NDIS Commission history
Standard
A suitable Nominated Supervisor or Quality Lead has been appointed with defined compliance responsibilities
High
Mandatory reporting obligations under the NDIS Act are understood by management (reportable incidents, serious incidents, key personnel changes)
High
The organisation has a clear internal owner for the registration and audit preparation process with allocated time and resources
Standard
02
Workforce
Worker Screening & Workforce Compliance
Every worker delivering SIL must meet mandatory screening requirements.
0 / 8
▶
Every worker delivering SIL supports must hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check. These expire after five years. The NDIS Worker Orientation Module is mandatory for all workers. Auditors sample your workforce screening register and will confirm currency of checks.
NDIS Worker Screening
All workers delivering SIL supports hold a current, valid NDIS Worker Screening Check (not expired)
Checks expire after 5 years. Conduct a full register audit against current expiry dates.
Critical
A workforce screening register is maintained, up to date, and accessible — including expiry dates for every worker
Critical
Renewal reminders are in place for all workers with checks expiring within the next 90 days
Workers cannot continue in role after their check lapses — even a single day's gap is a compliance breach.
High
The hiring process requires NDIS Worker Screening Check as a non-negotiable step before any worker commences
High
Worker Training
Every worker has completed the NDIS Worker Orientation Module ("Quality, Safety and You") and completion is documented
Free online course run by the NDIS Commission. Auditors check completion records.
Critical
Workers have completed training in mandatory reporting obligations — what constitutes a reportable incident, the 24-hour and 5-day notification timelines
Critical
A training schedule and competency framework exists for all SIL staff roles, and training records are maintained per individual worker
High
Workers can demonstrate their understanding of safeguarding, incident reporting, and participant rights when asked verbally (not just by referencing a policy)
Auditors interview workers directly. Training records alone are not sufficient evidence.
Critical
03
Core Module
Core Module — Policies & Documentation
Foundational policies required of all registered NDIS providers.
0 / 10
▶
The Core Module applies to all registered NDIS providers. It covers four domains: Rights and Responsibilities, Provider Governance and Operational Management, Provision of Supports, and the Provision of Supports Environment. Every item below must be evidenced with a current, implemented policy or procedure — not just a draft or intention.
Rights & Responsibilities
A current Participant Rights policy exists and is actively communicated to participants and families
Critical
A Complaints Management policy and procedure exists, with a clear escalation pathway, and is accessible to participants in plain language
Auditors will ask participants whether they know how to make a complaint.
Critical
A Privacy and Confidentiality policy exists covering participant information handling, data storage, and consent
High
Provider Governance
A Risk Management framework or policy exists, with risks identified and mitigation strategies documented
High
A Continuous Improvement policy exists with documented review cycles — and there is evidence of improvements made in response to incidents, complaints or audits
High
A Conflicts of Interest policy is documented and all relevant personnel have acknowledged it
Standard
Provision of Supports
Individual Support Plans (or equivalent) exist for all current participants and are current, signed, and reviewed at minimum annually
Critical
An Incident Management system is operational — incidents are captured, investigated, reported to the Commission within required timeframes, and result in documented corrective action
Within 24 hours for serious incidents. Within 5 days for other reportable incidents.
Critical
A Duty of Care policy exists with documented obligations and examples relevant to SIL contexts
High
Provision of Supports Environment
All supported living properties have current safety checks — fire safety, electrical, WHS assessments — documented and on file
High
04
Module 5A · Standard 1
Supported Decision-Making
Participants make decisions about their home, routines and relationships — not staff.
0 / 7
▶
The principle is that decisions about a participant's home, routines and relationships are made by them, not for them. Workers provide the time, accessible information and consistent support needed. The standard requires documented practice, not just a policy statement — auditors will speak to participants directly and ask how decisions get made.
A Supported Decision-Making policy exists — covering the organisation's approach and worker obligations
Critical
Workers have been trained on the Supported Decision-Making policy, and training records exist
Workers must be able to explain what supported decision-making means in practice — not just that a policy exists.
Critical
Accessible information formats are available and matched to individual participant communication needs (Easy Read, visual supports, audio, interpreter access)
High
Support plans and progress notes document that participant views were sought on whether and how they want support — not just that support was provided
Auditors will read progress notes looking for evidence of genuine participant direction, not just staff-recorded activities.
Critical
Dignity of risk decisions are documented — where a participant chooses an option that carries risk, this is recorded and the decision respected rather than overridden
High
Participants can describe (in their own words) how they make decisions about their daily life and how workers support that process
This is tested directly in participant interviews. Rehearsal or coaching by staff is a red flag for auditors.
Critical
A process exists for reviewing and updating each participant's communication and decision-support needs over time
Standard
05
Module 5A · Standard 2
Safeguarding
Embedded, observable safeguarding practice — not just a policy document.
0 / 7
▶
Participants are kept safe from violence, abuse, neglect and harm while still being supported to make choices. The standard leans hard on early identification, de-escalation, trauma-informed practice and positive behaviour support. For shared living specifically, auditors look at how the organisation manages conflict and bullying between co-tenants.
A Safeguarding policy exists covering the organisation's approach to preventing and responding to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
Critical
Workers have completed training in de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed practice, and positive behaviour support — with records on file
Critical
Workers can verbally explain the organisation's safeguarding approach, what constitutes abuse or neglect, and what to do if they observe or suspect it
Auditors ask workers directly. "I'd refer to the policy" is not an acceptable answer.
Critical
House-level incident management records exist and are actively used — incidents are documented within required timeframes and reviewed for patterns
Critical
Safeguarding approaches are reviewed with participants — each participant knows what safeguarding is, who to report to, and that they can speak to the auditor privately
High
A specific procedure exists for managing conflict, bullying or aggression between co-tenants in shared living environments
This is explicitly assessed under Module 5A for shared living contexts.
High
Participants are aware of and have access to external advocacy and complaint services (e.g. NDIS Commission, independent advocacy) independent of the provider
High
06
Module 5A · Standard 3
Practice Governance
Head-office systems must be visibly consistent at every service location.
0 / 8
▶
A competent, trained workforce must deliver consistent, evidence-based practice in the home — across workers and across shifts. For multi-site operators, this is the highest-risk standard: what looks compliant at head office can look very different at the service level. Auditors visit sites and interview staff.
Workforce Systems
A workforce training and competency framework exists — defining what training and skills are required for each role delivering SIL supports
Critical
Regular supervision is provided to all SIL staff, and supervision records exist (including dates, key discussion points, and follow-up actions)
High
Consistent shift handover processes are documented and used across all SIL homes — not just the primary location
For multi-site operators, handover process consistency is a primary Practice Governance risk area.
High
Home-Level Governance
A documented vision, values and service-delivery approach exists for each SIL home — and workers at each home know and can describe it
High
Individualised emergency plans exist for each SIL home — covering fire, medical, and emergency evacuation — and have been rehearsed with both staff and participants
Auditors look for evidence that plans are rehearsed, not just filed.
Critical
A documented process exists for consulting with existing tenants before placing a new co-tenant in a shared home
Module 5A explicitly requires consultation and matching records before co-tenant placement decisions.
Critical
Co-tenant consultation records exist for all current shared arrangements — documenting that existing residents were consulted before any new placement
Critical
A quality review process exists for each home — governance oversight that goes beyond incident reporting to assess quality of daily practice
Standard
07
Module 5A · Standard 4
Tenancy, Housing & Service Agreements
The most common documentation gap — most existing agreements don't meet the new standard.
0 / 9
▶
This standard catches providers who are both landlord and support provider. The service agreement and the tenancy agreement must be legally separate and not contingent on each other. Conflicts of interest must be managed. The participant's tenancy rights — keys, private space, visitors — must be protected so the home is a place of security, not leverage. This is the single most common gap identified in SIL pre-audit reviews.
Agreement Separation
Every SIL participant has a separate, signed Service Agreement AND a separate, signed Tenancy Agreement — these are two distinct legal documents
This is the most commonly failed requirement in pre-audit reviews. Combined or hybrid agreements do not meet the standard.
Critical
The Service Agreement and Tenancy Agreement do not contain clauses that make one contingent on the other (e.g. "tenancy ends if SIL supports end")
This is a significant safeguard: participants must not be at risk of homelessness if they change SIL provider.
Critical
All SIL service agreements have been reviewed against the new Module 5A requirements and updated where needed
Critical
Tenancy Rights
Participants have their own keys (or equivalent access) to their home and cannot be denied access
High
Participants have rights to private space and to receive visitors — these rights are documented and workers understand the boundaries of their role in the participant's home
High
Participants understand (and can explain in their own words) that their tenancy and their SIL supports are separate — they can change support provider without losing their home
Auditors ask this directly in participant interviews.
Critical
Conflict of Interest Management
A Conflict of Interest policy has been developed that specifically addresses the dual role of being both landlord and SIL provider
Critical
The Conflict of Interest policy is accessible to participants in a format they can understand
High
Service agreements cover co-tenant conflict resolution, management of vacancies, and participant rights regarding visitors — in terms participants can understand
High

Gaps identified? We work through them with you.

VCCG has supported 1,000+ NDIS providers through registration, internal audits, and audit preparation since 2017. We don't hand you a checklist and leave — we work alongside you, document by document, through every compliance domain your auditor will assess.

Take the Full Health Check → Book a Free Consultation

VCCG SIL Mandatory Registration Health Checklist · June 2026 · For general compliance guidance only — not legal advice

vccg.com.au · 1300 028 224