Supported Independent Living (SIL)
A Home Should Feel Safe, Steady and Your Own
Supported Independent Living, often called SIL, is about more than having support workers in a house. It is about helping a person live with greater independence, routine, safety, dignity and choice in their everyday home life.
Dantae Support Services is a registered NDIS provider approved to deliver 0138 – Assistance with supported independent living. We support participants to build a home life that feels settled, respectful and practical, with support that is planned around the person, their goals, their routines and the way they want to live.
What Is Supported Independent Living?
Supported Independent Living is NDIS-funded support for people with higher support needs who require help from a support worker at home across the day and night. SIL may include shared or individual support, depending on the participant’s assessed needs and living arrangement. The NDIS explains that SIL workers help or supervise day-to-day tasks in the home so participants can be as independent as possible and build new skills.
SIL is not the house itself. It is the support provided in the home. This is an important difference because a participant may live in private rental, shared accommodation, family-arranged housing or Specialist Disability Accommodation, while receiving SIL supports separately.
At Dantae Support Services, SIL is approached as a person-centred support model. The goal is not to take over someone’s home life, but to support the participant to live as safely, confidently and independently as possible.
What Has Changed for SIL From 1 July 2026?
From 1 July 2026, supported independent living became a mandatory registration area for providers who deliver supports that meet the SIL definition. The NDIS Commission has introduced the registration group 0138 – Assistance with supported independent living, and registered SIL providers must meet the relevant registration, audit and Practice Standards requirements.
Dantae Support Services is registered for 0138 – Assistance with supported independent living, which means we are approved to provide SIL supports under the current registration structure.
The new SIL Practice Standards focus strongly on what good support should look like in a person’s home. They cover:
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supported decision-making
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safeguarding
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practice governance
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clear agreements about tenancy, housing and support arrangements
These standards are designed to support consistent service delivery, participant safety, accountability and good practice in the home.
For participants, families and support coordinators, this means SIL should not just be about filling rostered shifts. It should include clear systems, trained workers, participant voice, dignity of risk, safe shared living, respectful communication and evidence that support is being delivered properly.
Why Supported Independent Living Matters
Home is where routines are built, confidence grows and people should feel safe to be themselves.
Good SIL support can help a participant feel secure, respected and more in control of daily life. It can support everyday routines such as personal care, meals, medication routines, cleaning, laundry, household organisation, emotional regulation, appointments and community connection.
SIL also matters because home-based support can affect every part of a person’s wellbeing. When support is rushed, inconsistent or poorly matched, the participant may feel anxious, unheard or unsafe. When support is calm, predictable and respectful, the participant has a stronger foundation for independence, confidence and connection.
What Supported Independent Living Can Include
Supported Independent Living may look different for each participant, depending on their NDIS plan, goals, home environment, support needs and living arrangement.
SIL can include support with:
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morning and evening routines
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personal care, showering, dressing and grooming
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eating, cooking and meal preparation
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cleaning, laundry and household tasks
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medication routines and medical appointments
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building daily living skills
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behaviour support plan implementation
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social skills and community access connected to daily life
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personal safety, supervision and security
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household budgeting or bill-paying routines
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shared living routines and housemate communication
The NDIS provider guide describes SIL as support for people with higher support needs who need help at home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including help with day-to-day activities within the home.
Looking for Registered SIL Support That Feels Organised, Safe and Personal?
Choosing SIL support is a big decision for participants, families and support coordinators. Dantae Support Services can talk through the participant’s goals, routines, current supports, risks, preferences and home environment to help identify whether our SIL support approach may be suitable.
What People Often Misunderstand About Supported Independent Living
One of the biggest misunderstandings about SIL is that it is “just shared accommodation.” It is not. SIL is the support delivered in the home, not simply where the person lives.
Another common misunderstanding is that SIL means workers should do everything for the participant. Good SIL should not remove a person’s voice, independence or everyday decision-making. The aim is to support the person to participate in their own life, not become a passenger in it.
People also sometimes confuse SIL with SDA. SDA is specialist housing itself. SIL is support from workers within the home. Some participants may have both SDA and SIL in their plan, but they are different supports.
A strong SIL model should also make tenancy and support arrangements clear. The SIL Practice Standards now include a specific focus on ensuring participants understand the difference between tenancy or housing arrangements and SIL support, including their rights, choices and service arrangements.
How Supported Independent Living Should Feel
SIL should feel like support that fits into the person’s home, not the other way around.
It should feel calm, respectful, predictable and safe without becoming controlling. It should support routines without making life feel rigid. It should respect privacy, personal space, culture, communication preferences and the participant’s right to make choices.
For families and support coordinators, SIL should also feel accountable. There should be clear communication, trained workers, documented support needs, risk awareness, incident pathways, safeguarding practices and regular review of what is working and what needs to change.
The SIL Safeguarding Standard emphasises that participants should feel safe in their home, be supported to make choices, and know that workers will respond quickly to concerns using trauma-informed and person-centred approaches.
How Dantae Support Services Supports SIL
Dantae Support Services supports SIL with a focus on dignity, routine, safety, skill-building and genuine choice and control.
Person-centred routines
We take time to understand how the participant likes their day to work, including morning routines, meals, personal care, downtime, appointments, community access and evening routines.
Registered 0138 SIL support
Dantae Support Services is registered for 0138 – Assistance with supported independent living, supporting participants, families and stakeholders with confidence that SIL is being delivered under the current NDIS registration framework.
Supported decision-making
We support participants to be involved in decisions about their home, daily life and support. The SIL Supported Decision-Making Standard states that participants should be supported to make decisions about their home, routines, relationships and daily life based on their individual needs, skills and communication preferences.
Safe and respectful shared living
Where a participant lives with others, we consider housemate compatibility, personal space, shared expectations, conflict prevention, privacy and respectful communication.
Practice governance and worker consistency
The SIL Practice Governance Standard focuses on safe living environments, trained workers, evidence-based practice, participant rights, dignity and consistent support across workers and shifts. Dantae Support Services’ SIL approach should reflect these expectations through clear worker guidance, supervision, communication and review.
Clear communication with stakeholders
We work with participants, families, guardians, nominees, support coordinators and allied health professionals where appropriate, while respecting privacy, consent and the participant’s own voice.
Safeguarding and risk awareness
We focus on early identification of risk, safe escalation, incident reporting, worker consistency, emergency planning and support that balances safety with dignity of risk.
Real-Life Examples
A participant living in a shared home was finding mornings overwhelming. Support workers noticed that rushing through personal care, breakfast and transport planning was increasing stress for the participant and creating tension in the household.
Dantae Support Services worked with the participant to build a slower, more predictable morning routine. Visual prompts, consistent worker language and extra preparation the night before helped the participant feel more in control. Over time, mornings became calmer, and the participant began taking more ownership of small parts of their routine.
Building a Steady Morning Routine
Making Shared Living Feel Safer
A participant was nervous about moving into a shared living arrangement because they had previously felt unheard in a busy household. Their family wanted reassurance that the new home would not feel chaotic or unsafe.
Dantae Support Services focused on communication preferences, personal space, housemate routines and clear support expectations. The participant was encouraged to express what helped them feel safe, including quiet time, predictable mealtimes and knowing which worker was on shift. This helped the participant settle into the home with more confidence.
One family had been providing most of the personal care themselves and was becoming tired and overwhelmed. They wanted support, but they were nervous about bringing someone new into such a personal part of daily life.
Dantae Support Services took time to understand the family’s concerns and the participant’s preferences. With consistent communication and a respectful approach, support became part of the weekly routine. The participant received care with dignity, and the family had more space to focus on their relationship rather than only the care tasks.
Supporting Choice Without Removing Safety
Is Supported Independent Living Right for You?
Supported Independent Living may be suitable if the participant needs regular or significant support at home and wants to build independence in daily life.
SIL may not be the right fit if the person only needs a few hours of support each week or mainly needs occasional community access.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supported Independent Living
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What is Supported Independent Living?
Supported Independent Living is NDIS-funded support for people with higher support needs who require regular help at home. It can include support with personal care, meals, household tasks, routines, skill-building, supervision and safety.
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Is Dantae Support Services registered for SIL?
Yes. Dantae Support Services is a registered NDIS provider approved for 0138 – Assistance with supported independent living.
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Is SIL the same as accommodation?
No. SIL is the support delivered in the home. It is not rent, housing or the property itself. Some participants may also have SDA, but SDA and SIL are different supports.
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Does SIL mean workers do everything for the participant?
No. Good SIL should support independence, not remove it. Workers may help, supervise, prompt or teach daily living skills so the participant can be involved as much as possible.
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Can families, guardians and support coordinators be involved?
Yes, where the participant consents or where appropriate decision-making arrangements are in place. Dantae Support Services values clear communication with families, guardians, nominees, support coordinators and allied health professionals while respecting privacy and choice.