Supported Independent Living

What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?

Supported Independent Living is an NDIS-funded support that helps people with disability live as independently as possible in their own home. SIL is the day-to-day help — personal care, cooking, medication, household tasks, getting out into the community — delivered in a shared home setting by trained support workers.

SIL is the daily help. It is not the rent, the rates, or the house itself — those costs are paid by you or by Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding if you're eligible. The two often work together but they're funded and managed separately.

Who is SIL for?

SIL funding is typically included in NDIS plans for participants who:

• Have a disability that significantly affects their ability to live alone safely
• Need help with daily living tasks every day, often multiple times a day
• Benefit from 24/7 support or have overnight support needs
• Are ready to share a home with other participants or alone — depending on funding SIL can be shared support or 1:1 support

It's commonly funded for participants with intellectual disability, autism, acquired brain injury, complex behavioural needs, physical disability requiring daily assistance, or a combination. Eligibility is decided by the NDIA based on what's "reasonable and necessary" for your goals.

What does SIL cover?

Day-to-day support delivered in a shared home, typically including:

• Personal care — showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, continence support
• Medication management — prompting administration, side effects monitoring
• Meal preparation — planning, shopping, cooking, Mealtime Management Plan implementation
• Household tasks — cleaning, laundry, tidying, basic maintenance
• Skill building — learning to do more for yourself over time
• Community access — transport to appointments, social activities, work or study
• Overnight support — active or sleepover staff depending on your needs
• Behaviour support — implementing a positive behaviour support plan if you have one

SIL vs SDA — what's the difference?

This is the most common point of confusion. The short version:

• SIL pays for the support — the staff in the home.
• SDA pays for the house — purpose-built or modified accommodation for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.

Many SIL participants do not have SDA funding — they live in a standard rental, share house, or family home. Some SIL participants do have SDA funding and live in a purpose-built SDA dwelling. SIL and SDA are funded separately, assessed separately, and a participant can have one, both, or neither.

How SIL funding works under the NDIS

SIL funding usually sits under Core Supports → Assistance with Daily Life in a participant’s NDIS plan. It funds support workers to help with daily tasks in the home, such as personal care, meals, routines, household tasks and building independence. SIL is not the house itself; it is funding for the support workers who help the participant live as independently as possible.

The level of SIL funding is based on the participant’s assessed support needs, the roster of care, and whether supports are delivered individually or shared with housemates — for example, 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3 support arrangements.

SIL funding belongs to the participant’s plan, not the provider. If a participant changes provider or moves to another home, the funding does not simply disappear, but the support arrangement may need to be updated with the NDIA, including service bookings, provider details, service agreements and roster information.

Prospect Hill can support NDIA-managed, plan-managed and self-managed participants, depending on the participant’s plan arrangements. We work with the participant, nominee, support coordinator, plan manager or the NDIA portal as required.

How to get SIL added to your plan

1. Talk to your LAC or planner or LAC — they help build the case for the funding
2. Gather evidence — reports from your GP, OT, allied health, behaviour support practitioner, and any current providers describing your daily support needs
3. Request SIL at your plan review — or request an early plan review if your needs have changed significantly
4. Be specific about goals — the NDIA funds supports tied to plan goals, so frame SIL as the support you need to live independently, build skills, and participate in your community
5. Choose a provider — once SIL is funded, you choose who delivers it. We're happy to talk you through what we offer with no pressure either way.

How quickly can SIL start after my plan is approved?

From the day your SIL funding is approved and you've chosen a home, transition timeframes vary by situation. That covers the service agreement, NDIS portal setup, support plan handover, key meetings with your existing supports, and the practical move itself. We can move faster when there's an urgent need — talk to our team if timing is critical.

Why choose Prospect Hill for SIL

We are a registered NDIS provider with active operations across the Hunter region of NSW, Townsville Northern Queensland and now Ipswich/Logan in South East Queensland. Our work is anchored in long-term relationships with participants, families, Coordinators and other stakeholders.

What sets us apart is operating discipline: we run real 24/7 on-site support (not on-call), our homes are quality-maintained, and we work in partnership with your existing supports rather than around them.