Moving Into SIL: A Step-by-Step Checklist

The short version

• Start with clear goals in your NDIS plan, as SIL support connects back to them.
• Describe impact and risk for the whole household, not just the participant.
• Know the legal benchmark: under Section 34(1)(e) of the NDIS Act, the NDIA says it looks at family capacity, carer age and long-term risk to informal supports when deciding what is reasonable and necessary.
• Find a vacancy that suits your needs, then meet the potential housemates before deciding.
• A trial stay is one of the best ways to know if a home is the right fit.
• Give yourself time to settle in. The first few weeks are an adjustment for everyone.

Moving into Supported Independent Living is a big step, and often an exciting one. It might be the first time someone lives away from the family home, or a fresh start in a place with the right support. Like any move, it goes more smoothly when you take it one step at a time. Here’s a practical checklist to guide you through.

Step 1: Get your goals into your plan

Everything starts with your NDIS plan. SIL support has to connect directly back to your goals, so it helps to have statements that point clearly toward independent living. Goals like “I want to live in my own home with support” or “I want to build the skills to manage daily tasks” give your plan the structural direction it needs.

Write about impact and risk, not just tasks

It helps to describe what daily life actually looks like without the right support. What can’t the person safely do on their own? What goes wrong when support isn’t there? And what effect does that have on the people around them?

That last part gets missed a lot. Plans are often written as though the participant is the only person affected, when in reality parents, guardians and siblings are carrying a great deal of the load, and their long-term capacity is part of the picture. Being specific about impact and risk across the whole household, not just the participant, gives a much fuller view of what support is actually needed.

What the NDIA and review decisions say about informal support

Section 34(1)(e) of the NDIS Act asks what it is “reasonable to expect families, carers, informal networks and the community to provide.” The NDIA’s own Reasonable and necessary supports guideline explains how it applies that test: it says it considers “the health, safety and other impacts on family and carers in the long term,” “how old your carers are and their capacity to provide the support,” and “any long-term risks to the wellbeing of your informal supports.” Carers Australia’s review of AAT decisions points to three lessons worth keeping in mind.

1. Informal support has limits. The NDIA guideline weighs carer age, capacity and long-term wellbeing, and Carers Australia found the tribunal has accepted supports that let families and carers “sustainably maintain their caring role.” If ageing parents, carer burnout or physical strain mean informal care is no longer sustainable or safe, say so explicitly.
2. Household-wide risk matters. In the decisions Carers Australia reviewed, risk to the carers themselves was treated as relevant rather than incidental. In one case the tribunal found an arrangement “poses a risk to their wellbeing” for the participant’s parents. Where severe behaviours, high physical support needs or constant supervision place siblings or parents at risk, that belongs in the evidence.
3. Evidence over assumptions. These reviews note that outcomes turn on documented evidence rather than assertion. A statement that “family can no longer cope” is rarely enough on its own. Reports from allied health professionals, such as occupational therapists, should connect household risk and sustainability directly to the level of support being sought.

This is general information, not legal advice. Every review decision turns on its own facts.

How support needs are assessed is changing

The NDIA uses a needs assessment tool called I-CAN (the Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, version 6). It is introduced as part of the New Planning Framework under the NDIS Act, developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies.

The key shift is what it looks at. I-CAN focuses on a person’s overall disability support needs rather than just their functional impairments. It is strengths-based, meaning the assessment is built around statements describing what a person can do and with what support, which are then scored on frequency and type. When preparing, think in terms of the support someone needs to live their life, not just a list of things they can’t do.

It maps support needs across twelve domains:

• Mobility
• Domestic life
• Self care
• Community, social and civic life
• Communication
• Learning and applying knowledge
• General tasks and demands
• Life long learning
• Interpersonal interactions and relationships
• Behaviours of concern
• Mental and emotional health
• Physical health

Several of those, domestic life, self care, mobility and community life, go straight to the heart of a SIL request.

Your family is part of the assessment

An I-CAN assessment is an interview facilitated with the person and their circle of support, so what parents, guardians and siblings say is part of the official evidence rather than an afterthought. It is used with participants aged 16 and over and conducted by trained, accredited assessors (including occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, social workers, registered nurses and behaviour support practitioners).

Come prepared to speak to the reality of the situation. Between you, be ready to describe what a typical day and a difficult day actually look like, how often support is needed, what kind is required, and what happens when that support isn’t there.

If SIL isn’t yet part of your plan, this is the moment to raise it at a planning meeting. Our guide on how SIL funding works explains what the NDIS looks for.

Step 2: Find a vacancy that fits

Next, look for a home with a vacancy that suits your needs, budget and preferred area. Consider location, accessibility, how many people you’d be living with and the level of support on offer. Don’t rush this. The right home makes a world of difference. Our guide on finding SIL vacancies shows you where to look and what to ask.

Step 3: Meet the housemates

In a shared SIL home, the people you live with matter as much as the house itself. Arrange to meet potential housemates before committing. It’s a chance to see whether personalities click, whether daily routines line up, and whether it feels like somewhere you could relax and be yourself.

Think of it as any share house: a good match makes home a happy place, and a poor one can wear thin quickly. It’s completely reasonable to visit more than once.

Step 4: Try before you commit

A trial stay is one of the smartest moves you can make. Spending a night or a weekend in the home lets you experience the support, the routines and the housemates for real, rather than guessing from a single visit. It also gives the support team a chance to get to know you and fine-tune how they’ll assist.

If something doesn’t feel right during a trial, that’s useful to know now, not after you’ve moved everything in.

Step 5: Sort the paperwork

Once you’ve found the right home, there’s some admin to work through. This is the set of agreements that finalise your budget, accommodation and support with the provider. Take your time to read everything, and ask questions about anything that isn’t clear. A good provider will happily explain it.

Step 6: Settle in

The final step is simply giving yourself time. The first few weeks in a new home are an adjustment for everyone, including your housemates and support workers. Routines take a little while to click, and that’s completely normal. Keep talking to your support team about what’s working and what could be better, and things will steadily fall into place.

Ready to make the move? Explore our Supported Independent Living services to see how we support people to settle in well, or get in touch for a friendly chat.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to move in permanently straight away?

No. A trial stay lets you experience the home and support before making a longer commitment, which is a great way to check the fit.

What if I don’t get along with my housemates?

Meeting housemates and doing a trial stay first helps avoid this. If a match isn’t working out after you move in, talk to your provider about your options.

How long does the whole process take?

It varies depending on your plan, vacancies and paperwork. Starting early, having clear goals in your plan, and gathering thorough functional capacity evidence helps keep things moving.