— SIL exploration
Supported Independent Living, explained.
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding for the support you need with everyday tasks in a shared or individual home — personal care, meals, medication prompting and overnight help. SIL pays for the support, not the house; Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is the separate funding for the building itself. We help participants and families work out which applies, compare real options and visit them properly.
SIL and SDA are not the same thing
SIL funds people; SDA funds bricks. Most participants who need daily support are funded for SIL in ordinary rental or shared housing. SDA is narrower — it funds purpose-built or modified housing, and only for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
Knowing which one is in question changes the whole conversation with providers, so it is worth getting straight before you look at a single house.
How SIL funding is worked out
SIL is assessed from a roster of care: what support you need, at what times, across a full week including overnight. Evidence from your treating team and, often, an occupational therapist sits behind it.
The request goes in at a plan review or as a plan variation if your circumstances change. This is detailed, evidence-heavy work, and it is exactly the kind of thing a coordinator should be doing with you rather than leaving to you.
Related: specialist support coordination for complex housing situations.
What to ask on a house visit
- Who lives here now, and would we actually get along?
- How many staff are on during the day, the evening, and overnight?
- How long have the current staff been here?
- How do meals, transport and outings really work?
- What happens if something goes wrong at 2am?
- How are disagreements between residents handled?
- How close is it to the people, work or activities that matter to me?
Visit more than once, at different times of day. We go with you and take notes so the comparison is real rather than a memory of who was friendliest.
How we help
We start with what you want your life to look like, not with whatever vacancy exists this month. Then we shortlist, visit, compare and negotiate — and if nothing is right, we say so and keep looking.
One of the providers we work alongside is Loyal Health Care, who offer personalised, inclusive support in safe, well-located homes. You are never obliged to use a provider we suggest.
See also: SIL exploration in our services · what coordination costs
SIL questions
What is Supported Independent Living (SIL)?
Supported Independent Living is NDIS funding for the help you need with everyday tasks while living in a shared or individual home — things like personal care, meals, medication prompting and overnight support. SIL pays for the support in the home, not for the house itself.
What is the difference between SIL and SDA?
SIL funds the support people; SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funds the building. A participant may be funded for one, both or neither. SDA is only funded where a participant has an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs that require specialist housing design.
How do I get SIL funding in my plan?
SIL is usually assessed from a roster of care and evidence from your treating team about the support you need across a day and night. A support coordinator or occupational therapist typically prepares that evidence with you, and the request is made at a plan review or through a variation.
Can a support coordinator help me find a SIL home?
Yes. We help you work out what you actually want from a home, shortlist vacancies with providers we trust, visit and compare them with you, and ask the questions people often only think of afterwards. You are never obliged to use a provider we suggest.
What should I look at on a SIL house visit?
Who else lives there and whether you would get along; how many support staff are on across a day and overnight; staff turnover; how meals, transport and outings actually work; what happens at night; how disagreements are handled; and how easy it is to get to the things that matter to you. Ask to visit more than once, and at different times of day.
Thinking about a move, or being pushed towards one?
Talk it through with a coordinator before you sign anything — free first conversation.