When a participant is exploring Supported Independent Living (SIL), a good referral does more than tell a provider that someone needs somewhere to live.

It helps everyone understand the person behind the referral.

What support do they need? What does a typical day look like? Where do they want to live? What kind of household might suit them? Do they require overnight support? And, importantly, what matters to the participant?

For Support Coordinators referring participants to a SIL provider in Melbourne, providing the right information early can make it easier to assess potential compatibility and have a more useful conversation about available options.

Here is what makes a strong SIL referral and what information is worth gathering before approaching a provider.

What Is a SIL Referral?

A Supported Independent Living referral is generally the starting point for a conversation between a participant, their support network and a potential SIL provider.

SIL itself is NDIS funding for support workers to help or supervise eligible participants with day-to-day activities in their home.

Current NDIS guidance describes SIL as support or supervision available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with participants potentially sharing support workers or receiving individual support depending on their needs.

NDIS: What is Supported Independent Living?

A referral to a provider is not the same thing as an NDIS funding application or approval.

Its purpose is to help determine whether the provider, available home, support model and potential household could be suitable for the participant.

That distinction matters.

What Information Should Be Included in a SIL Referral?

There isn’t one perfect referral template for every participant.

However, the strongest referrals usually give the provider enough information to understand the participant across several important areas.

1. Basic Participant Information

Start with the essentials:

• participant’s age
• current living arrangement
• preferred location
• proposed move timeframe
• primary disability and relevant support needs
• communication preferences
• preferred contact person
• nominee or guardian details where relevant.

You don’t need to send every document you have at the first point of contact.

The aim is to provide enough relevant information for an initial conversation while respecting the participant’s privacy and consent.

2. The Participant’s Goals

A strong referral explains why the participant is exploring SIL.

Perhaps they want to move out of the family home.

Maybe they want to develop greater independence.

Their current living arrangement may no longer be sustainable.

Or their support needs may have changed.

The NDIA asks participants exploring home and living supports to consider their disability-related support needs, goals, informal and community supports, where they would like to live and who they would like to live with.

That information is useful to a SIL provider too.

Instead of writing:

Participant requires SIL.

Give the provider some context:

Participant would like to move closer to their community and develop greater independence with daily living tasks while continuing to receive regular disability-related support.

That immediately tells us more about what a suitable arrangement might look like.

3. Daily Support Needs

This is one of the most important parts of a Supported Independent Living referral.

What assistance does the participant actually need throughout the day?

Relevant information might include support with:

• personal care
• showering and dressing
• meal preparation
• medication routines
• household tasks
• mobility
• communication
• decision-making
• community access
• developing daily living skills
• supervision
• behavioural support
• overnight support.

Be specific where possible.

“Needs assistance with daily living” tells a provider very little.

“Requires prompting and assistance with morning personal care, meal preparation and evening routines” provides a much clearer starting point.

4. Overnight Support Requirements

Overnight needs can materially affect whether a particular SIL arrangement is suitable.

Does the participant generally sleep through the night?

Do they require a sleepover support arrangement?

Do they regularly require active assistance overnight?

Are there known health, behaviour or safety considerations overnight?

This information can influence staffing requirements, household compatibility and whether a particular property and support model could work.

It should therefore be discussed early rather than discovered after a potential home has already been identified.

5. Behaviour Support and Safety Considerations

This section needs care.

The purpose isn’t to label a participant as “challenging”.

It is to give the provider enough information to understand what support environment may help the person succeed.

Relevant information might include:

• known triggers
• communication needs
• behaviours of concern
• restrictive practices, where applicable
• Behaviour Support Plan arrangements
• environmental considerations
• supervision requirements
• risks to the participant or others
• strategies known to work well.

This information can also be critical when considering compatibility with existing residents.

A good provider should be asking:

What environment and support approach helps this person thrive?

Not simply:

Can we manage them?

6. Health and High Intensity Support Needs

Where relevant, identify health-related or high intensity support requirements early.

These might include:

• complex bowel care
• enteral feeding
• epilepsy or seizure management
• diabetes management
• dysphagia support
• pressure care
• catheter care
• complex medication support
• other health-related support needs.

The provider can then determine whether its workforce, training and service model can safely meet those requirements.

It is better to establish this before progressing to housemate introductions or property inspections.

7. Mobility and Accessibility Requirements

A beautiful SIL vacancy is irrelevant if the participant cannot safely use it.

The referral should identify requirements such as:

• wheelchair access
• mobility equipment
• transfer assistance
• hoists
• accessible bathrooms
• step-free access
• bedroom requirements
• vehicle access
• environmental modifications.

This helps eliminate unsuitable properties early and focuses the search on realistic options.

8. Preferred Location

“Melbourne” is usually too broad.

Where possible, tell the provider which areas would work and why.

For example:

Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Berwick or surrounding areas preferred to maintain proximity to family and existing community supports.

Location can affect access to:

• family and informal supports
• employment
• day programs
• healthcare
• public transport
• community activities
• friendships and relationships.

A SIL home should support the participant’s life, not disconnect them from it.

9. Housemate Preferences and Compatibility

This is one of the most overlooked parts of SIL referrals.

A participant isn’t simply moving into a bedroom.

They may be joining a household.

Useful information can include:

• preferred age range of housemates
• gender preferences where relevant
• social preferences
• interests and hobbies
• noise tolerance
• routines
• smoking considerations
• pets
• preferred household atmosphere
• whether they enjoy shared activities or prefer more personal space.

At DisabilityCo, we believe compatibility matters as much as vacancy.

A vacant room does not automatically mean a suitable SIL match.

10. Current Funding and NDIS Plan Information

Where the participant has consented to sharing relevant information, let the provider know the current position.

For example:

• SIL already funded
• home and living supports under consideration
• reassessment underway
• existing SIL arrangement
• proposed transition from another setting
• relevant plan dates.

Do not describe funding as approved unless it actually is.

That sounds obvious, but distinguishing between requested, recommended and funded prevents confusion later.

What Evidence Does the NDIA Consider for Home and Living Supports?

This is where Support Coordinators should distinguish between a provider referral and the evidence required for an NDIS decision.

The NDIA says evidence for home and living supports should explain:

• the participant’s daily support and housing needs
• how often and when support is required
• what the participant can and cannot do because of their disability
• how this affects everyday life and housing needs
• other home and living options explored
• why those alternatives do not meet the person’s disability-related support needs.

Evidence will often come from relevant treating health professionals, such as an occupational therapist.

NDIS: How to ask for home and living supports

A Support Coordinator can help make sure the different pieces of information tell a consistent story about the participant’s needs and goals.

What About the SIL Roster of Care?

The SIL Roster of Care is another important part of the process for new or revised SIL funding.

The NDIA states that the Roster of Care template and tool provide information about the participant seeking new or revised SIL funding.

Providers must consult with the participant or nominee when compiling it and provide enough detail to help the NDIA understand the participant’s reasonable and necessary support needs.

However, there is an important distinction:

The Roster of Care is only one piece of information considered by the NDIA.

It should not be treated as a guarantee of SIL funding.

The completed Roster of Care can also be provided to the participant’s Support Coordinator for submission with the participant’s home and living or reassessment request.

NDIS: SIL Roster of Care submissions

What Doesn’t Make a Strong SIL Referral?

More paperwork doesn’t necessarily mean a better referral.

Common problems include:

Too little information:
“Male participant looking for SIL in Melbourne” isn’t enough to assess suitability.

Too much irrelevant information:
Sending a large collection of reports without identifying the information relevant to the proposed living arrangement makes assessment harder, not easier.

Starting with the vacancy instead of the person:
A referral shouldn’t be about squeezing someone into whatever room happens to be available.

Unclear funding status:
Make it clear whether SIL is funded, requested or still being explored.

Missing overnight needs:
These can fundamentally affect the support model.

Ignoring compatibility:
The existing residents matter too.

Waiting until the situation becomes urgent:
Where possible, starting conversations early creates more opportunity to find a suitable arrangement.

A Practical SIL Referral Checklist for Support Coordinators

Before referring a participant to a SIL provider, consider whether you can provide:

• participant details and consent
• reason for exploring SIL
• NDIS goals
• current living arrangement
• preferred move timeframe
• daily support requirements
• overnight support needs
• health and high intensity requirements
• behaviour support information where relevant
• mobility and accessibility requirements
• preferred locations
• housemate and household preferences
• current SIL funding status
• relevant professional assessments
• key contacts involved in the transition.

You won’t necessarily have every answer.

That’s okay.

A strong referral doesn’t require a completed move plan. It gives the provider enough information to determine whether it is worth exploring the match further.

Choosing a SIL Provider in Melbourne

The referral process should work both ways.

Support Coordinators should also be able to ask the provider questions.

Consider asking:

Can you meet this participant’s specific support needs?

What staffing model operates in the home?

What overnight support is available?

Who currently lives there?

How do you assess housemate compatibility?

How are participants involved in decisions about their home and support?

How would you manage a transition into the property?

What happens if the household match isn’t working?

And in 2026, there is another important question:

Is the SIL provider registered?

All new providers delivering SIL have been required to be registered since 1 July 2026. Existing unregistered SIL providers must apply for registration by 1 October 2026 if they intend to continue providing SIL beyond that date.

The participant’s plan and funding do not change simply because of this registration requirement.

Referring a Participant to DisabilityCo

At DisabilityCo, we want SIL referrals to start with the participant rather than the vacancy.

When a Support Coordinator contacts us, the more we understand about the participant’s support needs, goals, preferred location, routines and living preferences, the better positioned we are to explore whether one of our Supported Independent Living homes in Melbourne may be appropriate.

If there appears to be a potential match, our team can work collaboratively with the participant, family, Support Coordinator and other relevant professionals through the next stages of the process.

And if a particular vacancy isn’t suitable, we believe it is better to establish that early than force a match that isn’t right.

Looking to refer a participant for Supported Independent Living?

Contact DisabilityCo to discuss the participant’s needs or enquire about our current SIL vacancies across Melbourne.

1300 897 848
services@disabilityco.com