Mandatory NDIS Registration for SIL and Support Coordination

Significant reforms are on the way for NDIS Providers. In September 2024, the government announced a move towards mandatory registration for all providers, with the goal of increasing visibility over the sector and enhancing quality and safety. As of now, only about 6% (16,000 out of 260,000) of NDIS providers are registered. Supported Independent Living (SIL) Providers and Support Coordination (SC) Providers have been identified as the first to face this mandatory registration.

These two service areas have been prioritised due to specific challenges and a clear need for increased oversight. SIL involves support for daily life and home tasks, such as cooking or showering. Given that SIL services often involve workers being in a person's home for many hours each day, there's a recognised higher risk of participants being treated poorly. Multiple reviews have highlighted a need for stronger regulatory oversight to ensure SIL supports uphold participants' rights and choices, and are delivered by skilled workers. Mandatory registration is seen as the first step to raise quality and safety standards for participants reliant on these supports.

Similarly, Support Coordination (SC) assists NDIS participants in understanding and effectively using their NDIS plans. However, reviews have revealed issues where some support coordinators prioritise their own interests over the participant's needs, fail to listen, misunderstand NDIS rules, or do not intervene to keep participants safe. Strengthening accountability through mandatory registration is key to improving quality and safety of these services. Currently, while some SIL and Support Coordination services are registered, many are not; the upcoming changes will require all services in these categories to register with the NDIS Commission and undergo an audit against the NDIS Practice Standards.

The mandatory registration for SIL and Support Coordination Providers is scheduled to commence no earlier than 1 July 2025. The Commission has undertaken consultation with the sector to evaluate the implementation of these changes, which began in November last year and wrapped up in July 2025. Recently, the Commission has released a number of discussion papers summarising the feedback from these consultations. While many participants, families, and providers acknowledged that mandatory registration could improve the overall quality and safety of the NDIS,  some key concerns were also raised. Unregistered providers, in particular, expressed worries about the financial burden of registration, including audit costs, increased administrative work, and compliance expenses. There was a strong call for registration requirements to be nuanced and flexible, taking into account factors like provider size, location, service offerings, existing accreditation, and the delivery of specialised services. Concerns were also raised about the potential for higher audit costs in rural and remote areas. A significant factor for participants was the potential loss of access to trusted providers who might struggle to meet new requirements. Both participants and providers emphasised the urgent need for clear, consistent, and accessible information about how the changes will work, when they will happen, and their overall impact. Regarding transition timeframes, while some found the proposed timeline of 3 months to register and a further 12 months to pass a quality audit achievable, others believed 12 months might be insufficient for providers needing to "overhaul their business practices, policies, and procedures".

The NDIS Commission is now reviewing all the feedback received to finalise its implementation strategies and give providers dates on when changes are due. For Supported Independent Living and Support Coordination providers, a proactive approach to registration is highly recommended. Many unregistered providers are currently digesting this information and trying to understand the registration process, but getting ahead could help avoid potential pressure when numerous providers seek registration simultaneously.

At LMS TRG, we’ve helped over two thousand providers become NDIS registered, ranging from sole traders, small companies right through to large enterprises. If you’re wondering how the process will look for you, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation call today and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.