Supported Independent Living
Supported Independent Living (SIL) in Melbourne
Helping Haven is a registered NDIS SIL provider in Melbourne. We support people to live as independently as possible — in shared or individual homes — with the same trusted support workers, real choice of housemates, and rosters built around your life, not ours.
Send us a message
Refer a participant
Quick answerSupported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding that pays for support staff to help a participant live as independently as possible in a shared or individual home. Helping Haven is a registered NDIS SIL provider in Melbourne — we operate homes across Melbourne’s south-east, west and north corridors, with consistent staff, real choice of housemates, and rosters from wake-night through to 24/7 1:1 high-intensity support. Send us a message and we’ll come back to you within one business day.
Supported Independent Living
Supported Independent Living (SIL) in Melbourne
Helping Haven is a registered NDIS SIL provider in Melbourne. We support people to live as independently as possible — in shared or individual homes — with the same trusted support workers, real choice of housemates, and rosters built around your life, not ours.
Send us a message
Refer a participant
Quick answerSupported Independent Living (SIL) is NDIS funding that pays for support staff to help a participant live as independently as possible in a shared or individual home. Helping Haven is a registered NDIS SIL provider in Melbourne — we operate homes across Melbourne’s south-east, west and north corridors, with consistent staff, real choice of housemates, and rosters from wake-night through to 24/7 1:1 high-intensity support. Send us a message and we’ll come back to you within one business day.
What is Supported Independent Living?
Supported Independent Living, or SIL, is one of the NDIS Home and Living supports. It pays for the people who help you live in your home — the rostered support workers who help with daily tasks, personal care, medication, and the bits of life that need a hand.
SIL doesn’t pay for the building. The building itself is funded separately — either through Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for participants whose plan includes it, or paid privately as rent like any other tenancy.
SIL is built around a roster of care — the pattern of staff support across the week. That roster might be a few hours of active support each day with a sleepover overnight, or it might be 24/7 wake-staff with one-to-one ratios. The roster is designed around your needs, costed by us, and approved by the NDIA as part of your plan.
Helping Haven runs SIL homes across Melbourne. Some are shared two- to four-person houses; some are single-person homes for participants whose support intensity makes shared living the wrong fit. Every home is set up around the participants who live there, not the other way around.
SIL vs SDA — the difference
This trips a lot of families up, so it’s worth being clear:
- SIL pays for the staff who support you. Their training. Their shifts. Their on-call.
- SDAL pays for the building — purpose-built or modified housing for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
- Many participants receive both. Some receive only SIL (and rent privately). Some receive only SDA (and self-organise their support). Helping Haven supports all three patterns.
If you’re not sure which you’re eligible for, your support coordinator or LAC can help — and we can walk through it with you before you make any decisions.
What's included in our SIL service
- Personal care — showering, dressing, grooming, continence support, medication prompting and administration where staff are appropriately trained
- Meal prep, cooking and household tasks — shared or individual
- Community access shifts paired with SIL where the plan allows
- Overnight support — sleepover, wake-night, or active 24/7 1:1
- Behaviour support liaison and the day-to-day implementation of behaviour support plans (where developed by an external practitioner)
- Co-ordination with treating teams — GP, allied health, behaviour support, plan manager, support coordinator
- Compatible housemate matching and meet-and-greets before any move-in
- Transition support if you're moving from another SIL provider, the family home, or a hospital admission
Who SIL is for
- Participants whose NDIS plan includes (or is being applied for) Home and Living — Supported Independent Living funding
- Adults and young adults moving toward independence from the family home
- Participants with high or complex support needs that can't be safely met by a few hours of in-home support
- Participants currently in another SIL home looking for a better cultural, language or compatibility match
- Participants leaving hospital, group home, or other accommodation and needing a stable, supported transition
- Families wanting peace of mind that their loved one is safe, supported and treated with respect — every shift, by people who know them
Roster of care
The shift patterns we run
Every SIL home runs on a roster of care. We design rosters around the participants who live there — never the other way round. The most common patterns:
Active day support + sleepover overnight
Staff are awake and active during the day, then on-site overnight available to respond if needed. Typical for participants who sleep through and need only occasional overnight prompts
Active day + wake-night staff
Staff awake and on duty all through the night. Typical for participants with overnight medical needs, mobility transfers, or behaviours that need active supervision at night.
24/7 active 1:1 support
One worker per participant, awake and active around the clock. Typical for high-intensity supports and participants whose needs require continuous one-to-one attention.
Shared 2-on-3 or 2-on-4 daytime ratios
Two staff supporting three or four participants in a shared home during active hours. Common in well-matched shared homes — keeps costs proportionate while maintaining safety.
What is Supported Independent Living?
Supported Independent Living, or SIL, is one of the NDIS Home and Living supports. It pays for the people who help you live in your home — the rostered support workers who help with daily tasks, personal care, medication, and the bits of life that need a hand.
SIL doesn’t pay for the building. The building itself is funded separately — either through Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for participants whose plan includes it, or paid privately as rent like any other tenancy.
SIL is built around a roster of care — the pattern of staff support across the week. That roster might be a few hours of active support each day with a sleepover overnight, or it might be 24/7 wake-staff with one-to-one ratios. The roster is designed around your needs, costed by us, and approved by the NDIA as part of your plan.
Helping Haven runs SIL homes across Melbourne. Some are shared two- to four-person houses; some are single-person homes for participants whose support intensity makes shared living the wrong fit. Every home is set up around the participants who live there, not the other way around.
SIL vs SDA — the difference
This trips a lot of families up, so it’s worth being clear:
- SIL pays for the staff who support you. Their training. Their shifts. Their on-call.
- SDAL pays for the building — purpose-built or modified housing for participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
- Many participants receive both. Some receive only SIL (and rent privately). Some receive only SDA (and self-organise their support). Helping Haven supports all three patterns.
If you’re not sure which you’re eligible for, your support coordinator or LAC can help — and we can walk through it with you before you make any decisions.
What's included in our SIL service
- Personal care — showering, dressing, grooming, continence support, medication prompting and administration where staff are appropriately trained
- Meal prep, cooking and household tasks — shared or individual
- Community access shifts paired with SIL where the plan allows
- Overnight support — sleepover, wake-night, or active 24/7 1:1
- Behaviour support liaison and the day-to-day implementation of behaviour support plans (where developed by an external practitioner)
- Co-ordination with treating teams — GP, allied health, behaviour support, plan manager, support coordinator
- Compatible housemate matching and meet-and-greets before any move-in
- Transition support if you're moving from another SIL provider, the family home, or a hospital admission
Who SIL is for
- Participants whose NDIS plan includes (or is being applied for) Home and Living — Supported Independent Living funding
- Adults and young adults moving toward independence from the family home
- Participants with high or complex support needs that can't be safely met by a few hours of in-home support
- Participants currently in another SIL home looking for a better cultural, language or compatibility match
- Participants leaving hospital, group home, or other accommodation and needing a stable, supported transition
- Families wanting peace of mind that their loved one is safe, supported and treated with respect — every shift, by people who know them
Roster of care
The shift patterns we run
Every SIL home runs on a roster of care. We design rosters around the participants who live there — never the other way round. The most common patterns:
Active day support + sleepover overnight
Staff are awake and active during the day, then on-site overnight available to respond if needed. Typical for participants who sleep through and need only occasional overnight prompts.
Active day + wake-night staff
Staff awake and on duty all through the night. Typical for participants with overnight medical needs, mobility transfers, or behaviours that need active supervision at night.
24/7 active 1:1 support
One worker per participant, awake and active around the clock. Typical for high-intensity supports and participants whose needs require continuous one-to-one attention.
Shared 2-on-3 or 2-on-4 daytime ratios
Two staff supporting three or four participants in a shared home during active hours. Common in well-matched shared homes — keeps costs proportionate while maintaining safety.
Our Melbourne SIL homes
Where we run SIL across Melbourne
Helping Haven operates SIL homes across Melbourne’s south-east, outer south-east, west and north corridors — the suburbs where NDIS demand has grown fastest and where families have asked us to be. We’re always opening new homes; if your suburb isn’t listed, send us a message — we may have a vacancy nearby or be opening one soon.
Our Melbourne SIL homes
Where we run SIL across Melbourne
Helping Haven operates SIL homes across Melbourne’s south-east, outer south-east, west and north corridors — the suburbs where NDIS demand has grown fastest and where families have asked us to be. We’re always opening new homes; if your suburb isn’t listed, send us a message — we may have a vacancy nearby or be opening one soon.
How to add SIL to your NDIS plan
Adding SIL to a plan is a structured process. The NDIA needs to be satisfied that ongoing daily support is reasonable and necessary — and the evidence has to back that up. Here’s how it usually unfolds:
- Functional capacity assessment. Usually completed by an Occupational Therapist. This documents your daily-living abilities and the supports you currently rely on.
- Home and Living Supports Request form. Submitted to the NDIA. Describes the type of housing and support you’re seeking, why it’s needed, and the alternatives considered.
- Supporting evidence. Reports from your treating team — GP, allied health, behaviour support — describing your support needs and risks.
- Roster of care quote. Once a SIL provider is matched, they prepare a quote for the proposed roster of care and submit it to the NDIA for approval.
- Plan reassessment or variation. SIL is added to your plan, the funding is allocated, and supports begin.
Helping Haven helps you and your support coordinator through every step — including writing the roster quote and providing supporting documentation.
How SIL is funded
SIL sits under the Home and Living budget in your NDIS plan. It’s a quoted, stated support — meaning the funding is allocated for SIL specifically and can’t be moved to other categories.
The exact cost depends entirely on your roster of care. As a rough benchmark from publicly-available NDIS data:
- Low-intensity shared SIL — from around $80,000 per year
- Medium-intensity shared SIL — typically $150,000 to $300,000 per year
- 24/7 1:1 active high-intensity — often $400,000+ per year, sometimes higher
These are guides, not quotes. The actual funding allocated depends on your assessed needs, the roster you and your provider agree on, and current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. We’ll prepare a clear quote for you and your support coordinator before anything is submitted.
SIL pricing follows the published NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, updated annually.
How to add SIL to your NDIS plan
Adding SIL to a plan is a structured process. The NDIA needs to be satisfied that ongoing daily support is reasonable and necessary — and the evidence has to back that up. Here’s how it usually unfolds:
- Functional capacity assessment. Usually completed by an Occupational Therapist. This documents your daily-living abilities and the supports you currently rely on.
- Home and Living Supports Request form. Submitted to the NDIA. Describes the type of housing and support you’re seeking, why it’s needed, and the alternatives considered.
- Supporting evidence. Reports from your treating team — GP, allied health, behaviour support — describing your support needs and risks.
- Roster of care quote. Once a SIL provider is matched, they prepare a quote for the proposed roster of care and submit it to the NDIA for approval.
- Plan reassessment or variation. SIL is added to your plan, the funding is allocated, and supports begin.
Helping Haven helps you and your support coordinator through every step — including writing the roster quote and providing supporting documentation.
How SIL is funded
SIL sits under the Home and Living budget in your NDIS plan. It’s a quoted, stated support — meaning the funding is allocated for SIL specifically and can’t be moved to other categories.
The exact cost depends entirely on your roster of care. As a rough benchmark from publicly-available NDIS data:
- Low-intensity shared SIL — from around $80,000 per year
- Medium-intensity shared SIL — typically $150,000 to $300,000 per year
- 24/7 1:1 active high-intensity — often $400,000+ per year, sometimes higher
These are guides, not quotes. The actual funding allocated depends on your assessed needs, the roster you and your provider agree on, and current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. We’ll prepare a clear quote for you and your support coordinator before anything is submitted.
SIL pricing follows the published NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, updated annually.
My son has had four different support workers in two years. With Helping Haven, he's had the same two for nine months. The change in his confidence is the difference between coping and thriving.
Quality & safeguards
Audited, accountable, and built around the participant
Registered & audited
Helping Haven holds NDIS registration including the Supported Independent Living module. We’re audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and bound by the NDIS Code of Conduct.
Worker quality
Every SIL worker holds an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance, Working with Children Check, current First Aid and CPR. Workers in homes with high-intensity supports complete additional training in manual handling, complex care and trauma-informed practice.
Behaviour support & restrictive practices
Where a Behaviour Support Plan exists, we implement it carefully and report any restrictive practices through the NDIS Commission’s reportable-incidents framework.
Continuity of staff
The single biggest predictor of a good SIL outcome is staff continuity. We resource our rosters to keep one or two consistent workers across the week — not a rotating cast of strangers.
Quality & safeguards
Audited, accountable, and built around the participant
Registered & audited
Helping Haven holds NDIS registration including the Supported Independent Living module. We're audited against the NDIS Practice Standards and bound by the NDIS Code of Conduct.
Worker quality
Every SIL worker holds an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance, Working with Children Check, current First Aid and CPR. Workers in homes with high-intensity supports complete additional training in manual handling, complex care and trauma-informed practice.
Behaviour support & restrictive practices
Where a Behaviour Support Plan exists, we implement it carefully and report any restrictive practices through the NDIS Commission's reportable-incidents framework.
Continuity of staff
The single biggest predictor of a good SIL outcome is staff continuity. We resource our rosters to keep one or two consistent workers across the week — not a rotating cast of strangers.
Common questions about SIL
Frequently asked questions
SIL is NDIS funding that pays for the support staff who help you live as independently as possible in a shared or individual home. It pays for the people — not the building. SIL is built around a roster of care: who works, when, for how long. The roster is approved by the NDIA as part of your plan.
SIL pays for the staff. SDA pays for the building (Specialist Disability Accommodation — purpose-built or modified housing). Many participants receive both, some only one. Helping Haven supports all three patterns: SIL + SDA, SIL + private rental, or SDA + self-organised support.
SIL costs depend on your roster of care. Low-intensity shared SIL typically starts around $80,000 per year, medium-intensity sits around $150,000-$300,000 per year, and 24/7 active 1:1 high-intensity rosters can exceed $400,000 per year. We prepare a clear, itemised quote for you and your support coordinator before anything is submitted to the NDIA.
No. SIL can be delivered in a shared home (most common, often more cost-effective), in a smaller two-person home, or in a single-person home where your support intensity makes shared living unsuitable. Helping Haven supports all three.
Yes. We match support workers by gender, language, culture, faith and interests — and you can request a different worker at any time. For shared homes, we look for compatible housemates and arrange meet-and-greets before any move-in. Choice and consent come first.
A roster of care is the pattern of support shifts in your home — day, evening, sleepover, wake-night or 24/7 1:1. We design it with you and your treating team based on your needs, then cost it and submit it to the NDIA for approval. The roster can be updated when your needs change.
Yes. Our SIL workers complete additional training for high-intensity daily personal activities — including PEG, stoma care, complex bowel care, manual handling, seizure management and tracheostomy care where required. We work alongside your medical and allied health teams.
You'll need an OT functional capacity assessment, a Home and Living Supports Request form to the NDIA, and supporting evidence from your treating team. A SIL provider then prepares a roster-of-care quote which the NDIA approves as part of your plan. Helping Haven helps you and your support coordinator through every step.
You can change SIL providers at any time. We coordinate with you and your existing provider for a smooth handover — usually 4 to 8 weeks with overlap to maintain continuity. Your NDIS funding moves with you. There's no penalty for switching.
We review the roster of care with you and your treating team and adjust where needed. Significant changes are submitted to the NDIA for re-approval at your next plan reassessment, or sooner via a plan variation request. We don't expect your needs to stay static — and your support shouldn't either.
Yes. Helping Haven is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including the Supported Independent Living module. Reg. No. 4-GCLHOQD. You can verify our registration on the NDIS Commission's Find a Registered Provider tool.
Common questions about SIL
Frequently asked questions
SIL is NDIS funding that pays for the support staff who help you live as independently as possible in a shared or individual home. It pays for the people — not the building. SIL is built around a roster of care: who works, when, for how long. The roster is approved by the NDIA as part of your plan.
SIL pays for the staff. SDA pays for the building (Specialist Disability Accommodation — purpose-built or modified housing). Many participants receive both, some only one. Helping Haven supports all three patterns: SIL + SDA, SIL + private rental, or SDA + self-organised support.
SIL costs depend on your roster of care. Low-intensity shared SIL typically starts around $80,000 per year, medium-intensity sits around $150,000-$300,000 per year, and 24/7 active 1:1 high-intensity rosters can exceed $400,000 per year. We prepare a clear, itemised quote for you and your support coordinator before anything is submitted to the NDIA.
No. SIL can be delivered in a shared home (most common, often more cost-effective), in a smaller two-person home, or in a single-person home where your support intensity makes shared living unsuitable. Helping Haven supports all three.
Yes. We match support workers by gender, language, culture, faith and interests — and you can request a different worker at any time. For shared homes, we look for compatible housemates and arrange meet-and-greets before any move-in. Choice and consent come first.
A roster of care is the pattern of support shifts in your home — day, evening, sleepover, wake-night or 24/7 1:1. We design it with you and your treating team based on your needs, then cost it and submit it to the NDIA for approval. The roster can be updated when your needs change.
Yes. Our SIL workers complete additional training for high-intensity daily personal activities — including PEG, stoma care, complex bowel care, manual handling, seizure management and tracheostomy care where required. We work alongside your medical and allied health teams.
You'll need an OT functional capacity assessment, a Home and Living Supports Request form to the NDIA, and supporting evidence from your treating team. A SIL provider then prepares a roster-of-care quote which the NDIA approves as part of your plan. Helping Haven helps you and your support coordinator through every step.
You can change SIL providers at any time. We coordinate with you and your existing provider for a smooth handover — usually 4 to 8 weeks with overlap to maintain continuity. Your NDIS funding moves with you. There's no penalty for switching.
We review the roster of care with you and your treating team and adjust where needed. Significant changes are submitted to the NDIA for re-approval at your next plan reassessment, or sooner via a plan variation request. We don't expect your needs to stay static — and your support shouldn't either.
Yes. Helping Haven is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including the Supported Independent Living module. Reg. No. 4-GCLHOQD. You can verify our registration on the NDIS Commission's Find a Registered Provider tool.
Related supports
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Plain-language NDIS resources from people who deliver supports every day. New articles every fortnight.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
Assistance with Daily Living
Personal Care
Related supports
You may also be interested in
Plain-language NDIS resources from people who deliver supports every day. New articles every fortnight.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
Assistance with Daily Living