The NDIS audit checklist for SIL providers
SIL registration means a certification audit: two stages, an on-site visit, and interviews with you, your workers and your participants. This guide walks through what each stage checks, the documents auditors expect against each standard, and the non-conformities that trip providers up most often — with a printable checklist at the end.
Stage 1 vs Stage 2: what each stage actually checks
| Stage 1 — document review | Stage 2 — on-site visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Off-site (desktop) | Your dwellings and office |
| What's examined | Policies, procedures, participant plans, agreements, registers, workforce records — do the documents exist, are they current, do they cover the standards? | Practice: observation, records sampling, and interviews. Do people do what the documents say? |
| Typical failure | Missing or generic documents; no participant-level plans; empty registers | Workers who can't describe the incident process; records that contradict the policy; expired screening |
| Your prep | Complete, tailored document set before you book | Registers in daily use; audit-ready shift notes; brief your team |
The auditor reports Stage 1 gaps before Stage 2, so weak documents don't just risk findings — they add weeks of rework between stages, exactly when the deadline maths is tightest.
Documents by standard
SIL is assessed against the NDIS Practice Standards Core Module plus the SIL Practice Standards (final, in force 1 July 2026 — F2026L00802). The document set, by layer:
| Layer | Documents the auditor samples |
|---|---|
| Core Module | Incident, complaints, risk, privacy & dignity, code of conduct, safe environment, HR, continuity of supports, emergency & disaster, infection control, medication management policies — plus the registers that show they're used |
| SIL Practice Standards | Supported decision-making, safeguarding and practice governance policies; worker training & competency framework; separate SIL service and tenancy/occupancy agreements (with Easy Read versions) |
| Per participant | Individual support plan, risk assessment, PEEP, compatibility assessment (shared dwellings), communication profile, consent, medication/mealtime plans where relevant |
| Operational | Roster of Care reconciled to plan funding; incident, complaints, risk, training, restrictive-practices registers; expiry tracker for screening/insurance/first aid |
The full list with buy/build options is in every policy and procedure a SIL provider needs.
The non-conformities auditors find most
- Incident register gaps. Incidents in shift notes that never reached the register, no evidence of follow-up, or reportable incidents notified late — the 24-hour rule is the most-checked timeline in the audit.
- Expired worker screening. An NDIS Worker Screening Check that lapsed months ago, with no expiry tracking. Instant, avoidable finding.
- Missing PEEPs. Every SIL participant needs a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan that matches the actual dwelling — auditors physically check exits against the plan.
- Generic policies. Documents naming the wrong state, a different org structure, or processes you don't follow. Interviews expose this in minutes.
- Combined tenancy-and-support agreements. Under the final standards, housing and support must be separate, non-contingent agreements.
- Stale participant plans. Support plans and risk assessments with no review since circumstances changed — and shift notes that don't connect to plan goals.
- Unauthorised restrictive practices. Practices in use without behaviour-support authorisation, or no monthly reporting (including nil reports).
The printable checklist
Below is the readiness checklist we maintain against the current rules — the same list behind our printable checklist page (print-friendly, with tick-boxes) and the SILReady dashboard.
Business & workforce basics
- ABN active and registered for my SIL service
- Key personnel identified (directors / managers responsible for quality & safety)
- NDIS Worker Screening Checks current for all risk-assessed roles
- Insurance certificates saved (public liability + professional indemnity)
- NDIS Worker Orientation Module completed by workers
- First aid / CPR current for relevant workers
Core & SIL documents
- SIL document pack downloaded
- Every policy read and edited to match how my service actually runs
- SIL Practice Standard documents in place (supported decision-making, safeguarding, practice governance)
- SIL service agreements in place — tenancy kept separate from support
- Per-participant support plans, risk assessments and PEEPs completed
- Compatibility assessments done for shared dwellings
- Roster of Care drafted and reconciled to each participant's plan funding
Registers & reporting
- Registers set up and in use (incidents, complaints, risks, training)
- Restrictive practices register and monthly reporting set up (if applicable)
- Reportable-incident process understood (24 hours / 5 business days)
Application & audit
- NDIS Commission portal access set up (myID + RAM)
- Self-assessment against the Core + SIL Practice Standards completed
- Quotes requested from approved quality auditors (certification)
- Certification audit booked — before the 1 October 2026 deadline
Want to tick things off and print it? Use the interactive version.
Get your personalised version of this checklist
The free quiz turns this generic checklist into your list — matched to your services, your state and your team, with every document named.
Take the free quizWritten by the Clarova regulatory team · Reviewed 2 July 2026 · Sources: NDIS Commission, legislation.gov.au (F2026L00802)
SILReady is built by Clarova, an Australian company. This page is general information, not legal or registration advice — the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is the authoritative source for registration requirements.