How the NGO Training Centre is helping providers meet Module 5A, and why our suite of courses matters more than ever.
From 1 July 2026, the disability sector entered a new era. Mandatory registration for Supported Independent Living (SIL) and NDIS digital platform providers has now commenced, and with it comes a formal set of expectations about how supports are delivered and, just as importantly, how staff are trained to deliver them.
At the NGO Training Centre, we have been watching this reform closely. We know that behind every rule change is a workforce trying to keep up, and a group of participants who deserve confident, capable and well-trained support workers. That is exactly what our courses are built to deliver.
What has actually changed?
The headline is mandatory registration. Unregistered providers already delivering SIL now have a three-month transition period to submit their registration application, and the NDIS Commission has published transition pathways to help providers understand the road ahead.
The definition of SIL has also broadened well beyond the old registration group 115, “assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement.” Under the new rules, a provider delivers SIL where a participant requires constant, or immediately available, person-to-person support at all times during a day, or for a substantial portion of a day, and where that support is provided as a managed package to help the participant live as autonomously as possible at home and access the community.
A quick note for the detail-lovers: “substantial portion of a day” has not been defined in the rules. The Commission’s website indicates that where a participant chooses and manages their own support workers, including directing, planning and rostering, this is not considered SIL. Yet there is no reference to self-directed supports within the rules themselves. This may be clarified through future rules defining who is classified as an NDIS provider. So many rules, and we are here to help you make sense of them.
Meet Module 5A: the four SIL Practice Standards
The new SIL Practice Standards have now been formally adopted as Module 5A. There are four standards, and each one shapes what good practice looks like on the ground:
- Supported Decision-Making — decisions are made by participants, not for them, including decisions relating to their home and daily life.
- Safeguarding — participants are safe from violence, abuse, neglect and harm, while also being supported to have choice and dignity of risk.
- Practice Governance — good governance and practice leadership by the provider upholds participants’ rights and protects their safety.
- Agreements about Tenancy, Housing and Support Arrangements — agreements are clear, accessible and transparent, with separate agreements for housing and support.
If you have been preparing against the draft standards, the good news is that the final version mostly aligns. There are minor tweaks to the quality indicators. The Supported Decision-Making standard now specifies that participants should be involved in decisions relating to their home and daily life, and there is more detail in the tenancy, housing and support arrangements standard for providers delivering both housing and support to the same participant.
Coming soon: our new Supported Decision-Making course
Here is the part I am genuinely excited about. The NGO Training Centre is about to release a brand-new Supported Decision-Making course, purpose-built for the Module 5A world.
Supported Decision-Making sits at the very heart of the new standards. It is the difference between doing things for people and doing things with them, and it underpins every other standard in the module. Our new course gives frontline workers, coordinators and leaders the practical skills to put participant choice and control into everyday practice, not just policy.
With this course added to our library, the NGO Training Centre catalogue will soon cover every training requirement across all four SIL Practice Standards, for every staff member.
Your complete SIL training pathway
Courses in the SIL Module pathway:
- Supported Decision-Making (Coming soon!)
- Duty of Care, Informed Choice and Dignity of Risk
- Person-Centred Active Support
- Communication
- Emergency and Disaster Management
- Positive Behaviour Support (Parts 1, 2 and 3) — including De-escalation, Restrictive Practices, and Positive Behaviour Support and Plans
- Abuse and Neglect
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Cultural Awareness
How the courses map to each standard:
| Training Course | Supported Decision-Making | Safeguarding | Practice Governance | Agreements |
| Supported Decision-Making (new) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Duty of Care, Informed Choice and Dignity of Risk | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Person-Centred Active Support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Communication | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Emergency and Disaster Management | ✓ | |||
| Positive Behaviour Support (Parts 1, 2 and 3) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Abuse and Neglect | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Trauma-Informed Care | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Cultural Awareness | ✓ | ✓ |
A tick indicates the course provides evidence for that SIL practice area.
The bottom line
Registration is no longer optional, and neither is a well-trained workforce. Whether you are a provider preparing your first registration application or an established organisation tightening your evidence base, the NGO Training Centre has a clear, mapped pathway to get your team ready for Module 5A.
Our Supported Decision-Making course is launching soon. If you would like to be the first to know when it goes live, or you want help mapping your team’s training against the new standards, reach out. We would love to help.
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Author: Amanda Robinson (She/Her) BA, MMHealthPrac.
Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung Country
Amanda, Head of Learning and Development and an experienced specialist in NDIS and Aged Care, promotes capability and sustainability within the disability and health sectors. With over 15 years of experience, a Master’s in Mental Health Leadership and Management, and an MBA underway, she offers extensive expertise and personal insight as someone with lived experience of disability. A military veteran and dedicated carer of a veteran, Amanda advocates for Human Rights, striving to reduce stigma and eliminate barriers for those with disability and mental health challenges. She is enthusiastic about fostering strong stakeholder relationships through her advocacy, communication, strategic thinking, and analytical abilities.
