How to Prepare for SIL Assessment in Australia

A Supported Independent Living assessment is not about proving you are incapable. It is an opportunity to show what helps you live safely, build skills and have greater choice in your home. Knowing how to prepare for SIL assessment can make the process feel less overwhelming, especially when mental health symptoms change from day to day.

SIL is an NDIS support for people who need significant help with daily living in a shared home. It may include assistance with personal care, cooking, household tasks, medication routines, building daily living skills and responding when support is needed overnight. The focus should stay on disability-related support needs, not simply on finding a place to live.

Start with your everyday life, not the paperwork

The strongest preparation begins with an honest picture of a usual week. Consider what happens from the moment you wake up through to bedtime: getting up, showering, eating, managing appointments, keeping your space safe, shopping, cooking, taking medication, connecting with others and settling at night.

For people living with severe and persistent mental health challenges, the answer may not be the same every day. A person might manage meals and travel independently when well, then find it difficult to leave their room, eat regularly or respond to messages during a period of depression, anxiety, psychosis or heightened distress. This variation matters. Explain both your better days and the days when symptoms have the greatest impact.

Try to describe what occurs without the right support. For example, rather than saying, “I need help with meals”, explain whether you miss meals, rely on expensive takeaway food, leave the stove on, become overwhelmed in shops or cannot begin the task without reassurance and prompting. Specific examples help an assessor understand the practical risks and the kind of assistance that is useful.

It can help to keep brief notes for two to four weeks before the assessment. Record when support was needed, what prompted it, what happened when it was unavailable and what helped. This is not a test of perfect record-keeping. Even a simple diary can show patterns that are easy to forget in a single meeting.

How to prepare for SIL assessment with the right evidence

An assessment should be informed by evidence from people who know your support needs well. Depending on your circumstances, this might include reports or letters from an occupational therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, GP, social worker, support coordinator, recovery coach or current support workers.

Useful evidence connects a diagnosis or clinical history to everyday functioning. A diagnosis alone does not explain how much support someone needs at home. Reports are more helpful when they describe functional impacts, risks, support strategies that have been tried, and the results of those strategies.

Ask professionals to be clear about the frequency, timing and level of help required. There is a meaningful difference between occasional prompting, regular hands-on assistance and active support to manage safety concerns. If you need support at particular times, such as mornings, evenings, during medication routines or when anxiety escalates, make that clear.

Evidence can also include incident records, hospital discharge information, behaviour support plans where relevant, medication management information and details of informal support. These documents should be current where possible and shared only with your consent. You do not need to disclose every private detail of your life. The aim is to provide enough relevant information to explain why particular daily supports are needed.

Be clear about informal support

Family, friends and carers often provide a great deal of unseen support. They may make reminders, organise food, manage paperwork, respond to late-night calls or step in when routines break down. It is appropriate to acknowledge this support, but it is also important to explain whether it is sustainable.

An adult child living nearby, for instance, may care deeply but be balancing employment, children or their own health. Regular crisis support from family is not always safe or realistic as a long-term arrangement. Describe what informal supports can genuinely continue to provide and where paid, qualified support is needed instead.

Think about the home you need to live well

SIL generally relates to support in a shared living arrangement, while housing itself and everyday living costs are considered separately. The assessment may explore whether shared living is suitable, how many people you can comfortably live with, and what environment helps you feel safe and settled.

Consider practical preferences as well as support needs. Would a quieter household help you manage sensory overload or anxiety? Do you need staff who understand trauma-informed practice, psychosocial disability or medication support? Is a consistent routine important? Would living with one or two other people feel more manageable than a larger household?

These are not minor preferences. The right match can affect your wellbeing, confidence and ability to sustain a tenancy. At the same time, it is helpful to separate genuine needs from a wish for a particular property or location, as SIL funding is assessed according to support needs. A good provider can talk honestly about available options while keeping your goals at the centre.

Prepare for the conversation, your way

You do not have to attend an assessment alone. You may choose to have a family member, nominee, advocate, support coordinator, recovery coach or trusted worker with you. Their role is to support your voice, not speak over you. Before the meeting, agree on what you would like them to add if you become tired, distressed or find it hard to remember examples.

Write down the points you most want the assessor to understand. These might include what makes you feel unsafe, the routines that keep you well, goals you are working towards and supports that have previously made a positive difference. Bring your questions too. It is reasonable to ask what information is being considered, what happens next and when you can expect an outcome.

If appointments are difficult because of anxiety, concentration, fatigue or trauma, request adjustments where available. This could mean a break during the meeting, having information explained in plain language, providing some answers in writing or arranging support to attend. Asking for support is part of advocating for a fair process.

Show progress as well as support needs

Some people worry that talking about goals will make it seem as though they no longer need help. In reality, support and progress often go together. You can explain that with reliable assistance you have been able to cook more often, attend appointments, manage a cleaning routine, reconnect with community or reduce crisis presentations.

The key is to show the relationship between the support and the outcome. For example, you may be learning to plan meals independently but still need regular prompting, practical assistance and encouragement to complete the task consistently. Independence does not have to mean doing everything alone. It can mean having the right support to make decisions, practise skills and live on your own terms.

Be equally honest where a previous arrangement has not worked. A lack of consistent staff, a poor household match, limited overnight support or a plan that did not account for fluctuating mental health may all have contributed. This is useful information when it is described respectfully and linked to what would work better.

After the assessment

Keep copies of the documents provided and make a note of what was discussed. If further information is requested, try to provide it promptly, with help from your support network if needed. If the outcome does not reflect your needs, you can seek advice about the reasons for the decision and options for review.

Preparing for SIL assessment is ultimately about making sure your lived experience is heard with care and accuracy. The right support should protect dignity, strengthen daily routines and create room for recovery. You deserve a home life where you are listened to, treated with respect and supported by people who understand what helps you move forward.