8.30am - 8.55am 

Arrival and Registration  

9.00am - 9.15am

Welcome and Introductions 

9.15am - 10.00am  

The New NDIS Reform Agenda 2026: SIL Sustainability, Compliance and Operational Readiness

David Moody 

Management Governance Australia 

The Supported Independent Living sector is entering a period of significant change as NDIS reforms, funding pressures and strengthened regulatory oversight reshape provider responsibilities and participant outcomes.

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This session provides a strategic overview of the 2026 NDIS reform agenda and examines how emerging policy changes are influencing SIL funding, participant reassessments, housing and support separation, workforce requirements and provider sustainability.

It also explores the practical implications of the new SIL Practice Standards, including compliance expectations, audit readiness, governance obligations and quality assurance frameworks.

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Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the regulatory environment ahead and learn how to position their organisations for sustainability, compliance and growth while continuing to deliver high-quality participant-centred supports.

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Topics Covered
The 2026 NDIS reform agenda and current national policy priorities.

• Changes to participant planning, funding assessments and budget decisions.

• The future direction of Supported Independent Living funding and commissioning.

• The impact of housing and support separation on service delivery models.

• Understanding the new SIL Practice Standards and regulatory expectations.

• Preparing for audits, surveillance activities and compliance reviews.

• Governance, quality assurance and workforce capability requirements.

• Managing provider sustainability and business risk in a changing environment.

• Building systems that support continuous improvement and participant outcomes.

• Strategic planning for organisational resilience under ongoing reform.

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10.00am - 11.15am 
Strengthening Safeguards: Implications of the NDIS Integrity & Safeguarding Bill 

Catherine Myers

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

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Includes Panel Session and  Audience Q & A  

The NDIS Integrity & Safeguarding Bill represents one of the most significant regulatory reforms since the establishment of the NDIS. Designed to strengthen participant protections, improve provider accountability, enhance information-sharing powers, and address emerging risks across the disability sector, the reforms will have far-reaching implications for providers, support coordinators, SIL operators, SDA providers, allied health professionals, and participants.

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This session will unpack the practical impact of the reforms, providing attendees with a clear understanding of what is changing, what remains uncertain, and what providers should be doing now to prepare.

With increased regulatory oversight, strengthened compliance expectations, and a renewed focus on participant rights and quality outcomes, organisations must ensure their governance, workforce capability, reporting systems, and safeguarding practices are fit for purpose.

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Attendees will gain insights directly from the regulator and sector leaders on how the reforms are expected to influence provider operations, registration requirements, incident management, worker screening, compliance monitoring, and participant safety across housing and support environments.

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Key Discussion Areas

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• Overview of the NDIS Integrity & Safeguarding Bill and its intended outcomes

• New powers and responsibilities of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

• What the reforms mean for registered and unregistered providers

• Strengthening participant protections and reducing risk of harm

• Implications for SIL, SDA, support coordination and community-based supports

• Governance, compliance and board-level responsibilities

• Incident management, reportable incidents and complaints handling

• Information-sharing and intelligence-led regulation

• Workforce screening, suitability and accountability

• Preparing organisations for increased scrutiny and compliance expectations

• Balancing participant choice and control with stronger safeguards

11.15am - 11.30am 

Break 

11.30am - 12.00pm 

Defensible SIL Rostering: Justifying Support Hours in a High-Scrutiny NDIS

Mark Hunn 

NDIStress

In the evolving National Disability Insurance Scheme environment, SIL rostering has become a frontline compliance and funding issue -not just an operational function.

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Under reform direction, Providers are expected to clearly demonstrate how every rostered hour aligns with functional capacity, participant risk, and “reasonable and necessary” funding criteria.

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As scrutiny increases, inconsistencies between rostered supports and documented need can lead to plan reductions, funding disputes, audit findings, and heightened regulatory risk.

This session will explore how to design and maintain defensible rostering frameworks that align with assessed need while maintaining service quality and workforce sustainability.

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Attendees will gain practical strategies to:

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• Translate functional capacity assessments into justified support hours

• Evidence complex supports including overnight care and shared arrangements

• Strengthen documentation for audit readiness and funding continuity

• Balance participant outcomes, workforce constraints, and funding integrity

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In a more controlled and evidence-driven system, rostering is no longer just about coverage -it’s about defensibility, sustainability, and survival.

12.00pm - 12.30pm 

Funding uncertainty, Plan Reviews and SIL Sustainability: Managing risk during NDIS Reassessments and Appeals

David Moody 

Management Governance Australia 

As NDIS planning reforms, support needs assessments and funding reviews continue to reshape the disability sector, Supported Independent Living providers are increasingly required to navigate periods of funding uncertainty while continuing to deliver essential supports.

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Participants may experience funding reductions, delayed reassessments, internal reviews, Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) proceedings, or significant changes arising from evolving planning methodologies and evidence requirements.

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For SIL providers, these situations create complex operational, financial and ethical challenges, particularly where participants continue to require high-intensity support despite funding outcomes remaining unresolved.

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This session explores the growing impact of NDIS funding uncertainty on SIL service delivery, provider sustainability and participant outcomes. Delegates will examine emerging trends in plan reassessments, funding reductions, review processes and appeals, while considering practical strategies for managing occupancy, workforce commitments, service continuity and financial exposure during periods of funding instability.

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The session will also explore the critical role of Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs), allied health evidence and participant documentation in funding decisions, reassessments and appeals. Attendees will gain insight into the evidence gaps that commonly contribute to funding reductions, what constitutes persuasive evidence for SIL supports, and how providers can work collaboratively with occupational therapists, support coordinators, participants and families to strengthen review and appeal outcomes.

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In addition, delegates will examine the responsibilities of providers, support coordinators and participant representatives when funding decisions are disputed, and how organisations can strengthen governance frameworks to manage risk while maintaining participant-centred service delivery.

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Topics Covered

• Understanding NDIS reassessments, funding reviews and the evolving planning framework.

• The impact of funding reductions and delayed decisions on SIL participants and providers.

• Navigating internal reviews and Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) processes.

• The role of Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) and allied health evidence in SIL funding decisions.

• Common evidence gaps that contribute to funding reductions and unsuccessful review outcomes.

• What makes evidence persuasive when demonstrating ongoing SIL support requirements.

• Managing service continuity where participant funding is uncertain or under dispute.

• Financial risk management, occupancy pressures and cashflow considerations for SIL providers.

• Working collaboratively with participants, families, support coordinators and allied health professionals during review processes.

• Governance strategies to support organisational sustainability in an environment of increasing funding scrutiny.

• Preparing organisations and participants for future support needs assessments, reassessments and funding reviews.

• Strengthening documentation, reporting and evidence collection to support participant outcomes and funding sustainability.

12.30pm - 1.15pm 

Lunch 

1.15pm -2.00pm 

Restrictive Practices in SIL: How everyday support decisions shape Participant freedom

Mark Hunn 

NDIStress 

Restrictive practices in SIL environments rarely begin as formal decisions—they often emerge gradually through everyday routines, staffing pressures, and well-intentioned attempts to manage complexity.

Over time, these patterns can unintentionally reduce participant choice, independence and quality of life, even in well-run services.

This session focuses on the practical reality of support delivery and how frontline decisions—often made under pressure—shape how restrictive or enabling a service becomes.

It explores how staff behaviours, household routines, communication styles, and team habits can either support autonomy or unintentionally limit it.

Rather than focusing on rules or regulatory interpretation, this session is about recognising how “normal practice” develops, how restrictive patterns embed into daily routines, and what providers can do to shift culture and strengthen person-centred support in real time.

Topics Covered:
•    How restrictive practices emerge gradually through routine SIL operations 
•    The impact of workforce pressure, habits and shift-to-shift variation 
•    Identifying “quiet restriction” in everyday support delivery 
•    How team culture influences participant autonomy 
•    Practical ways to rebuild enabling routines without increasing risk or workload 
•    Strengthening consistency in support without relying on rigid systems 
•    Real examples of shifting from reactive support to proactive engagement

2.00pm - 2.45pm 

Workforce Governance & Capability Assurance for SIL Services in 2026

Supported Independent Living is entering a new regulatory phase in 2026, where workforce capability is no longer assessed solely through training compliance, but through demonstrable governance, ongoing suitability, and risk-informed practice in high-support environments.

This session explores how providers can strengthen workforce systems to meet increasing expectations under the NDIS reform agenda, particularly in SIL and shared living settings where participant complexity, behavioural risk, and health-related supports are increasing.

It examines how governance frameworks must now ensure that staff are not only appropriately trained, but consistently supervised, assessed for capability, and supported to escalate risks appropriately in real time.

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Key focus areas include:
•    How workforce governance is changing under strengthened NDIS compliance expectations 
•    Moving from training compliance to ongoing capability assurance 
•    Managing risk in SIL environments with high-intensity and complex support needs 
•    Strengthening supervision, escalation, and accountability structures 
•    The interface between disability support work and clinical oversight expectations 
•    Practical governance approaches that improve safety, consistency, and audit readiness 

The session provides a practical overview of how providers can build workforce systems that are defensible, consistent, and aligned to emerging regulatory expectations while maintaining service continuity and participant outcomes.

2.45pm - 3.30pm 

Q & A 

3.30pm - 4.30pm

Networking and Depart