A SIL roster of care example shows when support is planned and how staff hours may be shared. In one example, a worker supports three residents for two hours on a weekday morning, at a 1:3 ratio. The roster describes the support plan; SIL funding is the budget used to pay for eligible supports delivered.

It’s understandable to think the roster and funding are the same thing. They’re connected, but answer different questions. A roster of care sets out proposed support needs across a typical week, including tasks, times and staffing arrangements. The NDIA considers the proposed roster alongside other evidence about the participant’s support needs and goals when making funding decisions.

This article explains what a SIL roster of care example can show, how support may be planned across the day and night, and how a template or workbook can help organise the information. It also clarifies the difference between proposed support hours and the funding available, so you can review an example with more confidence.

What Is a Roster of Care in NDIS?

A Roster of Care describes the supports planned for a participant across a typical week. In a shared living arrangement, it can help make gaps between a person’s assessed needs and proposed support easier to spot.

Common gaps include omitted tasks, unexplained breaks in support and staffing that does not reflect the participant’s needs. Before submission, compare the proposed supports with the person’s current routines and assessment evidence.

Matching supports to participant needs

To check whether a roster matches, compare its proposed support times and tasks with the participant’s assessed needs and daily routines. This can reveal an unexplained mismatch or assistance missing from the proposal.

For example, if a participant needs help to prepare for a community activity or outing, compare the planned support with the time needed to get ready and travel. If the roster does not show that assistance, note the specific gap and discuss it with the participant, family and support coordinator. A useful review links each proposed task to the evidence explaining why it is needed.

Functional capacity assessments and allied health reports can describe how a person’s disability affects daily tasks. Use them to check whether the roster accounts for personal care, meal preparation, medication support and household activities. The NDIA also considers participant assessments and allied health reports when allocating SIL funding. If evidence describes a need that the roster does not address, identify where the proposed schedule differs and what support period needs reconsideration.

Community participation and supported employment can also shape the week. A participant’s roster may need to account for support before or after work, or assistance to take part in an activity. For someone engaging in community programs, the relevant focus is the person’s actual routine and support needs, not simply the destination. The plan should make clear which support helps the participant take part.

Overnight and shared support arrangements

Overnight and shared arrangements should reflect the participant’s needs, with evidence supporting the proposed staffing. A schedule can look complete yet leave an important mismatch unexplained, so review these periods carefully.

Check whether the roster distinguishes active overnight support from a sleepover. For shared living, compare each stated ratio with the assistance participants need at that time. Shared support should not obscure a participant’s need for individual assistance. Clinical or functional evidence should support the proposed active or passive overnight model.

Before a submission, ask the participant or nominee to review the completed roster and flag any gap between the person’s routines, evidence and proposed schedule. The roster should align with the Functional Capacity Assessment and explain how informal supports are considered, or why they are not appropriate. If the person’s needs change, updated evidence can support a review of the proposed arrangement. For information about the Supported Independent Living service, see how it relates to the person’s living and support needs.

Differences between a roster of care and SIL funding

A roster describes proposed support hours and staffing; SIL funding is the plan budget for eligible supports. The NDIA considers the roster alongside assessments, the participant’s NDIS plan and home-and-living goals.

For a first SIL request, the proposed roster helps show how support needs translate into planned assistance. It informs the decision, but it is not the funding amount itself.

The roster’s role in funding requests

A roster supports a funding request by showing the proposed pattern of assistance across the week. The NDIA can compare the planned hours and staffing with the participant’s assessed needs.

For a first plan involving SIL, or a significant change in circumstances, the roster may be considered with supporting assessments. The participant or nominee is consulted about the proposal. The NDIA’s current guidance does not routinely require a roster for an existing SIL arrangement.

A Roster of Care and a staff work roster serve different purposes. The Roster of Care describes the participant’s proposed supports for funding consideration. A staff work roster organises shifts and is an operational tool, not a funding submission.

Funding is considered in relation to the participant’s support needs, goals and evidence. Assessments can explain why support is needed at particular times, while the roster shows how the proposed staffing responds. For example, a request for assistance before work should connect the planned hours with the participant’s routine and goals.

How rosters inform funding decisions

A roster informs funding decisions by linking proposed support hours and staffing to the participant’s assessments and plan. The NDIA considers this evidence alongside the requested arrangement.

Allied health reports and participant assessments can help explain functional support needs. The roster then shows how those needs are addressed across the week. It should align with the Functional Capacity Assessment and account for informal supports, including why they may not be appropriate, where relevant.

Keep the distinction clear: the roster describes the proposed service pattern, while SIL funding is the budget in the NDIS plan. Once the Roster of Care and plan are approved, the SIL budget is released into the participant’s plan, and the provider can claim for supports delivered.

Before a funding submission, compare the proposed hours with assessment evidence and the participant’s home-and-living goals. If the roster changes, explain why in relation to support needs or changed circumstances. A support coordinator can help organise relevant plan information and evidence for discussion.

Allocating staff hours across the day and night

A Roster of Care maps planned support across each day of the week, often by morning, afternoon and evening periods. This shows how assistance fits the participant’s routine, rather than treating every day as identical. In supported independent living, the timetable can include personal care, meals, medication support, household tasks and community participation.

For example, a participant may need help getting ready for work in the morning and support with household tasks later. Another day may include community access or more time at home. The roster should show when these supports are planned and how staffing is arranged. The participant’s capacity, assessed needs and usual activities help shape the pattern.

NDIS SIL can provide assistance or supervision across 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. That does not mean every participant needs the same hours or level of staffing. A roster may show shared worker hours during a lower-need period, then individual support when a participant needs focused assistance. The proposed hours should reflect the actual support pattern, not simply divide the week into equal blocks.

Overnight planning should distinguish an active shift from a sleepover. During active overnight support, workers are expected to stay awake. During a sleepover, the worker can sleep and provide assistance when needed. A sleepover includes up to two hours of active support overnight. The proposed arrangement should match the participant’s needs and the evidence behind the roster.

The Roster of Care is not a staff work roster. The first describes proposed supports for funding consideration; the second shows which workers are assigned to shifts. A coordinator can help compare the proposed support pattern with the participant’s plan and assessments. A change to the operational roster does not, by itself, mean the participant’s planned support needs have changed.

Fatigue management is a practical scheduling consideration. A provider can consider shift length, handover time and continuity when assigning workers. Clear handover details, for example, help the next worker understand which tasks remain and what support the participant prefers. These arrangements make the work roster usable while keeping it distinct from the participant’s funded support plan.

When reviewing proposed hours, compare each period with the participant’s routine, support needs and activities. Note any time when a task appears unsupported or shared staffing is proposed where individual help is needed. This gives the participant and support coordinator clear points to discuss when developing or reviewing the roster.

NDIA roster of care template and workbook

The agency provides a Roster of Care Submission Template, an Excel tool and step-by-step submission guides. The workbook helps organise a proposed support pattern and display how its hours are calculated.

Using the template and workbook

The Provider SIL Roster of Care Tool is an Excel workbook for recording proposed supports. Its format gives participants and nominees a consistent way to review the details before submission. The workbook uses current pricing and annualises public-holiday costs across the year.

Support is recorded in 30-minute slots, then added across six bands: weekday day, evening, night, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday. This breakdown helps readers see how the proposed hours fall across different periods, rather than relying on a single weekly total.

The workbook includes 19 placeholder support ratios. The template also has two fixed support ratios, so the relevant field needs to match the proposed arrangement. For example, a shared support period should be represented by the ratio that reflects the planned staffing for that period. The ratio should be readable alongside the support hours and evidence.

Use the workbook to clarify the proposed pattern, not to replace reports explaining the participant’s needs. Each time entry should correspond with the support described in the evidence. If a report describes assistance at a particular time of day, compare it with the relevant slots and flag any mismatch for discussion before submission.

What an example roster includes

An example roster lays out the participant’s planned support periods, tasks and staffing across a typical week. Its details should make it easy to see how the proposed hours connect with the person’s routine.

For example, a daily schedule could show morning support from 6 am to 10 am, daytime support from 10 am to 4 pm, and evening support from 4 pm to 9 pm. These periods are an illustration, not a standard timetable. The listed tasks might include dressing, medication reminders, meal preparation or household activities.

Each entry can identify the support type, number of workers and relevant ratio. Make shared periods clear. Overnight entries should distinguish active support from sleepover support, in line with evidence relevant to the participant.

Before submission, review the entries for blank periods, unclear ratios or tasks that do not match the supporting evidence. The workbook is most useful when its time slots, staffing details and supporting documents describe the same proposed arrangement.

What does an example SIL roster of care look like for a participant?

A SIL roster of care example shows the participant’s planned support across a typical week. It connects tasks, support periods and staffing arrangements, rather than giving only a total number of hours. The details vary with the person’s routine, assessed needs and living arrangement.

Imagine a participant who needs help with personal care, medication reminders and meal preparation. Their roster might separate those tasks from planned community participation or household activities. Each entry should make clear what help is planned and when. The roster can also show whether support is individual or shared with another household member.

A simple example can be reviewed by checking these details for each part of the week:

• Support task: for example, help with dressing, meal preparation or domestic tasks.
• Timing: the period when assistance is planned, recorded against the relevant day.
• Staffing: whether one worker supports the participant alone or shares support with another person.
• Evidence: the assessment or report explaining why that support is included.

For instance, a shared household could have one worker supporting two participants during a planned shared activity. The roster should distinguish that 1:2 period from times when one participant needs individual assistance. If the evidence supports 1:1 support for a particular task, the roster should show that arrangement rather than implying the shared ratio applies throughout the day.

Overnight entries need the same clarity. A roster can identify active overnight support, when workers stay awake, or a sleepover arrangement, when a worker can sleep and respond if needed. A sleepover includes up to two hours of active support overnight. The proposed arrangement should be consistent with the participant’s needs and relevant clinical or functional evidence.

Use the example as a comparison, not a standard timetable. A participant who attends supported employment may need a different pattern from someone whose main planned activities take place at home. The roster should reflect the actual routine, including community participation, transport and help with daily tasks. The participant or nominee should review the completed roster before submission and flag entries that do not match the person’s needs.

When reading an example, follow one task from the evidence to the planned support period and staffing ratio. That connection is the useful test: each entry should help explain the participant’s proposed support. Want to be a participant?

Pursue Ability: Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Pursue Ability provides Supported Independent Living for participants considering support in a shared home or their own living arrangement. If you are comparing a roster with your routines and goals, you can explore the Supported Independent Living service and how it may relate to your needs.

For participants and families in Lake Macquarie, this can be a next step when discussing SIL and planned supports. Support coordination may also help you understand the information involved in planning discussions.

If you’d like to talk through a next step, contact Pursue Ability on 02 7227 6310 or email enquiries@pursueability.com.au.

Take the next step at your own pace

A SIL roster of care example can help you prepare for a conversation about support that fits your circumstances. Before discussing options, note the daily routines and goals you want your support arrangements to accommodate. List any points that remain unclear and bring them to a planning discussion with your family or support coordinator.

Pursue Ability provides Supported Independent Living, day programs and allied health. These services may be relevant as you consider support in relation to your living goals. The next step depends on what you want to explore and what is set out in your NDIS plan.

When you feel ready to explore your options or become a participant, take the conversation one step at a time, with your priorities at the centre.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a good ROC include?

A good Roster of Care should make each planned support period understandable to the participant. Check that it identifies the task, timing, staffing arrangement and any shared support. It should also connect proposed support with relevant assessments and the participant’s routine. For example, if a weekday activity needs transport assistance, the roster should show when that help is planned, rather than leaving the arrangement unclear.

Why is the ROC important?

The roster helps the participant understand the proposed support and gives the NDIA information to consider in a SIL funding request. It also gives families and nominees a practical document to review with the participant. If a planned period does not reflect the person’s routine, they can identify the specific entry for discussion before submission, rather than relying on a general description of support needs.

Can my ROC change?

Yes. A roster can be reviewed when a participant’s support needs or circumstances change significantly. A new work routine or a change in the assistance needed at home, for example, may affect planned support periods. Updated assessments and reports can help explain the change. The participant or nominee can discuss proposed adjustments with their support coordinator and include relevant information in a funding reassessment discussion.

Can an ROC help me get more SIL funding?

A roster can help explain why a funding request proposes particular support hours or staffing, but it cannot secure an increase by itself. The NDIA considers the roster alongside assessments, goals and other relevant evidence. If the participant’s current plan no longer reflects their support needs, their support coordinator or plan manager can help organise information for discussion. General information only, not advice about your plan. Only the NDIA can make decisions about NDIS funding.

Does a ROC determine my SIL funding?

No. A Roster of Care does not determine the funding amount. It describes proposed support arrangements, while the NDIA makes funding decisions using the participant’s plan, goals, assessments and supporting evidence. For a first SIL request or a reassessment involving changed support needs, the roster can help explain the proposal. An approved roster does not guarantee a particular funding decision.

How does the ROC affect your SIL funding?

The roster can show how proposed staffing and support periods contribute to the request being considered. Separate support periods and ratios, for example, can make a proposed arrangement easier to assess than one broad weekly total. The NDIA considers the proposal alongside other evidence and checks relevant costs against NDIS price limits. The roster is part of the funding picture, not a separate amount added to the plan.

What is a SIL roster of care in Australia?

A SIL roster of care example is a sample timetable showing how assistance may be planned for a participant in a Supported Independent Living arrangement in Australia. It can map support needs across a typical week and show when assistance is proposed. It is an illustration, not a standard schedule for everyone. The actual roster should reflect the person’s routine, support needs, living arrangement and relevant assessment evidence.

What information should be included in a SIL roster of care?

Include the participant’s planned support periods, type of assistance, number of workers and staffing ratio for each period. For shared living, show how many participants are in the home and when support is shared. Include overnight arrangements and distinguish active support from sleepover support. The roster should also align with relevant assessments and explain how informal support has been considered in the proposed plan.