The New SIL Practice Standards: Don't Start by Writing More Policies

Where to Start with the New SIL Practice Standards

We've said it before, but we're certainly not the only ones feeling a little surprised at the depth and comprehensiveness of the new SIL Practice Standards.

That's not to say they're not well intentioned or long overdue. The focus on participant safety, safeguarding, supported decision making and stronger governance is a positive step for the sector.

But we don't think many providers anticipated the amount of work that may be required to properly implement the standards.

If you're currently wondering where to start, or whether you need to write an entirely new suite of policies, take a breath.

There are probably smarter ways to approach it.  Here's some ideas to get started.

1. Can these indicators fit within existing policies?

Our first question wouldn't be, "What new policies do we need?"

It would be, "What do we already have?"

Many of the new indicators naturally align with existing policy areas.

For example, Supported Decision Making has strong links to:

Person Centred Supports
Independence and Informed Choice
Individual Values and Beliefs
Dignity of Risk

Rather than creating another standalone policy, it may make more sense to strengthen existing policies by expanding on these concepts where appropriate.

Remember, a policy is only one small part of compliance.

The real focus should always be on how you implement it.

2. Are we already meeting some of these indicators?

One mistake providers can make is assuming every new indicator requires a brand-new system.

In reality, if you're already supporting SIL, you may already be doing much of what the standards require.

For example, you might already have:

• strong housing, tenancy and support processes
• support workers documenting supported decision making
• good conversations around dignity of risk
• participant meetings where choices and preferences are discussed
• effective incident reporting and follow-up
• quality supervision processes

The question is often not whether you're doing it.  

It's whether you can demonstrate it.

Sometimes the gap isn't the practice.  

It's the documentation, oversight or evidence behind the practice.  We've seen this over and over.

3. Ask Your Team

One of the best ways to understand how prepared you are is to ask the people delivering supports every day.

This is where it's useful to put your auditor hat on.

Hold some informal discussions with support workers, team leaders and managers.

Ask questions like:

• How do we support participant decision making?
• What would we do if you identified a safeguarding concern?
• How do we know when a participant's goals have changed?
• How do we document dignity of risk discussions?
• What happens after an safeguarding incident is reported?

These conversations often reveal two things:

Firstly, your team may already be doing some excellent work.

Secondly, they may highlight where better documentation, clearer processes or stronger governance oversight is needed.

Usually this type of process, uncovers that you're much further along than you thought.

4. Keep Your Systems Simple

The temptation when new standards arrive is to create more.

More policies.

More procedures.

More forms.

More checklists.

More paperwork.

Be careful.

The new SIL Practice Standards are already asking more of support workers.

The last thing providers want to do is overwhelm staff with dozens of new procedures that are difficult to remember and impossible to maintain.

The strongest quality management systems aren't usually the biggest ones.

They're the ones that are practical, streamlined and easy for people to follow.

Where possible, develop systems and procedures that support multiple indicators rather than creating a separate process for every requirement.

Good procedures are broad enough to apply across different situations, while still providing workers with clear guidance about what is expected.

That's easier for workers.  It's easier to maintain.  And it's usually much easier to demonstrate during audit.

Final Thoughts

The new SIL Practice Standards represent a significant shift, but they don't necessarily require providers to start from scratch.

Before writing new policies or introducing new procedures, take the time to understand what your organisation is already doing well.

Strengthen existing systems.

Fill genuine gaps.

Focus on implementation rather than documentation.

Because the providers who will navigate these changes most successfully won't be the ones with the biggest policy manuals.

They'll be the ones with practical systems that staff understand, use consistently and can demonstrate every day.

If you're unsure where to begin, we will soon be releasing our set of SIL Practice Standards Resources and NDIS Compliance and Evidence Mapping Toolkit.  This will help providers identify where the new SIL indicators align with existing systems, uncover genuine gaps and focus effort where it's needed most.

Canopy Systems

Less fluff. Better systems.