Changing SIL providers
You are allowed to. Here is how the notice periods, the timing and the handover actually work, so there is no gap in support.
In short
- You can change providers at any time and you do not need to give a reason.
- Check the notice period in your service agreement first; 14 to 28 days is common.
- Your funding belongs to you, not the provider. It moves with you.
- Changing SIL provider does not have to mean moving house, though sometimes it does.
People stay with providers that are not working for them far longer than they should, usually because they think leaving is difficult, ungrateful, or risky. It is a normal thing to do and the system is built to allow it.
You are allowed to leave
You do not need permission and you do not need a reason. Choice and control is the founding idea of the scheme, and a provider who makes you feel otherwise is demonstrating exactly why you might want to go.
Check the notice period first
Open your service agreement and find the notice period. Fourteen to twenty-eight days is typical for SIL. Note it before you tell anyone, because it sets the timeline for everything else.
If your agreement demands something unreasonable, such as several months or a fee for leaving, that is worth raising with your support coordinator, and if necessary with the Commission.
Does it mean moving house?
Not always, and this is the question people most often get wrong.
If your provider also controls the house, because they hold the head lease or own it, then changing provider usually does mean moving. If the house is an ordinary rental and you are a tenant, a new provider can in principle take over the support while you stay put, provided the rest of the household agrees.
Work out which situation you are in before you do anything else, because it changes the size of the decision entirely.
The order to do it in
One: talk to your support coordinator. This is exactly what they are funded for, and they will know which providers in your area have capacity.
Two: find the new provider and confirm they can actually start, with a date. Do not give notice against a maybe.
Three: give written notice to the current provider, keeping a copy. Email is fine and is better than a phone call because it is dated.
Four: agree the handover. Support plans, medication charts, behaviour support plans, mealtime management plans and the roster all need to move across. You are entitled to copies of your own records.
Five: overlap if you can. A few days where both providers are aware of the change is far safer than a clean break at midnight.
What happens to the funding
It is yours. SIL funding sits in your plan and follows you. The new provider submits their own quote and roster, and where the arrangement changes materially your plan may need a review to match.
If it is not safe to wait
Notice periods assume an orderly change. If you are unsafe, that assumption does not apply. Contact your support coordinator immediately, and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544. If someone is in danger, ring 000 first.
Questions
Do I have to tell my provider why I am leaving?
No. It can be useful feedback if you want to give it, but you are under no obligation.
Can a provider refuse to let me leave?
No. They can hold you to a notice period in the service agreement, which is not the same thing.
Will I lose my funding?
No. The funding is in your plan and follows you to the new provider.
What if my provider owns the house?
Then changing provider probably means moving, which makes it a bigger decision. Ask your coordinator to check the lease arrangement before you give notice.
How long does the whole thing take?
Usually four to eight weeks, driven mostly by the notice period and the new provider's start date.
Make a referral or ask about a placement
Tell us the supports the plan funds and when they need to start. We respond the same business day.