Active overnight support

What is active overnight support?

Active overnight support is NDIS-funded support where a worker stays awake during normal sleeping hours to support a participant because of their disability. It is funded when a person needs more than about 2 hours of awake support a night, or needs someone awake to respond straight away. Unlike a sleepover, it is claimed by the hour and the worker is paid for every hour as work.

The term comes from the NDIA's home and living guidance. The roster of care guide defines an active overnight shift as one where workers need to be awake during normal sleeping hours to provide support because of the participant's disability. The NDIS Commission draws the same line, noting that sleepover shifts are different to active overnight supports.

You will also hear it called an "awake night", "active night" or "night shift". Typical reasons someone needs it include:

• Seizures that need someone to respond, time and record them.
• Regular repositioning to prevent pressure injuries.
• Continence support several times a night.
• Behaviours of concern overnight, often set out in a behaviour support plan.
• Health needs that require close monitoring, such as respiratory support (which may also be high intensity).

How active overnight support is funded

In Supported Independent Living (SIL), the NDIA's SIL operational guideline sets out the overnight test. A sleepover is funded where the person needs up to 2 hours of awake support a night. Active overnight support is funded where they need more than that. The decision is made on evidence about the participant's own needs, not on how the house is staffed.

Because active overnight is time worked, it is priced per hour. On weeknights it is claimed using the "Weekday Night" support items; on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the support for those days uses the relevant day's items. The NDIA roster of care tool reflects this: it has a separate band for active overnight hours Monday to Friday, while Saturday and Sunday bands include both awake support and active overnight hours.

Items and price limits change each year with the NDIS pricing arrangements; check current limits in the free NDIS price guide. Since 1 July 2026 regular SIL can also be claimed weekly as a bundled amount, or hourly, but not both (How to claim SIL supports). Either way, the active overnight hours need to be part of the agreed typical schedule.

Shared homes

In a shared home, one awake worker may be able to support more than one resident overnight. The support ratio then splits the hours between the people supported. If one resident needs active overnight support and others only need a sleepover, show that resident's arrangement separately in the roster of care, and document why the staffing you choose is safe for everyone.

How to move from a sleepover to active overnight

Overnight needs often change gradually. When sleepover staff are regularly awake for long stretches, the SIL guideline says to talk to the NDIA about changing the SIL in the plan. Occasional busy nights can be claimed as extra hours once agreed with the participant, but they don't change the funding model.

What good overnight evidence looks like

The roster of care guide lists the evidence that supports an active overnight request: the frequency and type of overnight support, such as repositioning, seizures, behaviours or continence, drawn from records and assessments. In practice, a strong request usually includes:

1. Several weeks of night-by-night records showing start and finish times, not just a nightly total.
2. A short summary of the pattern, for example "awake support on 26 of 30 nights, averaging over 3 hours".
3. Reports from treating professionals explaining why someone needs to be awake, such as a neurologist's seizure management plan or an occupational therapist's functional capacity assessment.
4. Any incident reports linked to overnight events, and the participant's own account of their nights.

Records written for pay purposes are often too thin for this. Train night staff to write what they did and why, in plain language, every time they get up.

A support coordinator can help put the evidence together. If the NDIA decides not to fund active overnight support, the participant can ask for an internal review and then apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Active overnight vs sleepover support

People often search "sleepover vs active overnight" because the two look similar on a roster. They are funded, claimed and paid differently.

How active overnight shifts are paid

Active overnight is not a sleepover under the SCHADS Award, so no sleepover allowance applies. The worker is paid ordinary hours with the relevant loading, and overtime where the award's limits are passed. Under clause 29.3 of the award (MA000100), a night shift is one that finishes after midnight or starts before 6am, and attracts a 15% loading on weekdays. Weekend and public holiday work is paid at the weekend and public holiday rates instead.

Casual employees have different percentages that include their loading; use the casual columns in the Fair Work pay guide or the SCHADS pay rates table. The Fair Work Ombudsman's SCHADS hours of work page explains shift and break rules, and you can check a whole roster in the SCHADS pay calculator.

What providers need to get right

• Manage fatigue. Awake nights are demanding. Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice on managing the risk of fatigue at work covers roster design, breaks and recovery time between shifts.
• Keep workers active, not just present. Record overnight checks, support given and anything unusual in shift notes, and hand over clearly to the morning team.
• Match skills to need. If overnight support involves complex health needs, workers need the relevant training, and the participant may need high intensity funding.
• Meet the SIL Practice Standards. Registered SIL providers must meet the SIL module, including safeguarding and emergency arrangements that work at night.
• Review regularly. If overnight needs drop, a sleepover may again suit the person and keep more of their funding for daytime support.

Common mistakes

• Funding a sleepover when records show the worker is awake for hours most nights.
• Paying an awake night with a sleepover allowance instead of hourly rates and the night loading.
• Claiming active overnight per night instead of per hour.
• Rostering one awake worker across a whole house without checking that it is safe for every resident.
• Asking for a plan change with no overnight records to back it up.