NDIS Reportable Incidents Procedure

PURPOSE

This procedure forms part of DCIRS Community Care’s (DCIRS) safety management system and outlines the organisation’s approach to identifying, managing and reporting NDIS Reportable Incidents. It ensures that incidents are responded to in a timely, consistent and compliant manner, with a strong focus on participant safety, safeguarding and continual improvement. This procedure supports DCIRS to meet its obligations under the NDIS Act 2013 and associated rules.

All workers are required to understand and apply this procedure in practice, and DCIRS will ensure that workers are provided with appropriate information, training and support to meet these requirements.

DEFINITIONS

Reportable Incident:  The NDIA classifies a reportable incident as a serious incident or allegation involving a participant that has occurred, or is alleged to have occurred, in connection with the provision of supports and services delivered by DCIRS. Reportable incidents are required to be notified to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission within prescribed timeframes.

INTRODUCTION & SCOPE

DCIRS Community Care is required to identify, respond to, manage and report incidents that may impact the safety, wellbeing or rights of participants. This includes incidents that have occurred, or are alleged to have occurred, in connection with service delivery.

This procedure applies to all employees, contractors and representatives of DCIRS Community Care. It outlines the responsibilities of workers, managers and compliance personnel in responding to incidents. All safety risks and all incident matters outside of this procedure are covered by DCIRS's Incident and Risk Reporting Policy.

DCIRS Community Care is committed to ensuring that:

• Participants are free from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination

• Risks are identified, assessed and appropriately managed

• Incidents are acknowledged, responded to, investigated where required, and used to inform continual improvement

DCIRS Community Care shares responsibility for safeguarding and preventing harm.

PROCEDURE

Always follow the participant's health care plan and safety guidelines from the oxygen supplier. This summary is for guidance and does not replace statutory obligations or clinical advice.

WHAT IS A REPORTABLE INCIDENT

A reportable incident is a serious incident or allegation involving a participant that occurs in connection with DCIRS supports and services and meets the threshold for mandatory notification to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Reportable incidents include, but are not limited to:

• The death or serious injury of a participant (critical)

• Abuse or neglect of a participant

• Unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault

• Sexual misconduct, grooming or exploitation

• Unauthorised use of restrictive practices

All incidents must be recorded within the DCIRS incident management system (ShiftCare) where they involve acts, omissions, events or circumstances connected to service delivery that have, or could have, caused harm to a participant.

Incidents are classified as Critical, Significant or Minor depending on severity and impact. The classification of an incident informs the level of response, escalation and reporting required.

PROHIBITED RESTRICTIVE PRACTICES

Restrictive practices that are unlawful or unethical are strictly prohibited. DCIRS Community Care does not authorise the use of prohibited restrictive practices under any circumstances.

Any allegation, suspicion or use of a prohibited restrictive practice must be treated as a reportable incident and escalated immediately. These matters may also require notification to law enforcement or relevant child protection authorities depending on the circumstances.

SUMMARY OF REPORTABLE INCIDENT PROCESS

While specific responsibilities vary by role, the overarching expectation is that all staff act promptly to ensure safety, preserve evidence and support participants.

The management of reportable incidents involves a coordinated response across operational, management and compliance roles. All incidents follow a structured process of identification, immediate response, recording, assessment, escalation, reporting and review.

The identification and classification of all participant-related incidents is critical for safety and continual improvement. The process of reporting will further identify what is an NDIS reportable incident.

SUPPORT WORKER RESPONSE

• Conduct a risk assessment that considers transportation needs of both participant and oxygen equipment.

• Consider vehicle suitability and seek engineering advice if specialised modifications or special securement systems are required. (Workers should consult with their manager.)

2.2 Trip Preparation

Support workers are typically the first point of response and hold primary responsibility for ensuring immediate safety and initiating the reporting process.

When a reportable incident occurs or is suspected, support workers must ensure the safety of all persons present, including the participant, themselves and others. Emergency services must be contacted where there is immediate risk.

Support workers are required to report the incident verbally to their manager or appropriate escalation contact as soon as it is safe to do so and must record the incident in the incident management system before the end of their shift. Where systems are unavailable, alternative reporting methods must be used in line with organisational processes.

Support workers must provide factual, objective information only and must not attempt to investigate the incident or question the participant in a way that could compromise evidence. They are required to preserve the scene and any relevant evidence where possible.

Participants must be supported throughout the process, including being reassured, provided with information appropriate to their needs, and supported to access advocacy or additional supports where required.

MANAGER RESPONSE

Managers are responsible for overseeing the management of incidents once reported and ensuring that appropriate actions are taken in response to the level of risk.

Upon receiving a report, managers must review the incident, confirm classification, and assess immediate and ongoing risks to the participant and others. Risk controls must be implemented promptly to prevent further harm.

Managers are responsible for ensuring that participants and their authorised representatives are informed of the incident in a timely, appropriate and safe manner, having regard to the participant’s communication needs, decision-making capacity, and any risks associated with disclosure.

In some circumstances, immediate disclosure may be delayed or adjusted where this is necessary to:

• Protect the safety and wellbeing of the participant or others

• Preserve evidence or support and external investigation

• Comply with direction from the NDIS Commission, police or other relevant authority

Any decision to delay or limit information sharing must be clearly documented and justified.

Managers coordinate any required internal review or external investigation and work closely with the Quality and Compliance team to ensure that reporting obligations are met within required timeframes.

COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

The Quality and Compliance function is responsible for determining whether an incident meets the threshold for reportable incidents and for submitting notifications to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Notifications must be made within legislated timeframes, with initial notification followed by any required updates and final reporting outcomes. Additional reporting to other agencies, including police, child protection or health authorities, may also be required depending on the nature of the incident.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Participant Death

In the event of a participant death, DCIRS Community Care must notify the NDIA within 48 hours and comply with any additional reporting requirements set out by relevant authorities.

Participant under the age of 18

Where incidents involve participants under 18 years of age, staff must comply with mandatory child protection reporting obligations in their jurisdiction. Guidance must be sought from DCIRS’s quality team where there is any uncertainty regarding reporting thresholds.

ONGOING SUPPORT AND MONITORING

Following an incident, DCIRS Community Care will ensure that appropriate supports are put in place for the participant to address any ongoing needs or risks. This may include changes to service delivery, additional safeguards or referral to external services.

Incidents remain open and subject to monitoring until all required actions have been completed. Updates must be provided to the NDIS Commission where circumstances change or additional information becomes available.

REVIEW AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

All reportable incidents are subject to review to determine the effectiveness of the response and identify opportunities for improvement. Reviews consider whether the incident could have been prevented, whether risks were appropriately managed, and what changes are required to minimise recurrence.

Learnings from incident reviews are used to inform policy, practice, staff training and overall quality improvement activities.

RECORD KEEPING

All records relating to reportable incidents must be maintained in accordance with legislative and organisational requirements. Records must be accurate, complete and securely stored. Access to incident records is restricted to authorised personnel and managed in accordance with privacy and confidentiality requirements.

All incident records are to be maintained within the organisation’s approved incident management system (ShiftCare), which serves as the primary record of incident reporting and management.

The Quality and Compliance team is responsible for overseeing record integrity, ensuring that all required documentation is completed, retained and accessible for audit and regulatory purposes.

Managers are responsible for ensuring that records relating to incidents within their area are completed accurately and in a timely manner.

Incident records must be retained for a minimum of seven (7) years and must not be deleted or altered in a way that compromises their integrity.

ASSOCIATED LEGISLATION

• NDIS Act 2013

• NDIS Incident Management and Reportable Incidents Rules 2018

ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

• NDIS 24-Hour Reportable Incident Form

• NDIS Safeguarding Policy

• Incident and Risk Reporting Policy

• Risk Management Policy

• Code of Conduct Policy

• Workplace Health and Safety Policy

• NDIS Eliminating Restrictive Practices Policy

VERSION AND REVIEW INFORMATION

DCIRS reserves the right to amend and vary this procedure from time to time.

Version 1.0:11 June 2026 | Review Date: 11 June 2028