1. Purpose
This policy establishes Hausmate Pty Ltd's framework for managing incidents involving NDIS participants. It ensures all incidents are responded to promptly, documented accurately, and reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission where required, in accordance with the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018.
2. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Incident | Any event or circumstance that has, or could have, resulted in harm to a participant, staff member, or third party during the delivery of NDIS supports |
| Near miss | An event that did not result in harm but had the potential to do so |
| Reportable incident | A defined category of serious incidents that must be reported to the NDIS Commission (see Section 3) |
| Alleged incident | A report or allegation of an incident that has not yet been confirmed through investigation |
3. Reportable Incidents
Important: The following must be reported to the NDIS Commission regardless of whether the incident was caused by a Hausmate employee, contractor, or another person in the environment.
Under the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018, reportable incidents include:
- The death of a participant while receiving supports
- Serious injury of a participant while receiving supports
- Abuse or neglect of a participant
- Unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a participant
- Sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a participant
- Use of a restrictive practice not authorised under the participant's behaviour support plan
4. Immediate Response
When an incident occurs or is discovered, Hausmate staff must immediately:
- Ensure safety — Take all reasonable steps to ensure the immediate safety and wellbeing of the participant and any others involved. Call 000 if there is immediate risk to life
- Provide first aid — Administer first aid if trained and if it is safe to do so
- Notify the supervisor — Contact the Hausmate Operations Manager immediately
- Preserve the scene — Do not disturb evidence unless doing so is necessary to prevent further harm
- Document — Record the facts as observed, with the time, date, location, and names of those involved
Staff must not make admissions of liability or apologise on behalf of the organisation at the scene of an incident.
5. Internal Reporting
All incidents (including near misses) must be reported internally using the Hausmate Incident Report Form within 24 hours of the incident occurring or being discovered. The form must capture:
- Date, time, and location of the incident
- Names of participants, staff, and witnesses involved
- A factual description of what occurred
- Immediate actions taken
- Any injuries or harm sustained
- Whether the incident may be a reportable incident
The Operations Manager will review all incident reports within 24 hours of receipt and escalate to the Director where required.
6. Notifying the NDIS Commission
| Incident Type | Initial Notification Timeframe | Full Report Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Death of a participant | 24 hours | 5 business days |
| Serious injury | 24 hours | 5 business days |
| Abuse, neglect, or assault | 24 hours | 5 business days |
| Unauthorised restrictive practice | 5 business days | 5 business days |
Notifications are submitted via the NDIS Commission Portal by the Compliance Officer or Director. Notifications must include the information specified in the NDIS Commission's notification guidelines.
NDIS Commission: 1800 035 544 | ndiscommission.gov.au
7. Investigation
Following notification, Hausmate will conduct an internal investigation of all reportable incidents. The investigation will:
- Be led by the Compliance Officer or an independent investigator where a conflict of interest exists
- Be conducted in a timely, fair, and objective manner
- Include interviews with relevant staff, participants, and witnesses
- Result in a written investigation report with findings and recommended actions
The participant (or their representative) will be kept informed of the investigation progress and outcome.
8. Post-Incident Review
Following the conclusion of an investigation, Hausmate will:
- Identify the root cause of the incident
- Implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence
- Review relevant policies and procedures if required
- Provide additional training to staff where identified
- Record improvement actions in the Continuous Improvement Register
9. Records
All incident reports, investigation records, and Commission notifications are retained for a minimum of 7 years. Records involving children are retained for a minimum of 45 years. All records are stored securely and are accessible only to authorised staff.