Glossary
Reportable incident
A reportable incident is an incident in a defined category that a registered NDIS provider must notify to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, as distinct from an incident the provider records and manages internally.
A defined category, not a judgement about seriousness
"Reportable" is not a synonym for "serious" in the everyday sense. It is a defined set of categories under the NDIS rules, which cover matters such as the death or serious injury of a participant, abuse or neglect, unlawful contact, sexual misconduct and the use of an unauthorised restrictive practice. An incident outside those categories is still an incident: it is recorded, assessed and followed up, but it does not go to the Commission.
Categories, thresholds and timeframes are set by the regulator and change; confirm the current requirements with the regulator for your sector before acting on a real case.
What to keep on record
An auditor looks at both sides of the line. For incidents that were reported, the evidence is the notification and what followed it. For incidents assessed as not reportable, the evidence is the assessment itself: what happened, who decided it was not reportable, why, and what was done next. An injury on the register with no note of who made that call is a finding whether or not the call was right.
- The incident as first recorded, with date and the person recording it
- The reportability assessment, by name and date
- The notification, where one was made
- Corrective actions and their closure
Sources and references
This entry describes the term in general. The regulator’s own site is the authority for your service, and requirements change.
Related
Keep the record
The terms are the easy part. The evidence is the work.
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