Report a critical incident

If you provide a specialist disability service, you must tell the ACT Human Services Registrar if someone you are caring for has an accident or problem that risks their life, health or safety.

This is called a critical incident.

For example:

• a missing client
• a major injury
• if someone needs to go to hospital
• if police or other emergency services are called
• an alleged sexual assault
• noticing a client may be at risk of suicide
• noticing behaviours that may injure someone
• a fire in a client’s home
• alleged fraud
• the wrong medication.

A critical incident could also be a time where people feel unsafe or under stress.

What you need to do

You’ll need to do the following.

1. At the time or soon after the incident

Check that everyone involved is safe.

If you can, email the Human Services Registrar a short description about:

• what happened
• what you are doing about it.

For example:

At [time] a resident of [Service X] fell and was injured. The ambulance attended and the person is at [Hospital Y]. We will provide more details soon.

2. In the days after the incident

You must give us a full report.

You can email us either:

• your organisation’s incident report
• a report that answers the following questions.

Tell us what happened

• Who was involved?
• Where and when did it happen?
• What have you done to make sure the person is safe?
• What has happened since the incident?
• Were your organisation’s procedures followed?
• Will you review your procedures or communication processes?
• Will you do more training?
• What has your organisation learned from the incident?
• What have you done to prevent the situation from happening again?

After you report a critical incident

We will check your report to make sure you are managing risks to people using your service.

We may:

• ask you for more information
• recommend improvements
• decide that you have taken the right actions.

Your legal responsibilities

If you want to read more about what the laws says about reporting critical incidents, read Section 10 of the Disability Services Regulation 2014

Report a critical incident

You must report all critical incidents to the ACT Human Services Registrar by email or phone.

You can also contact us for advice.

Report a critical incident to the Human Services Registrar.