Reportable Incident, Accident and Emergency Policy and Procedure

VSG Home Care will comply with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018.

It is our objective to maintain an incident management system that covers incidents that consist of acts, omissions, events or circumstances that:

• occur in connection with the provision of supports or services to a person with a disability
• have, or could have, caused harm to a person with a disability.

All staff members are responsible for ensuring the safety of all participants who access our services. All incidents must be reported as per this policy. Management is responsible for ensuring that staff are trained and undertake the Worker Orientation training module.

VSG Home Care recognises that many of the participants using VSG Home Care services are at risk of incidents and accidents. Our Reportable Incident, Accident and Emergency Policy and Procedure seeks to:

• minimise risk and prevent future incidents through the development of appropriate participant-centred plans, staff training, assessment and review
• ensure that there is immediate management of an incident, accident or emergency and that each of these events is prioritised, managed and investigated appropriately
• identify opportunities to improve the quality of participant supports by ensuring that the incident system is planned and coordinated and is linked to the quality and risk management systems.

Participants will be provided information in Easy Read format, as required.

4.1 Incident management procedure

VSG Home Care will establish a procedure that identifies, manages and resolves incidents, as follows:

Step 1. Inform of incident

1. Support worker to report the incident to the Director.
2. Support worker completes an Incident Report that identifies and records details relating to the incident, i.e. people, place, time and date.

Step 2. Investigation

1. The Director will determine, from the information provided, if the incident is classified as a reportable incident by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner or a different type of incident:
   1. A reportable incident must comply with the reportable incident reporting process.
   2. VSG Home Care will comply with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018.
   3. A general incident is an accident with non-reportable injuries.
2. The Director will review details of the incident:
   1. People involved.
   2. Location.
   3. Circumstances.
   4. Outcome, e.g. injury.
3. The Director will investigate the incident or accident in accordance with the process outlined in the Incident Investigation Form to determine required information:
   1. Immediate reasons for the event.
   2. Underlying reasons for the event.
   3. Immediate actions required to fix the cause of the event.
   4. Preventative actions required for the future.
4. Any information learned from incidents or accidents will be incorporated into our continuous improvement cycle to enable prevention of the same incident or accident recurring in the future.
   1. The analysis and investigation of each incident will vary based on the seriousness of the incident.

Step 3. Support participant

1. The Director ensures that the affected participant is supported and assisted:
   1. Informing them that they have access to an advocate. If the participant does not have an advocate, the Director can assist in accessing an independent advocate.
   2. Reviewing their health status to assist and support.
   3. Assessing the environment to ensure their safety and to prevent any recurrence.
   4. Ensuring their wellbeing and assisting in developing the participant's confidence and competence, so they do not lose any function/s.
2. The Director or their delegate will review the incident with the participant.
   1. VSG Home Care will collaborate with the person/s involved to manage and resolve the incident.

Step 4. Analyse incident

1. As part of our continuous improvement process, the information gained from an incident is used to amend or implement new practices:
   1. When an investigation by a registered NDIS provider is necessary to establish the cause/s of an incident, its effect, any operational issues that may have contributed to the incident occurring and the nature of the investigation.
   2. If an incident requires the implementation of corrective action, an appropriate plan will be developed to adjust practices according to the nature of the action required.
2. The Director or their delegate will undertake an appropriate analytical process:
   1. Determine the cause of the incident.
   2. Ascertain if the incident was an operational issue.
   3. Consider the participant's perspective, including whether the incident was preventable, how the incident was managed and reviewed, and any remedial action required to minimise future impacts and prevent recurrence.
   4. Identify why the incident occurred, e.g. environmental factors, the participant's health.
   5. Ascertain if current strategies or processes require review and improvement.
   6. Devise new strategies or procedures, if required.
   7. Plan staff training for any new strategies.
   8. Implement new strategies.
   9. Evaluate the success of new strategies.

All Incident Investigation Forms must be closed out by the Director or their delegate, and one other VSG Home Care staff member.

Step 5. Incident and accident minimisation and corrective action

1. VSG Home Care will risk-assess all participants in conjunction with our Risk Management Policy and Procedure.
2. Incident, accident and emergency minimisation and procedures are taught during staff orientation and in regular ongoing training sessions.
3. Risks will be identified, and control mechanisms agreed upon with participants.
4. VSG Home Care will consult with participants, and relevant stakeholders, to design specific risk control mechanisms to reduce risk to participants and their environment.
5. Effectiveness of mechanisms will be evaluated via:
   1. participant review processes, including support plan review
   2. participant feedback
   3. case conferencing.
6. Internal and external risk audits.
7. Reviews of policies and procedures.

Corrective actions

On completion of the incident analysis procedure, any corrective action will be implemented. Each corrective action identified will be evaluated to ascertain the effectiveness of the action, as per our Continuous Improvement Policy and Procedure, i.e. plan, do, check, act.

Step 6. Informing participants

VSG Home Care will inform participants, or their advocate, of the outcome/s of the incident, either in writing or verbally depending on the participant and the situation. Collaborative practice will be undertaken to ensure the participant and their advocate are involved in the management and resolution of the incident.

4.2 Staff training

VSG Home Care recognises the importance of prevention to ensure the safety of both our staff and participants. Our orientation process includes training in work health and safety practices, including manual handling, infection control, safe environments, risk and hazard reduction.

Upon commencing employment with VSG Home Care, all staff are trained in organisational incident management processes, including how to report an incident and who to report an incident to (e.g. the Director). To provide further guidance, all staff are given full access to our organisational policies and procedures.

4.3 Reportable incidents

Staff must report any reportable incident immediately that it becomes evident.

The Director is responsible for reporting all reportable incidents to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Reportable incidents are serious incidents, or allegations, which result in harm to any NDIS participant.

VSG Home Care, as a registered provider, is required to report serious incidents (including allegations) arising from the organisation's service provision to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Reportable incidents, involving NDIS participants, include:

• the death of a person with disability
• serious injury of a person with disability
• abuse or neglect of a person with disability
• unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a person with disability (excluding, in the case of unlawful physical assault, contact with, and impact on, the person that is negligible)
• sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a person with disability, including grooming of the person for sexual activity
• the use of a restrictive practice in relation to a person with disability, other than where the use is in accordance with an authorisation (however described) of a state or territory in relation to the person or a behaviour support plan for the person.

4.3.1 Reporting roles

The organisation will establish the following roles and ensure that allocated staff are aware of their responsibilities:

1. Approved Reportable Incident Approver responsibilities:
   1. Have the authority to review reports prior to submission to the NDIS Commission.
   2. Submit new reportable incidents.
   3. View previous reportable incidents submitted by their organisation.
2. Authorised Reportable Incidents Notifier responsibilities:
   1. Supports the Approved Reportable Incident Approver to collate and report the required information.
   2. Creates new reportable incident notifications to be saved as a draft for review and submission by the Approved Reportable Incident Approver.

4.3.2 Reportable incident procedure

The Director will review the information and contact the police immediately to inform them of the suspected abuse.

Important note: to find out how to report abuse against children go to the Working with Children Policy and Procedure.

Reportable incidents are submitted via the NDIS Commission Portal, on the “My Reportable Incidents” page.

1. Complete an Immediate Notification Form and submit within 24 hours:
   1. The Authorised Reportable Incidents Notifier will create it for approval.
   2. The Approved Reportable Incident Approver will approve and submit it. The Approver may also create and submit directly, as required by the circumstances of the incident.
2. A 5 day form to be completed within 5 days of key stakeholders being informed:
   1. The Authorised Reportable Incidents Notifier will create it for approval.
   2. The Approved Reportable Incident Approver will approve and submit it. The Approver may also create and submit directly, as required by the circumstances of the incident.
3. A Final Report will be submitted on the due date if requested by the NDIS Commission:
   1. The Authorised Reportable Incidents Notifier will create it for approval.
   2. The Approved Reportable Incident Approver will approve and submit it. The Approver may also create and submit directly, as required by the circumstances of the incident.

Assessment of the incident by the Director, or their delegate, will involve:

• assessing the incident's impact on the NDIS participant
• analysing and identifying if the incident could have been prevented
• reviewing management of the incident
• determining what, if any, changes are required to prevent further similar events occurring
• recording all incidents and responsive actions taken, to prevent recurrence.

4.4 Documentation

• All reportable incident reports and registers must be maintained for seven (7) years.
• This policy is to be reviewed on an annual basis, or when legislation changes occur.
• All participants, families and advocates are informed of this policy.
• All staff are trained in the procedures outlined in this policy.
• Training details are recorded in each employee's personnel file.

• Continuous Improvement Policy and Procedure
• Incident Report
• Incident Investigation Form
• Participant Handbook
• Participant Orientation Checklist
• Reportable Incident, Accident and Emergency Policy and Procedure
• Risk Assessment Form
• Risk Management Plan
• Risk Management Policy and Procedure

• NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018
• NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators 2020
• Privacy Act 1988
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011