Effective Incident Management in Home Care – Meeting SIRS & NDIS

Are you ready for SIRS in Home Care?

From 1 April 2021, all aged care providers were required to meet Standard 8 (3)(d) including having an incident management system.

However, from 1 July 2022, the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) will be expanded from residential care to include in-home aged care services, including HCPs, CHSP and Flexible Care Services.

The NDIS also requires registered NDIS providers to implement and maintain a system to record, manage and report incidents.

Whilst most home care organisations have a policy, forms and reporting protocols for incidents, the requirements of SIRS and NDIS demand much more than the basic approach.

In order to be ready for the commencement on 1 July 2022, most home care services will need to establish and implement a range of new systems and processes.

Assess your readiness for SIRS – Are you confident you have the following in place?

• A robust Incident Management System (IMS)
• All relevant staff have clarity on the types of incidents to be notified
• All relevant staff have the knowledge and skills regarding notification requirements
• Clarity regarding roles and responsibilities for notifications including weekends and after hours
• Documented policies and procedures
• A system and process for recording incidents
• All relevant staff trained to become notifiers

Clinical governance reporting and oversight of serious incidents