Call us 1800 243 232
Call us 1800 243 232
In this session we will cover:
The session will take around 30 minutes to complete. At the end, you will be required to complete a short, comprehensive quiz.
Workers delivering supports and services in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are critical to people with disability, their families and carers.
As a worker you are also the person most likely to witness an incident or have something disclosed to you. When this happens, your response matters. You should feel confident in responding to and reporting incidents.
Below are links to some important things you will need to know about incidents. Please read and familiarise yourself with these.
We want to provide a service that understands individuals and achieves the best outcomes for people with disability.
Incidents do occur. When they do, we need to understand our responsibilities.
Anglicare, as an NDIS provider, and you, as a staff member, have obligations in responding to and reporting incidents. We are required to take all reasonable steps to prevent harm to, and exploitation of people with disability. This includes knowing what to look for, how to respond and how to report incidents when they occur.
It is important to have a work culture where we all feel confident in responding to and reporting incidents.
We want to continually improve service delivery. The process of reporting incidents encourages us to be reflective about our practices. It gives the opportunity to review supports for clients, and make changes to supports and the environment where they are needed. It can also help us to see where further where training and development are needed.
Anglicare recognises incidents as events that provide unexpected, unplanned and unintended outcomes for the clients, employees and the organisation.
The NDIS further describes a client incident as an act, omission, event or circumstance. This may mean any of the following:
This list is not exhaustive but incidents include things like:
Reportable incidents (incidents that must be reported to the NDIS Commission) are serious incidents that have, or are alleged to have, occurred in connection with the provision of NDIS supports and services, and have caused harm to an NDIS participant.
Registered NDIS providers must notify the NDIS Commission about a reportable incident that occurs, or is alleged to have occurred, in connection with the NDIS supports or services they deliver.
Most serious incidents need to be reported to the NDIS within 24hrs of occurring. It is important that staff complete reports within time frames and submit to Service Managers.
All incidents need to be reported and recorded, including those that are NDIS reportable.
We report incidents on Anglicare’s Incident Reporting (AIR) system.
AIR can be accessed on your work phone. It can also be accessed via any computer or mobile device with access to the internet.
You will need your Anglicare username and password for access.
If you are unsure if a report should be written, check with your service manager.
Include all information that is relevant to the cause and management of the incident.
Remember to write information that is:
Where incidents involve multiple employees the AIR notification is to be submitted by the most senior employee or by a single employee as agreed by those involved. Other employees who were present will have their names and contact details included on the form.
All reports are investigated. Service Managers or a more Senior Manager will conduct investigations.
Responding, reporting and investigations all contribute to a safer, more enjoyable work place.
Incident description- Jack Smith fell, injuring head, during outing to fetch water
On Friday 13 Jul 2020 at 10am Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jill was Jack’s support worker for the activity. Jill stated that she would support Jack to complete the task.
Prior to going up we had a discussion about how much water was required, how to collect it and what was the best path to take. Jack appeared happy and stated that he was eager to get the job done, “I would like to get the water today, it’s my turn, can we go now?”
On the way up the hill, Jack fell down and bumped his head. Jill observed the fall. Jack tripped on the uneven surface of the track, falling against a tree and tumbling to the ground.
Jill asked Jack where he was hurt and how he felt. Jack said he had “bumped his head on that tree but everything else feels ok”. Jill observed a small bruise that appeared to be swelling up on Jack’s forehead. Jill checked for other injuries and found none.
Jill asked if Jack could stand. Jack said “yes, my legs are fine” and Jill assisted Jack to get up. It was decided by Jill to head back home and call the Doctor. Jill contacted her service manager on the way.
Jack and Jill arrived home at 11am.
Jill called Dr Dan at 11.05am, who gave advice over the phone, to watch and apply ice. Ice was applied every ten minutes for ten minutes at a time over the next hour. Swelling and bruising appears to have stopped (12.30pm).
The bruise is the size of a 20 cent piece and slightly raised. Jack presented as being ok and stated that he was keen to go back up the hill to get more water.
We have planned the trip for another day.
Like complaints and other feedback, incidents provide the opportunity to review practices and procedures. Reports help to identify where improvements in service quality and safety can be made.
Each month, the Senior Quality and Safeguards Advisor provides a report to the Executive Board outlining incident trends and statistics. This is important for Anglicare to identify repetitive issues and areas of risk for the organisation, and the client base.
EXAMPLE: In February 2021, Anglicare made 24 Reports to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. 71% of those were for Unauthorised Restrictive Practices.
What does that tell us?
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission would ultimately like to see the reduction and elimination of restrictive practices. Anglicare’s Practices need to do the same.
Incident reports are analysed for trends (similar incidents occurring).
Based on trends, Anglicare may then be asked to correct some things (these are called remedial actions).
Anglicare may be required to:
The quality of incident reports is important. Clear and full information assists in the effective management of incidents and the continuous improvement of services.
You are often the first person to identify that an incident has occurred and you play a key role in responding promptly and appropriately to incidents.
When an incident occurs, irrespective of whether it is NDIS reportable or not:
In responding to incidents that involve abuse, neglect or the mistreatment of clients; the first priority of any response is to ensure that the needs and safety of the client is secured. Justice for victims is to be prioritised over the organisation’s reputation.
For all other incidents the health, safety and well-being of involved persons is to be responded to and support provided prior to reporting and recording the incident.
How to setup Linktree on your work phone
The Linktree icon will now appear on your phone’s homescreen like any other app, shortcut or widget.
The below are important resources you will have quick access to through Linktree.
Disability Services employee handbook (Confluence) – The first tab in link tree takes you directly to the Disability Handbook on Confluence. By clicking on the relevant headings this handbook provides easy access to information that will support your role with Anglicare. Policies and procedures to assist your work are found here as well as forms that you may need for yourself or for supporting clients.
Anglicare Incident Reporting (AIR) – Here you can record and report a client incident and injury, report a hazard, a worker related incident, a compliment or complaint.
Workforce and Scheduling Portal (WASP) – The Workforce and Scheduling Portal allows you to raise a request for ‘scheduling changes’, ‘shift swap’, ‘fill out a leave form’, or ‘request a call back’.
Business Support Centre (JIRA) – Anglicare’s Business Support Centre provides a helpdesk service in order to assist Anglicare employees with business systems, ICT, marketing, motor vehicle and property support. All requests that are received by the Business Support Centre are logged electronically and these requests are then prioritised, tracked, and updated. The BSC operates between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
HR Portal – The HR Request Portal is the central contact point for Anglicare Tasmania employees seeking Human Resources and Payroll advice and support. This workflow system is monitored between 8.00am – 4.00pm every weekday and covers requests for: assistance with payroll, updating employee records, ID cards, work health and safety, or workers compensation.
Thank you for taking part in Anglicare’s Incident Management Training. Please complete the short quiz below to finish the training.
© 2024 Anglicare Tasmania Inc. All Rights Reserved
