The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is a national framework for identifying, managing, reporting, and learning from serious incidents in disability and aged care services. For NDIS providers, the SIRS is administered by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and has been operational since July 2021. For aged care providers, the SIRS is administered by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and was introduced in April 2021.

The scheme requires registered providers to have an effective incident management system, to notify the relevant Commission of reportable incidents within prescribed timeframes, and to take reasonable steps to prevent further incidents. The SIRS represents a significant shift from voluntary or discretionary reporting toward mandatory, time-bound notification obligations.

Understanding which incidents are reportable, the classification system (Priority 1 and Priority 2), the notification timeframes, and the ongoing management obligations is critical for compliance. Failure to report reportable incidents can result in compliance action, conditions on registration, banning orders, or civil penalties.

Under the NDIS SIRS, a reportable incident is defined as 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 a person with disability, sexual misconduct committed against a person with disability, or the unauthorised use of a restrictive practice in relation to a person with disability.

For aged care, reportable incidents include unreasonable use of force, unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct, psychological or emotional abuse, unexpected death, stealing or financial coercion, neglect, and inappropriate use of restrictive practices. Both schemes share the principle that incidents involving harm or risk of harm to a vulnerable person must be reported, but the specific categories and definitions differ slightly between the NDIS and aged care frameworks.

The NDIS SIRS classifies reportable incidents as Priority 1 (immediate notification required) or Priority 2 (notification within 5 business days). Priority 1 incidents include the death of a person with disability, serious injury, abuse or neglect, and unlawful sexual or physical contact or sexual misconduct where there is an immediate risk to the health, safety, or wellbeing of any person. Priority 1 incidents must be notified to the NDIS Commission within 24 hours.

Priority 2 incidents cover the remaining reportable incidents where there is no immediate risk but the event still meets the reportable threshold. These must be notified within 5 business days. For both Priority 1 and Priority 2, providers must submit an initial notification and then a more detailed follow-up report within prescribed timeframes as the investigation progresses.

In the aged care SIRS, the timeframe for notification is 24 hours for Priority 1 and 30 calendar days for Priority 2. These timeframes begin from when the provider became aware (or should reasonably have become aware) of the incident. Both schemes also require ongoing management, investigation, and final reporting, not just the initial notification.

Complying with the SIRS requires more than just filing a notification form. Providers must have an incident management system that enables identification, recording, and triage of incidents in real time. Staff must be trained to recognise reportable incidents and understand the escalation pathway. The notification itself must contain specific information including the details of the incident, the people involved, the immediate actions taken, and any ongoing risks.

After the initial notification, providers are expected to conduct a thorough investigation, implement corrective actions, and submit a final report. The investigation should identify contributing factors, assess whether systemic issues are present, and document the actions taken to prevent recurrence. Both Commissions actively review final reports and may request further information or take compliance action if the investigation is inadequate.

FormaOS provides a structured incident management workflow that aligns with SIRS requirements for both NDIS and aged care providers. It enables real-time incident recording, automatic classification and escalation, notification deadline tracking, investigation workflow management, and audit-ready reporting. This ensures providers meet their SIRS obligations consistently and can demonstrate a robust incident management system to auditors.