What Is the Serious Incident Response Scheme?
The Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is the Commonwealth regulatory framework that requires approved aged care providers to identify, manage, and report certain serious incidents affecting consumers. SIRS came into effect on 1 April 2021 for residential aged care and was extended to home care and flexible care settings on 1 December 2022.
Under SIRS, providers must report defined incident types to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission within timeframes that depend on whether the incident is classified as Priority 1 or Priority 2. Failure to report within the required timeframe, or failure to manage incidents according to SIRS requirements, is a compliance breach that can result in regulatory action.
SIRS Priority 1: Definition and Examples
A Priority 1 incident is one that the provider has reasonable grounds to believe has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to a consumer. Providers must report Priority 1 incidents to the Commission within 24 hours of the incident coming to the provider's attention.
The legislation specifies several incident types that are treated as Priority 1 when the threshold of serious harm is met. These include:
- Unreasonable use of force against a consumer, including hitting, kicking, pushing, or the inappropriate use of physical restraint
- Unlawful sexual contact with or the abuse of a consumer
- Psychological or emotional abuse that causes serious harm
- Unexpected death, including deaths that may need to be referred to the coroner
- Stealing from or financial fraud against a consumer
- Neglect that causes serious harm
- Unexplained absence from care
The 24-hour reporting clock starts from when the provider becomes aware of the incident, not when the incident is fully investigated. Providers do not need to have completed an investigation before reporting. The report can be updated as more information becomes available.
SIRS Priority 2: Definition and Examples
A Priority 2 incident is a serious incident that does not meet the Priority 1 threshold of serious harm, or where the provider does not have reasonable grounds to believe serious harm has occurred or is likely. Priority 2 incidents must be reported to the Commission within 30 days.
Priority 2 incidents cover the same incident types as Priority 1 but at a lower severity level. For example, an incident involving unreasonable force that did not result in injury and that caused minimal distress to the consumer may be Priority 2 rather than Priority 1. Similarly, an elopement that was resolved quickly and without harm to the consumer may be Priority 2.
The distinction between Priority 1 and Priority 2 requires a clinical and contextual judgement at the time of the incident. Providers should have clear decision-making frameworks in place to support staff and managers making this assessment, and should document the reasoning behind the classification.
The Eight Incident Types Covered by SIRS
SIRS applies to eight defined incident types:
- Unreasonable use of force
- Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct
- Psychological or emotional abuse
- Unexpected death
- Stealing or financial fraud
- Neglect
- Unexplained absence from care (elopement)
- Inappropriate use of restrictive practice
Each of these incident types can be Priority 1 or Priority 2 depending on the circumstances. Providers must assess each incident individually and not apply blanket classifications to incident types.
Abuse, Neglect, and Prevention Policies
The most common SIRS incidents involve abuse or neglect. Providers must have documented policies and staff training that address abuse and neglect prevention, recognition, and response. The Abuse and Neglect Prevention Policy provides a framework for organisations to set out their prevention strategies, reporting obligations, and investigation procedures in a format that is accessible to all staff.
Falls and Unexpected Deaths
Falls are among the most common serious incidents in aged care and can trigger SIRS reporting obligations where they result in serious injury or death. Every fall that results in a potential reportable incident requires careful documentation. The resource on Falls Response Documentation covers what should be recorded, how quickly, and by whom.
Unexpected deaths, including deaths that may have been contributed to by a fall, a medication event, or inadequate care, may need to be reported to both the Commission under SIRS and the coroner under state and territory law. Providers should have a clear policy on when a death is reportable to the coroner and how to navigate the interaction between SIRS obligations and coronial obligations. The Coroner and Reportable Deaths Policy provides guidance on managing this process.
Elopement and Missing Persons
An unexplained absence from care is one of the eight SIRS incident types. Elopement, where a consumer with cognitive impairment leaves a care environment without authorisation, is a high-risk event that requires immediate response and, in most cases, SIRS reporting. The Elopement and Missing Person Policy sets out the steps providers must take during and after an elopement event, including how to classify and report the incident under SIRS.
Audit Management and SIRS Compliance
The Commission may conduct audits specifically focused on SIRS compliance, examining whether incidents were correctly classified, reported on time, and followed up with appropriate internal investigation and corrective action. The Accreditation and Regulatory Audit Management Policy helps providers prepare for these audits by establishing documented processes for managing regulatory interactions, including SIRS-related reviews.
Providers can also use the Governa Policy Mapping to Standards tool to confirm that their incident management policies cover all relevant quality standard obligations.
