Webinar on the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) for Home Services

Introduction

• Speaker: Janet Anderson, Commissioner of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
• Acknowledgment: Traditional owners of the land, Elders past and present, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.

Key Topics

• Expansion of the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) to Home Services.
• Legislation extending SIRS into Home Services effective from December 1.
• Draft subordinate legislation and guidelines available.
• Previous webinars focused on incident management systems and reportable incidents.

Speakers and Topics

• Catherine Jenner: Reporting under SIRS.
• Jade Austin: Using the My Aged Care Portal for reporting.
• Leanne Emerson: SIRS for people with cognitive impairment or dementia.

Reporting Under SIRS

• Legislation: Close to finalization; providers should refer to draft guidelines.
• Eight Reportable Incident Types:
  • Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct.
  • Unreasonable use of force.
  • Psychological or emotional abuse.
  • Neglect.
  • Stealing or financial coercion by a staff member.
  • Unexpected death, missing consumers, inappropriate use of restrictive practices.
• Reporting Process:
  • All providers must have an incident management system.
  • Notifications submitted via My Aged Care Portal.
  • Providers must detail incidents comprehensively to minimize further investigation.

My Aged Care Portal

• Access: Administrators manage access for staff; portal used for submitting notifications.
• Demonstration: Videos available online due to technical difficulties during the webinar.

Incident Reporting Tips

• Important Details Often Missed:
  • Lack of detail about incidents.
  • Explanation for assessing incidents.
  • Actions to minimize future incidents.
• Notification Timeframes:
  • 24 hours for Priority One.
  • 30 days for Priority Two.
• Subcontractor Arrangements: Providers remain responsible for care quality even if subcontractors are involved.

Reporting Examples

• Reportable Incidents: Unreasonable use of force, neglect.
• Non-Reportable Incidents: Family members stealing (handled internally).

Dementia Care and SIRS

• Statistics: Significant number of people with dementia live in the community.
• Vulnerabilities: People with dementia are vulnerable to adverse incidents.
• Person-Centered Care:
  • Importance of understanding the individual.
  • Need for communication and involvement of the person with dementia.
• Preventing Incidents:
  • Education on dementia for aged care workers.
  • Recognizing and reporting incidents, even those outside of SIRS responsibility.

Questions and Answers

• Incident Reporting:
  • Reporting timeframe starts when the provider becomes aware of the incident.
  • Volunteers must also report incidents as part of the provider's incident management system.
• Impact Assessment:
  • Consider behavioral changes and communication with people with dementia.
• Technical Aspects:
  • Access and permissions for the My Aged Care Portal.
  • No current plans for API integration.

Conclusion

• Resources: Draft guidelines available on the commission's website.
• Feedback: Participants encouraged to provide feedback for continuous improvement.
• Follow-up: Questions not addressed will be published online.