1. Overview
Orthomotion, as a NDIS provider of supports and services, has obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct, to:
- provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill
- promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may impact the quality and safety of supports and services provided to people with disability
- take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against, and exploitation, neglect and abuse of, people with disability
- take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct
Orthomotion has an incident management system to effectively manage and record incidents that occur in the delivery of our supports and services to people with disability.
1.1 Incident management system
Orthomotion’s incident management incorporates policy and procedures for identifying, assessing, recording, managing, resolving and reporting incidents. Key documents include:
- Orthomotion Incident Management System: Policy and Procedural Guidance
- Orthomotion Incident Management Register
Orthomotion must notify the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission of all reportable incidents (including alleged reportable incidents) that occur (or are alleged to have occurred) in connection with the provision of NDIS supports or services we deliver.
Orthomotion must notify the Commission even where we have recorded the incident in the Orthomotion Incident Register and responded/resolved the incident.
1.2 Roles and responsibilities
The Operations Director is responsible for:
- the development, implementation and ongoing review of Orthomotion’s incident management system
The Clinical Director and Operations Director are jointly responsible for:
- receiving, recording, reporting and managing incidents that occur in the delivery of Orthomotion supports and services to people with disability as per the requirements of the NDIS Commission
- providing training to all Orthomotion staff to ensure high level of awareness and understanding of their obligations and responsibilities in relation to incident management
2. Definition of incidents
Orthomotion is responsible for preventing, responding to, and managing:
- acts, omissions, events or circumstances that occur in connection with providing NDIS supports or services to a person with disability and have, or could have, caused harm to the person with disability
- acts by a person with disability that occur in connection with providing NDIS supports or services to the person with disability and which have caused serious harm, or a risk of serious harm, to another person
- reportable incidents that have or are alleged to have occurred in connection with providing NDIS supports or services to a person with disability
All incidents are required to be reported to either the Clinical Director or the Operations Director by Orthomotion staff in the event of witnessing an incident or receiving feedback or a complaint from a client or their representative in relation to an incident.
Clients and their representatives are encouraged to provide feedback or complaints to Orthomotion regarding an incident that has occurred in connection with the delivery of supports and services to them by Orthomotion. All feedback and complaints received by clients or their representative are assessed by the Clinical Director and the Operations Director against the criteria of the definition of an incident and an appropriate response is actioned accordingly.
3. Reportable incidents
Orthomotion staff must report all serious incidents to the Clinical Director or the Operations Director in the provision of supports and services to a client as soon as the incident has occurred. The Clinical Director or Operations Director will record the details of the reported incident in the Orthomotion Incidents Management Register and conduct an immediate assessment as to whether the incident meets the NDIS Commission criteria of a ‘reportable’ incident.
Reportable incidents are serious incidents or alleged incidents which result in harm to an NDIS participant which occurred (or alleged to have occurred) in connection with the provision of Orthomotion supports or services.
Reportable incidents include:
- the death of a NDIS participant
- serious injury of a NDIS participant
- abuse or neglect of a NDIS participant
- unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, NDIS participant
- sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a NDIS participant, including grooming of the NDIS participant for sexual activity
- the unauthorised use of a restrictive practice in relation to a NDIS participant.
3.1 Notifying the NDIS Commission
The Operations Director is responsible for providing the NDIS Commission with a reportable incident report as per the set processes via the NDIS Commission portal via the ‘My Reportable Incidents’ page and within the mandated timeframe for
providing a notification.
Orthomotion staff must report an incident to the Clinical Director or the Operations Director immediately after the incident has occurred to ensure the NDIS Commission is notified within the required timeframes:
- notified to the NDIS Commission within 24 hours, and
- followed up with a detailed report about the incident and actions taken in response within 5 business days.
The unauthorised use of restrictive practice must be notified to the NDIS Commission within 5 business days unless there is harm to a participant and then must be reported within 24 hours.
4. Incident Management Register
All incidents are recorded in the Orthomotion Incident Management Register and will be made available to approved quality auditors as part of the audit process and to the NDIS Commission upon request.
The register records the following information:
- Incident date
- Incident type
- Incident description
- Employee involved
- Incident response/resolution
- NDIS Commission reportable incident identification
- NDIS Commission notification date
- NDIS Commission response
- Resolution date
Orthomotion will retain the register for at least seven (7) years or longer if required as per legislative/legal requirements.
5. Incident support, feedback and assistance
Orthomotion will provide clear and transparent information to a NDIS participant their representative or support person, involved in an incident and seek feedback and input on the assessment, investigation and any corrective actions proposed and/or taken by Orthomotion in the management of a reported incident. Orthomotion will offer impacted clients a copy of the Orthomotion Incident Management Policy and Procedures Guide and an excerpt from the Orthomotion Incident Management Register of the relevant incident.
5.1 Access to incident management information
Orthomotion Incident Management Policy and Procedures Guide is easily accessible to NDIS participants, Orthomotion clients and member of the public via the Orthomotion website or by phoning Orthomotion on (02) 9055 5300 or emailing Orthomotion at office@orthomotion.com.au to request an electronic copy.
