SIRS Aged Care Reporting Guide: 8 Categories & Deadlines

The SIRS incident reporting software page shows how priority review, awareness time, notification preparation and investigation fit together.

SIRS reporting needs a reliable route from the person who first becomes aware of an incident to the person who reviews and notifies it. The deadline matters, but so do the immediate response, supporting information and follow-up.

Home-service SIRS obligations began on 1 December 2022. The current Aged Care Act 2024 framework includes Support at Home and residential care. This guide helps your team review reporting steps and evaluate the software supporting them.

The Serious Incident Response Scheme combines incident management with notification of defined reportable incidents. It applies across registered aged care providers, including residential and home services. Home-service obligations began in December 2022; Support at Home commenced later, on 1 November 2025.

Use the current definitions for the service and incident. Managing a concern, recording it, notifying the Commission and investigating it are related responsibilities, but they are not interchangeable. A low notification count does not establish safety or guarantee fewer assessments.

Your process should help staff act on immediate needs, escalate concerns, preserve the original awareness time and document the review and response.

The eight reportable incident types are:

1. Unreasonable use of force.
2. Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct.
3. Psychological or emotional abuse.
4. Unexpected death.
5. Stealing or financial coercion.
6. Neglect.
7. Inappropriate use of a restrictive practice.
8. Unexplained absence.

These labels are a starting point. Use the Commission’s current residential and home-service guidance and statutory definitions to assess the people involved, service connection, circumstances and any applicable exceptions. Alleged or suspected incidents also need assessment; do not wait for an investigation to finish before considering notification.

Record incidents and near misses in the incident management system even where external notification is not required. Record the assessment and reasons so another reviewer can understand the decision.

Every reportable incident is classified as either Priority 1 or Priority 2. Review classification against the recorded facts and current requirements.

• Priority 1 — notify within 24 hours. An incident is Priority 1 if any of the following apply:

• It has caused physical or psychological injury or discomfort requiring medical or psychological treatment
• It involves unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct (a Priority 1 category)
• There are reasonable grounds for reporting the matter to police
• It involves an unexplained absence of a care recipient where there are reasonable grounds to report the absence to police (a reportable absence is Priority 1)
• It involves an unexpected death

• Priority 2 — notify within 30 calendar days. Any reportable incident that does not meet Priority 1 criteria. Providers should still report as soon as practicable rather than waiting the full 30 days.

Guidance checked 25 September 2026 against the current Rules.

• Additional and new information. Rule 165A-25(6) requires missing Priority 1 notice information and further information specified by the Commissioner within five days from the start of the 24-hour period, unless the Commissioner determines another period or decides the notice is not required. Significant new information after notification must be notified as soon as reasonably practicable under rule 165A-40.
• Final report — only if the Commissioner requires it. A final report is not automatic for every incident. Where the Commissioner requires one, it is due within 84 calendar days of the initial notification (or another period the Commissioner specifies, under the Aged Care Rules 2025, s 165A-45) and must contain the information specified by the Commissioner.
• When the clock starts. The 24-hour and 30-day clocks both start from the moment any staff member becomes aware of the incident. Not when it's entered into the incident management system. Not when the compliance manager reviews it. Not when management decides it's reportable. The clock starts at awareness.

For example, if the provider becomes aware of a Priority 1 incident at 2 pm on Friday, the 24-hour deadline falls at 2 pm on Saturday. Entering it on Monday does not restart that clock. Maintain an after-hours process for assessment and notification.

Prepare the evidence so your team can explain the incident, decisions and follow-up. Use these review questions alongside current Commission resources:

• Is the recorded awareness time supported by the available information?
• Has reportability and priority been reviewed against the incident facts?
• Can the team show the external notification and any required additional information?
• Are investigation findings and corrective actions recorded, with owners and follow-up?
• Has any requested final report been completed within the applicable period?
• Are relevant records accessible under the retention and privacy arrangements?

Rules 154-150 and 164-25(2) require the specified incident records to be kept for seven years from the day the record is made or received. Use the current Rules when setting retention policy; do not calculate every record’s period solely from the incident date.

A delayed handover can leave little time to assess and notify a reportable incident. Check the route from the person who first becomes aware to the person responsible for reporting, including nights and weekends.

Record awareness separately from data entry. Make unresolved priority decisions visible and establish a fallback if the usual reviewer or digital system is unavailable. A software prompt helps staff act; it does not replace a trained person who can assess the circumstances and complete the required notification.

Review connected clinical information where it is relevant. Repeated falls or another pattern can prompt investigation, but a pattern alone does not automatically establish a reportable category or Priority 1 criterion.

Evaluate software by following an incident from the first record to the external submission and subsequent review. Ask to see:

• Awareness and deadline. Enter a fictional case where awareness preceded data entry. Confirm that entering or editing the record does not create a fresh reporting period.
• Priority review. Inspect the facts behind a suggested priority and how your team records its decision. Software should support the assessment, not conceal it.
• Responsibility and escalation. Confirm who receives reminders, how outstanding work is visible and what happens after hours. An attempted alert is not proof that someone acted.
• Submission evidence. Distinguish preparing information, submitting through the external portal and recording that submission. Check how the reference and supporting information are retained.
• Follow-up. Keep investigation, corrective actions, additional information and any requested final report distinct. Review access, record history, exports and retention arrangements against your requirements.

The Statura incident workspace supports the incident workflow described in this guide. Confirm its configured scope and any external handover in your demonstration.

Use the Commission’s SIRS provider resources and residential and home services overview. Check each document’s effective framework; some older resources remain online. Home-service SIRS obligations began in December 2022, before Support at Home commenced.

The Commission directs providers to the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal to report an incident. Keep portal access and an after-hours reporting arrangement ready.

The Aged Care Rules 2025 set the reporting requirements, including additional information and significant new information. Rule 165A-45 requires a final report only when the Commissioner requires one; include the specified information and follow the stated deadline.

Use the SIRS overview, deadline calculator and SIRS checklist as working aids alongside the primary requirements.

Statura Care’s incident workspace brings the incident record, reviewed priority and reporting deadline together. Record when the provider became aware, even if staff enter the incident later. Logging a record does not restart the legal reporting period.

• Review the suggested priority. The system suggests a priority from the recorded facts; your team confirms reportability and the appropriate response using current Commission guidance.
• See the time remaining. The incident header shows the recorded deadline and countdown. Priority 1 reminder windows are 12, 4 and 2 hours before the deadline; Priority 2 reminders cover the final seven days. The deadline workflow creates escalation tasks and attempts alerts to the relevant roles. Confirm recipients and delivery during implementation; an alert is not evidence that the Commission has been notified.
• Keep notification and follow-up distinct. Recording Commission notification changes the incident’s reporting status. If the Commissioner requires a final report, its separate deadline remains visible after the initial notification. Keep the submission reference and supporting records with the incident.

In a tailored demonstration, bring a synthetic example where awareness precedes data entry, then review the priority, deadline, reminder recipients and evidence of notification together.