department of communities, child safety and disability ... · the critical incident reporting...

Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

Corporate and Executive Services

PROCEDURE Title: Critical Incident Reporting Procedure

Purpose

These procedures aim to ensure all critical incidents are reported to the appropriate management level in a timely manner and dealt with appropriately by all staff involved.

Information submitted through the Critical Incident Reporting Management System (CIRMS) should also be used to update the appropriate Child Safety and/or Disability Services case management system/s.

1 Process

Any staff member who is involved in, witnesses or has a critical incident brought to their attention must immediately report the critical incident in accordance with the requirements in Section 3 of this document. If required , reporting officers should consult their line manager to determine the level of the critical incident in accordance with the 'Critical Incident Types' (See Attachment 1) and the need, if any, for reporting alleged criminal acts to the police.

Staff must prepare a Critical Incident report (CIR) form using the online CIRMS found on the departmental intranet, in accordance with the definitions and notification timeframes set out in 'Critical Incident Types'. (In the event that the online system is not working, please see Section 10 for instructions).

If there is an allegation of criminal behaviour or misconduct by a departmental officer, this must be reported to the relevant Regional Executive Director for possible referral to Human Resources and Ethical Standards.

All media enquiries, in relation to any aspect of a critical incident, are to be directed through the Regional Executive Director to the Manager, Media Unit on 3224 5414 or [email protected] and the relevant departmental Principal Advisor, Office of the Director-General.

2 Definitions

A critical incident is an incident described in Attachment 1 'Critical Incident Types'.

CIRMS is the central database into which all information, from CIR forms, is held following submission of an online critical incident report form. The Critical Incident Reporting Management System (CIRMS) is administered and managed by the Governance team in Corporate and Executive Services for the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~·~ Government

QLD.0149.001.0117_R


3 Notification Process

Level 1 Critical Incident:

• immediate verbal advice to the Regional Director (or similar level officer);

AND

• completion of a Critical Incident report (CIR) within four business hours.

Level 2 Critical Incident:

• immediate verbal advice to the Manager (or similar level officer);

AND

• completion of a CIR by 5pm the next business day.

When submitting a critical incident into the CIRMS, the information should be succinct but contain sufficient detail and contextual information to enable the report to be understood as a stand-alone record .

Critical Incident Level 1 The report initiator should submit a CIR into the CIRMS within four business hours of the person becoming aware of the critical incident. Once submitted, an email alert will be received by all staff with review group access.

Critical Incident Level 2 The report initiator should submit a CIR into the CIRMS by 5pm the following business day, of the person becoming aware of the critical incident. Once submitted, an email alert will be received by all staff with review group access.

4 Follow up actions, updating and closing a critical incident report

Following submission of the CIR form, the Regional Executive Director or Regional Director may provide direction in relation to the need for any follow up actions. Alternatively, departmental staff may need to initiate follow-up activities and provide updated information.

Any updated information is to be promptly provided to the Governance team, Corporate and Executive Services in an email to: [email protected]

A critical incident will be moved to 'closed' status by the Governance team only when there is sufficient information in the report to indicate the critical incident event has been/is being appropriately managed or resolution has been reached. All CIRs for clients who are missing will remain open until the client has either returned to their placement or the whereabouts of the client is known and they are considered by the department to be safe.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~s~~ Government

QLD.0149.001.0118_R


5 Reportable deaths

Deaths-in-care

Section 7(3)(c) of the Coroners Act 2003, applies to any person and dictates that a 'death-in-care' must be reported immediately to a police officer or a coroner. Also, Section 7(2) of the Act states that a 'death-in-care' of a child or a person with disability must be reported , regardless of whether it is reasonable to believe that someone else has reported or may report the death.

A death is considered a 'death-in-care' even if the deceased person died somewhere other than the place where the deceased person ordinarily lived (for example, a hospital).

No assessment of the actual circumstances of the 'death-in-care' should be undertaken. For example, no discretion around reporting should be shown to a death that appears to occur from natural causes. The Coroners Act 2003 mandates that every 'death-in-care' be reported regardless of the circumstances or cause of death.

When a 'death-in-care' occurs, a Critical Incident Level 1 notification should be completed in accordance with the notification process detailed in Section 3 of this document.

It is the responsibility of the Regional Director to ensure the 'death-in-care' is or has been reported immediately to a police officer or coroner and that the reporting process is recorded appropriately in the CIRMS.

Deaths-in-care (Disability Services) section 9 (1)

A person's death is considered a 'death-in-care' if, when the person died, the person had a disability mentioned in the Disability Services Act 2006, section 11 , and:

• was living in a 'level 3' accredited residential service; or

• was receiving services providing accommodation to persons with disability and operated, or wholly or partly funded, by the department in which the Disability Services Act 2006 is administered; or

• was living in a residential service: - that is not a private dwelling or aged care facility; and

- that is wholly or partly funded by the department in which the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 is administered or by a Hospital and Health Service under that Act, or at which the department or a Hospital and Health Service provides services.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~s~~ Government

QLD.0149.001.0119_R


Deaths-in-care (Child Safety)

A child's death is considered a 'death-in-care' if, when the child died, the child was:

• in the custody or guardianship of the Chief Executive under the Child Protection Act 1999;

• placed in-care under an assessment care agreement;

• the subject of a child protection order granting custody of the child to a person. other than a parent of the child, who is a member of the child's family;

• the subject of a child protection order granting long-term guardianship of the child to:

- a suitable person, other than a parent of the child, who is a member of the child's family;

- another suitable person, other than a member of the child's family, nominated by the chief executive.

The Case Review Unit holds responsibility for reporting all deaths (relating to children or young people known to Child Safety), in the previous 12 months, to the Coroner.

Other reportable deaths

A person's death may still be a reportable death under the Coroners Act 2003 Section 8 (3), even if it was not a 'death-in-care' .

For example, any death is also immediately reportable to the police or coroner if:

• the death was a violent or otherwise unnatural death;

• the death happened in suspicious circumstances;

• a 'cause-of-death' certificate has not been issued and is not likely to be issued for the person.

6 Missing Persons

Completion of a Critical Incident report form is required if there are particular concerns for the person's safety or wellbeing due to their vulnerability, e.g. under 12 years of age, suicide risk, impaired capacity or medical needs.

As well as entering information into the Integrated Client Management System (ICMS) the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre should be informed of any medical condition or other critical factor which may increase the level of risk or vulnerability for the missing person.

Official notification of missing person's status must be made to the police where there are serious concerns for the safety or wellbeing of the person due to their vulnerability, e.g. under 12 years of age, suicide risk, impaired capacity or medical needs. Official notification must occur as soon as possible.

If the person is assessed as a suicide risk, an alert must be completed on ICMS/Disability Business Information System (BIS) within 24 hours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~s~~ Government

QLD.0149.001.0120_R


7 Workplace Health and Safety

Where a critical incident results in an injury to staff, a Workplace Injury, Illness and Incident Report Form must also be completed and forwarded to the appropriate area.

8 Department provided or funded services

The Critical Incident policy and procedure also applies when staff become aware of an incident occurring at a department funded or licensed service. Service agreements entered into with department funded services include a requirement that they notify a departmental officer of any major incident within one business day of becoming aware of it.

In addition to the reporting requirements for major incidents, Disability Services' agreements also require organisations to have. maintain. implement and act in accordance with policies consistent with the departments Critical Incident Reporting Policy.

In such circumstances, following advice from the service, departmental staff must complete a critical incident report form in accordance with the 'Critical Incident Types'.

9 Critical incidents involving Youth Justice dual clients

Where a critical incident involves a young person on dual Youth Justice and Child Safety orders, Child Safety officers should: • contact the relevant Youth Justice caseworker to enquire if they are

aware of the incident and/or advise them of the incident;

• confirm with the Youth Justice worker that DCCSDS will be completing a Critical Incident report form noting the name of the Youth Justice officer that has been consulted or advised;

• Youth Justice staff will also complete a Department of Justice and Attorney-General critical incident report if the incident falls within their criteria.

10 Online System Failure

Although unlikely, there may be times when access to the online Critical Incident Reporting Management System (CIRMS) is not available due to system failure. In those instances, the following process should be followed . • instigate the verbal notification process as per Section 3;

• complete a manual critical incident form;

• fax or email the completed form to relevant officers including the Governance team ([email protected]);

• complete the online CIRMS form once access is restored .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~s~~ Government

QLD.0149.001.0121_R


Authority:

Child Protection Act 1999, Disability Services Act 2006, Coroners Act 2003, Coroners Regulation 2003

Records File No.:

Date of approval:

Date of operation:

Date to be reviewed:

Office:

Help Contact:

Links:

1 June 2016

Governance, Governance and Complaints, Corporate and Executive Services

Manager- Governance

Phone: ID111f···

Critical Incident Reporting Policy

Michael Hogan Director -General

Que«tsland Government

QLD.0149.001.0122_R


Critical Incident Types

LEVEL 1 Immediate verbal notification to the Regional Director followed by critical incident report form submitted within

four business hours of the staff member becoming aware of the incident 1.1 Death of a person • who was a child or young person known to Child Safety in the previous 12

months; or

• with a disability which is defined as a 'death in care' under the Coroners Act 2003; or

• where another client, foster or kinship carer or staff member is allegedly involved in the death; or

• while attending or using department provided or funded services, facilities or activities

1.2 Life threatening injury • where another client, foster or kinship carer or staff member is allegedly to a person involved in the injury; or

• while attending or using departmental provided or funded services, facilities or activities

1.3 Serious injury to a child that results in • when a child or young person, currently known to Child Safety or known to hospitalisation Child Safety in the previous 12 months, is believed to have an injury that

meets the definition of a serious physical injury under the Child Protection Act 1999

1.4 Abduction • abduction of a child or young person subject to departmental intervention from

their carer/service provider

1.5 Major security incident • a major security incident involving an emergency response to a hostage situation, fire, power failure, bomb threat or discovery of a bomb

1.6 Alleged rape, sexual assault or serious • with a disability while attending or using departmentally provided or funded assault of a child under 14 years services, facilities or activities; or

• of or by a child or young person subject to departmental intervention; or


LEVEL 2 Immediate verbal notification to the manager followed by a critical incident report form submitted by 5pm next

business day of the staff member becoming aware of the incident 2.1 Serious injury to a person that results in • where another client, foster or kinship carer or staff is allegedly involved in the

hospitalisation injury; or


2.2 Alleged rape, sexual assault or serious • of a person with a disability while attending or using department provided or assault funded services, facilities or activities; or

• of or by a child or young person subject to departmental intervention; or

• of or by a person while attending or using department provided or funded services, facilities or activities; or

• of a departmental staff member whilst performing their duties

2.3 Attempted suicide • of a person in a departmental facility; or

• of a person who is a client of accommodation support provided or funded by the department; or

• of a child or young person in care

2.4 Missing Child • any child whose location is unknown and there are fears for the safety or concern for the welfare of that child

2.5 Missing person • clients who are missing from their place of residence where there are serious concerns for their safety or wellbeing due to their vulnerability

2.6 Alleged abuse, neglect or exploitation of • where another client, staff member or direct carer is allegedly involved; or a person with a disability • who is a client of accommodation support provided by the department

-~sland Government

QLD.0149.001.0123_R

department of communities, child safety and disability ... · the critical incident reporting...

Documents