Incidents may occur from time-to-time during the provision of support, and the reporting of incidents to Mable plays an important role in keeping everyone involved safe.
You can report an incident using the form on the Mable website.
If you have experienced a stressful or upsetting situation then Mable is here to support you. Once an incident report has been made, we would encourage you to take advantage of the 24-hour support services offered free of charge on the Mable Wellbeing Platform.
Please check your incident reporting options below.
What is an incident?
Mable defines an incident as:
An act, omission, event, or circumstance that causes harm, or could reasonably be expected to cause harm, during or in connection with an arranged service between Users.
Mable defines a complaint as:
An expression of dissatisfaction made to or about Mable where a response is expected.
Reports relating to NDIS participants
If the incident relates to an NDIS participant and falls into one of the documented ‘Reportable Incident’ categories, then this must be reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. The majority of reportable incidents require reporting to take place within 24-hours of the incident occurring, with the exception being the use of unauthorised restrictive practices which carry a 5 business day reporting timeframe.
Please see below for more information about NDIS “Reportable Incidents”.
You must report 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 you deliver to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission within 24 hours of the incident occurring.
Reportable incidents are serious incidents or alleged incidents which result in harm to an NDIS participant and occur in connection with NDIS supports and services. Specific types of reportable incidents include:
- The death of a person with disability
- Serious injury of a person with disability
- Abuse or neglect of a person with disability
- Unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a person with disability (excluding, in the case of unlawful physical assault, contact with, and impact on, the person that is negligible)
- Sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a person with disability, including grooming of the person for sexual activity
- The use of a restrictive practice in relation to a person with disability, other than where the use is in accordance with an authorisation (however described) of a State or Territory in relation to the person or a behaviour support plan for the person.
It is important to note that these incidents should also be reported to Mable.
Phone number: 1800 035 544
Reports relating to an aged care client
When incidents relate to aged care service provision, all ‘reportable incidents’ must be reported to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in accordance with the Serious Incident Reporting Scheme (SIRS) requirements.
SIRS incidents fall under one of two ‘priority levels’ with some to be reported within 24 hours, others within 30 days. So you must act quickly, and you can also use the SIRS Decision Support Tool to help you determine whether an incident is reportable under the SIRS or not.
Please see below for more SIRS information.
If you are providing services to aged care consumers (Consumers), you must ensure you are aware of your requirements under SIRS to assist Approved Providers to fulfil their obligations to report reportable incidents to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Commission).
Reportable Incidents are those that:
- Occur in connection with the provision of care or services;
- Have caused harm to a Consumer; and
- Are one of the Eight Types of Reportable Incidents for home services, which include:
- Unreasonable use of force;
- Unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct;
- Psychological or emotional abuse;
- Unexpected death;
- Stealing or financial coercion;
- Neglect;
- Inappropriate use of restrictive practices; or
- Missing Consumers (this is intended to capture situations where a provider has the Consumer in their physical care immediately prior to their absence. It is not intended to require notification to the Commission when a provider arrives for a scheduled visit and there is no reason to be concerned about their absence, or where a Consumer leaves their home whilst, for example, home maintenance services are provider).
Reportable Incidents must be reported to the Commission. They are classified as “Priority 1” or “Priority 2” Reportable Incidents. If either of these incidents occur during your support session, you must notify Mable’s Trust and Safety Team as soon as possible, so that they can notify the Approved Provider for the Consumer. This is due to the fact that if an Approved Provider becomes aware of a Reportable Incident and has reasonable grounds to believe that the incident is a Priority 1 Reportable Incident, it must notify the Commission within 24 hours of becoming aware of the Reportable Incident. Where required, these incidents must also be reported to the Police.
A “Priority 1” Reportable Incident is an incident:
- That is an unexpected death of a Consumer;
- That caused (or reasonably have been expected to cause) a Consumer physical or psychological injury or discomfort that requires medical or psychological treatment to resolve;
- Where there are reasonable grounds to report the incident to Police;
- Involving unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct inflicted on a Consumer; or
- Where a Consumer goes missing in the course of provision of home services.
A “Priority 2 Reportable incident is an incident that does not meet the criteria for a Priority 1 Reportable Incident, but is listed above as one of the Eight Types of Reportable Incidents. These incidents must be reported to the Commission by the Approved Provider for the Consumer within 30 days of it becoming aware of the incident.
For further information in relation to SIRS in Home Service, including examples of Reportable Incidents, please refer to the following website: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/sirs/sirs-home-services.
If you have a Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) enquiry, you can:
- Call the Commission on 1800 081 549 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm (AEST) Monday to Friday, or between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm (AEST) Saturday and Sunday
- Email the Commission at sirs@agedcarequality.gov.au.
Notifications to the police
For Priority 1 incidents, there is also a requirement to notify the police where there are reasonable grounds to do so, within 24 hours of becoming aware of the incident. This includes scenarios where you are aware of facts or circumstances that lead to a belief that an incident is unlawful or considered to be of a criminal nature (for example sexual assault).
Reporting to police in relation to criminal conduct should occur regardless of whether the incident is alleged or suspected to have occurred.
If you are in any doubt about whether an incident is of a criminal nature, make a report to the police.
Making a report directly to Mable
If the incident occurred during a specific support session on Mable, then you can submit the incident report through the Mable platform when submitting your support hours. You will be prompted to report any such incidents when submitting your hours.
If you want to report an incident as part of your session notes, follow these steps:
- Log in
- Click Support Hours
- Select Add new on your desktop OR the + sign on the mobile app
- Fill out the form as normal
- The final question on the form is: Report an incident?
- Select Yes
- Fill out the Incident Form
Once your report is complete, select Submit and you’ll have an opportunity to review your notes and report before submitting them.
Once your incident report is submitted, our Trust and Safety team will review the information within 48 business hours and may contact you for further details.
While the invoice for the support session is still pending, you may edit your incident report through our platform.
Alternatively, you can also fill out Mable’s Incident Report form. You will not be required to log in to your account to submit an incident via this method.
What happens after reporting an incident?
Mable’s Trust and Safety Team will manage the incident in accordance with our Incidents & Complaints Management Policy. We will review the incident within 48 business hours and may contact you to seek additional information as required.
Depending on the incident’s severity, they will take different steps which may include:
- Contacting affected parties to gather more information
- Facilitating access to support services
- Assisting with finding continuity of services for a client
- Referral to HMD Insurance Pty Limited to assist with a potential insurance claim.
If a registered disability provider or approved home care provider is connected to the client’s account, Mable will also forward the incident details to them.
Where necessary, Mable will report incidents directly to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Concerns about negative reactions to a report
We understand that you may have concerns with regards to reporting an incident.
However, support workers have a responsibility to report incidents to ensure the ongoing wellbeing of their clients and to meet legislative and regulatory reporting requirements. The reporting of an incident also creates a documented log of the event and when it occurred, which helps to safeguard both the support provider and client.
After you report an incident, Mable has a duty to act on reports that may represent a breach of our Code of Conduct or Terms of Use.
The Mable Trust and Safety team is available to assist you, however if you have concerns for your wellbeing, we recommend that you contact the Police first.
Counselling and support services
Being an independent support worker on Mable gives you access to free, round-the-clock support through the Mable Wellbeing Platform.
If you ever need to talk to someone about any personal or work related matters, trained counsellors are available 24/7 to discuss your concerns.
Find out more about the Mable Wellbeing Platform.
How to lodge an appeal
If you wish to make an appeal to a decision regarding your incident or complaint you can follow the appeals process below. All appeals are reviewed and determined by our Trust & Safety Committee.
Your appeal submission must:
- State the reason you are appealing the outcome of your incident report; and
- Include your case reference number (if one was provided to you).
Please submit your appeal in writing to trustandsafety@mable.com.au within three months of the original outcome.
A decision on your appeal will be determined within 21 days of the date of submission. You will be notified of the decision in writing.
If you remain unsatisfied with the outcome of the incident or complaint, or following the conclusion of the appeals process, then you may wish to refer the matter to an appropriate external body such as:
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- Aged Care Quality & Safeguards Commission
- Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner in your State or Territory.
