Free template

NDIS incident report template

Use an incident report whenever something happens during, or in connection with, your supports that harmed or could have harmed a participant — or that a participant or worker raises as a concern. The report is captured in your incident management system, investigated and followed up.

Registered NDIS providers must have an incident management system that meets the NDIS (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018, and must notify the NDIS Commission of reportable incidents — most within 24 hours of key personnel becoming aware.

Updated 7 October 2026 · Free to use, no sign-up

What the rules expect

Summarised from the sources listed at the end of this page. Check the current versions before you rely on them.

→An incident management system proportionate to your size and supports, that complies with the Incident Management and Reportable Incidents Rules.
→All workers are aware of, trained in and follow your incident procedures.
→Participants are told how incidents involving them have been managed.
→Death, serious injury, abuse or neglect, unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault, and sexual misconduct: Immediate Notification to the Commission within 24 hours, then a 5 Day Form.
→Unauthorised use of a restrictive practice with no harm: notify within 5 business days.
→Keep incident records for seven years.

The template

Copy it into your own document, print it, or download it as plain text.

0 of 6 ticked ·

Incident Report

1. Reporter

Your name and role
Phone and email
Date and time of this report

2. The incident

Date and time of the incident: Or when it is alleged to have happened
Location
Date and time key personnel became aware: Reportable incident deadlines run from this point
Support being delivered at the time

3. People involved

Participant(s) involved
Workers involved
Other people involved
Witnesses and contact details

4. What happened

Facts in the order they happened. What you saw and heard — not opinions or guesses.

Before the incident
During the incident
After the incident

5. Injuries and treatment

Injuries to anyone involved
First aid or medical treatment given, by whom

6. Immediate actions

What was done to make everyone safe
Emergency services or police called?: No / Yes — time and event number
Evidence preserved (if a crime may have occurred)

7. Notifications

Key personnel / supervisor told — name, date, time
Participant's family, guardian or nominee told — with consent: Name, date, time
Others told: e.g. plan manager, support coordinator, behaviour support practitioner

8. Reportable incident assessment

Tick any that apply, or are alleged. If any is ticked, notify the NDIS Commission through the Commission portal within the deadline.

Death of a participantImmediate Notification within 24 hours
Serious injury of a participantImmediate Notification within 24 hours
Abuse or neglect of a participantImmediate Notification within 24 hours
Unlawful sexual or physical contact with, or assault of, a participantImmediate Notification within 24 hours
Sexual misconduct committed against, or in the presence of, a participantImmediate Notification within 24 hours
Use of a restrictive practice that was not authorised or not in a behaviour support planWithin 5 business days if no harm; within 24 hours if it caused harm

9. Commission notification (if reportable)

Immediate Notification lodged — date, time, reference number
5 Day Form lodged — date, reference number
Final report requested?: No / Yes — due date

10. Follow-up

Investigation or review — who, and outcome
Support for the participant and workers affected
Changes to prevent it happening again: Support plan, risk assessment, training, policy
Participant told how the incident was managed — date
Closed by — name, signature, date

Free template from Suppora · suppora.com.au/templates/ndis-incident-report-template

How to fill it in

Step by step

1
Make everyone safe first
Respond to the immediate risk: first aid, emergency services, separating people, and preserving evidence if a crime may have occurred.
2
Tell key personnel straight away
Report to your supervisor or nominated incident reporter as soon as possible. Reportable incident deadlines run from when the provider becomes aware.
3
Write down the facts
Record what happened before, during and after, in order, using what you saw and heard. Include witnesses.
4
Decide if it is reportable
Check the incident against the six reportable incident types, including alleged incidents.
5
Notify the Commission on time
Lodge the Immediate Notification within 24 hours where required, then the 5 Day Form, and keep reference numbers.
6
Follow up and close
Investigate, support the people affected, change what needs changing, tell the participant how it was managed, and close the record.

Questions

Who should fill in the incident report?

The worker who saw the incident or was told about it should start the report as soon as it is safe to do so. Key personnel then complete the assessment, notifications and follow-up.

Do all incidents need to be reported to the NDIS Commission?

No. Only reportable incidents — death, serious injury, abuse or neglect, unlawful sexual or physical contact or assault, sexual misconduct, and unauthorised restrictive practices — must be notified. All incidents still go into your own incident management system.

When does the 24-hour clock start?

From when key personnel become aware of the incident, not from when the incident happened. That is why the report records when key personnel were told.

What if I'm not sure whether something happened?

Alleged incidents are reportable too. If a participant or anyone else says a reportable incident happened, assess it and notify if it fits a reportable type.

How long do we keep incident records?

Keep them for seven years. Your policy, or state and territory laws, may require longer in some cases.

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References

Sources checked 7 October 2026.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 — Federal Register of Legislation
Reportable incidents — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
NDIS Practice Standards — Core module: Provider governance and operational management — NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

This templateis general information, not legal advice. Adapt it to your organisation's policies and the supports you deliver.

In Suppora

Incident reports with the Commission deadlines built in.

Workers report incidents from the app. Choosing a reportable incident type flags it and starts the 24-hour and 5-business-day clocks, and every open reportable incident sits in one queue, soonest deadline first.

Incident management in Suppora See pricing