CHSP Provider Community of Practice Hub

The Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 was passed by the Government on 5 August 2022. As part of this Bill, the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) is being expanded to In-Home Care Providers (CHSP and HCP) on 1 December 2022.

The information below is based on ACCPA's Governance and Transition to Support at Home webinar held on 1 September 2022.

SIRS is expanding into in-home care on 1 December. For information on SIRS

• Schedule 4 - Extension of incident management and reporting etc Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
• SIRS - note, this information relates to RACFs. We recommend you view this website as it will help you to prepare for what is coming

The subordinate legislation, or the instruments, is separate and is being drafted by the Department of Health and Aged Care. The timing for this is currently unknown.

It is recommended that CHSP Providers start preparing now by reviewing and updating their general Incident Management System (IMS) Obligations. The Commission is holding workshops on SIRS and other regulatory requirements in September and in the coming months. Please see the Community of Practice calendar and the Key Dates document in the Resources Available section for information.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission has recently released a fact sheet titled 'What is an effective incident management system?' outlining:

• What is an incident?
• What are a provider's incident management obligations?
• What is included in an incident management system?
• What are the benefits of effective incident management systems?
• Where should I start?
• How can I find out more about incident management systems?
• Incident management system requirements checklist

You can also download the 'Effective incident management systems: Best practice guidance' resource. This outlines:

• Responsibilities of aged care providers
• Incident management systems
• Key elements of an incident management systems

The Commission will be providing resources for providers soon so that you can prepare for the 1 December 2022 commencement date.

The CHSP Sector Support and Development Team will keep you updated with information as it becomes available. The SIRS enquiries line can be accessed Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm on 1800 081 549 or via sirs@agedcarequality.gov.au.