How Significant Does an Incident Need to Be?

Keturah Charlesworth Author

Why Reporting Even the Smallest Incidents Matters

Ever heard of "death by a thousand cuts"?

Sounds dramatic, right? And while the phrase has some rather gruesome historical origins (which I’ll spare you from, in case you’re enjoying your morning tea), it perfectly illustrates how tiny, seemingly insignificant things can accumulate into something serious.

The same principle applies to incident reporting for your NDIS participants, and your workforce. 

How Significant Does an Incident Need to Be for the NDIS to Consider it Reportable?

I’ve been asked this question many times, and the truth is simple: if it happened, it should be reported.

• A slight change in a participant’s behavior.

• A small fall with no visible injuries.

• A verbal aggression incident that didn’t escalate.

On their own, these might seem too minor to matter. But when we fail to capture them in our incident registers, we miss critical patterns patterns that could help prevent bigger problems down the track.

Why Every NDIS Incident Matters

• Spot Red Flags Early – A one-off incident may not seem concerning, but repeated occurrences? That’s a trend. Tracking small incidents helps identify risks before they escalate.
• Understand the Bigger Picture – Are similar incidents happening repeatedly? Are certain participants experiencing more incidents? Data-driven insights allow for better risk management and service improvements.
• Adjust & Improve – Reviewing incident patterns helps you refine training, environmental factors, and procedures, ensuring proactive prevention rather than reactive fixes.
• Be Audit-Ready – Under the NDIS Practice Standards, incident management isn’t just good practice—it’s a core compliance requirement. Incident management contributed to the majority of non-conformities in 2024, so a well-documented system is essential.

Turning Incident Reporting into a Powerful Risk Management Tool

If your incident reporting feels like a tick-box exercise rather than a meaningful risk-management tool, it’s time to take a step back and assess your approach.

Ask yourself:

• Are your reporting procedures clear, accessible, and practical?

• Do your incident reviews lead to real improvements, or are they just filed away?

• Does your investigation process truly get to the root cause of incidents?

• Does your team feel safe and encouraged to report every incident?

Need Support to Strengthen Your Incident Management Approach?

Our Evidence Vault – Core Modules gives you access to 1,200+ evidence examples covering all NDIS Practice Standards Core Modules, including incident management best practices. Whether you're fine-tuning your processes or preparing for an audit, this resource can help you build a stronger, more effective incident management system.

📌 Check out the Evidence Vault for the NDIS Core Modules here: LEARN MORE

Let’s move beyond "report and forget" and create a culture where incident reporting actively improves participant safety, quality, and compliance - no matter how small or insignificant the incident might seem at first glance. 

Have you ever seen a “small” incident turn into a big one? Share your story in the comments - we’d love to hear it!

Categories: : Data analysis, NDIS Compliance, Incident Management