SIRS decision tool
Is this a reportable incident under SIRS?
Priority 1 means notify the Commission within 24 hours. Priority 2 means within 30 calendar days. Unexpected death, any sexual conduct and an unexplained absence are always Priority 1. For everything else, answer the questions below to see the likely category and priority.
This is decision support, not a determination. Your delegate confirms reportability against current guidance. Last updated November 2026.
This is guidance, not a determination or legal advice. Whether an incident is reportable under SIRS, and at what priority, is a judgement your organisation's nominated delegate must confirm. SIRS rules change: always verify current requirements against current ACQSC guidance and your own SIRS policy before you act. When you are genuinely unsure, the safer default we recommend is to report. The Commission says: “If you’re unsure whether an incident is criminal, it’s best to report it to the police”.
How this tool classifies an incident
SIRS has eight reportable incident categories. Some are always Priority 1, no matter how the individual case looks:
- Unexpected death
- Any sexual conduct: unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct (the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission removed the severity assessment for this category, so it is always Priority 1)
- Unexplained absence (reasonable grounds to report to police)
The other categories are assessed against a Priority 1 trigger: whether the incident has caused the person injury or discomfort that requires medical or psychological treatment (treatment only a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, psychologist or social worker can provide), or whether there are reasonable grounds to report it to police. If that trigger is met the incident is likely Priority 1 (24 hours). If not, it is still reportable as Priority 2 (30 calendar days). Inappropriate use of a restrictive practice is reportable regardless of severity.
If an incident does not clearly fit any category, it may not be SIRS-reportable, but it may still need to be recorded in your own incident management system (Aged Care Rules 2025, s164-10).
Primary source
This page is based on guidance published by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) under the Aged Care Act 2024 and the Aged Care Rules 2025, in force from 1 November 2025.
Confirmed it's reportable? Here's what comes next
The decision tool gives you a likely category. These guides cover lodging the notification and the systems that keep the whole process auditable.
SIRS notification checklist
The eight categories, what a notification must contain, and the after-you-lodge follow-up.
Restrictive practices: the category providers under-report
PRN psychotropics or restraint used without consent is reportable regardless of harm.
Aged care worker screening
Police check vs NDIS Worker Screening, and who needs which clearance.
How Teiro structures incident reporting
A support worker logs the incident, a coordinator confirms reportability and closes it with an outcome.
Back to the SIRS guide
The full plain-English SIRS overview for aged care providers.
How Teiro helps
The record already exists by the time the clock is running
Teiro captures the incident at the point of care, timestamps the moment your team became aware of it, surfaces the classification question to your reviewer with the facts already attached, tracks the deadline once a priority is assigned, and produces the record you need to lodge your SIRS notification. The decision about whether something is reportable, and at what priority, stays with your organisation's delegate. Teiro makes sure that decision gets made in time, by the right person, with the facts already in front of them.
Teiro does not determine reportability, and does not submit notifications to the ACQSC or the NDIS Commission on your behalf. It produces the record your delegate needs to make the call and lodge it.
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