A good incident report does one job: it lets someone who wasn't there understand exactly what happened, months later, without filling in the gaps themselves. That's the bar an auditor holds it to. (If you're not sure whether an incident is reportable to the Commission — and the 24-hour clock that comes with it — start with our reportable-incidents guide; this post is about writing the report itself.)
Who this is for
Support workers who write incident reports and the operators who rely on them. The incident record is core evidence for the Safeguarding outcome.
Write what you saw and heard — nothing else
The single rule that makes a report defensible: facts, not opinions. Record only what you directly observed or were told. No assumptions, no speculation, no labels.
Weak: "Mark had a meltdown and got aggressive at dinner. Staff calmed him down. All good now."
Strong: "At 6:15pm in the kitchen, Mark stood up, raised his right arm and brought it down onto the table, and said loudly 'I'm not eating this.' No contact was made with any person. I lowered my voice, offered an alternative meal and gave him space. By 6:40pm Mark was seated and eating. No injuries. Notified house manager Jo Tran at 6:50pm. Follow-up: review mealtime preferences at the next support-plan check-in."
"Meltdown", "aggressive", "all good" are judgements. The strong version is a record.
The fields that matter
Every report should capture:
- When — date and specific time (not "evening").
- Where — the exact location.
- What — an objective description of what happened before, during and after, including direct quotes where you have them.
- Who — people involved and witnesses.
- Incident type — the classification your system uses.
- Immediate actions — what you did, including any first aid or de-escalation.
- Notifications — who you told, and when.
- Follow-up — what happens next, and any review or root-cause action.
That last one matters more than people expect: auditors consistently find root-cause analysis that's superficial rather than genuinely investigative. "Won't happen again" isn't a root cause.
Timing and keeping the record
Write it as soon as practicable — generally within 24 hours, while it's accurate. If a report is late, say so in the record and note why; late reporting is a compliance issue, and repeated late reporting attracts regulatory attention. Keep incident records for at least 7 years — the Commission can review them across that whole period.
Start from a good template
Our free NDIS incident report template lays out every field above so nothing gets missed under pressure — download it, brand it, and make it the standard form across your houses. One of three free templates (incident report, shift notes, support plan).
A template gets the fields right. Aura OS by Clearline Health takes it further — a five-step incident workflow that flags reportable events, starts the Commission notification clock, links the report to the participant and any behaviour support plan, and keeps the trail for audit. Flat $49/month, audit-ready on free. AI for admin, humans for care.
Get the free incident report template.
Every field laid out so nothing gets missed under pressure. One of three free templates.
Common questions
What makes an NDIS incident report audit-ready?
Objective, factual language (what you saw and heard, not opinions), the who/what/when/where, immediate actions, who was notified, and follow-up — completed promptly and signed.
How quickly must an incident report be written?
As soon as practicable, generally within 24 hours. If it's a reportable incident, the Commission notification clock (24 hours / 5 business days) runs separately — see our reportable-incidents guide.
How long do I keep incident records?
At least 7 years — the NDIS Commission can review them across that period.
General information drawn from the NDIS incident-management rules and audit experience, not legal advice. Check current requirements with the NDIS Commission and your incident-management policy.