A new Quality Management System will modernise the way providers report critical incidents and deaths. This temporary page supports providers to get ready for the change planned for late February or March 2027.
Timely, consistent and high-quality information on critical incidents and deaths is important to help DSS and providers identify and respond to areas of concern, improve services, and achieve better outcomes for disabled people.
We're making improvements to how these reports are submitted, using a new Quality Management System (QMS). Once live, providers will be able to complete critical incident and Initial Death Review forms online, replacing the current Word-based process.
The changes are designed to make reporting more consistent and easier to manage, while supporting better information sharing between providers and DSS.
QMS is expected to go live in late February or March 2027.
Helping providers get ready
We’ve worked closely with members of our Provider Reference Group. Their insights, experience and suggestions helped shape the design of the new Critical Incident and Initial Death Review forms.
Provider Forum 24 November 2026
A Provider Quality Forum on 24 November will introduce the upcoming changes, demonstrate the new forms and provide an opportunity to ask questions.
- Register for the Forum using this link: Introducing QMS: Reporting Critical Incidents and Deaths Online external
Training sessions
We will then run training sessions early next year before go-live. These sessions will guide you through completing the forms and highlighting the key information you need to know.
We will share recordings and resources on this page as they become available.
Existing reporting requirements remain the same
The introduction of QMS does not change current reporting requirements.
Providers must continue to report critical incidents to DSS as soon as practical and within 24 hours. Community residential providers must also submit an Initial Death Review (IDR) form within 15 working days for all deaths in residential services.
More information about current reporting requirements is available on the Reporting critical incidents and deaths webpage.
What's changing for providers?
When QMS goes live, you'll be able to complete critical incident and Initial Death Review forms online.
The content of the forms remains largely unchanged. The main improvement is how information is captured, with enhanced free-text sections designed to help you provide the right level of detail.
You can save and access your draft forms online using a unique reference code, to support your approval process before submitting to DSS.
Benefits for providers
The new online forms are expected to provide a range of benefits, including:
- Faster processing of incident reports and death notifications.
- Fewer delays and follow-up requests by helping ensure required information is provided at the time of submission.
- More timely and consistent communication between DSS and providers throughout the reporting and closure process.
- A modernised and more intuitive reporting experience.
Benefits for the wider disability support system
The new reporting process will also support:
- Improved visibility of risks, trends and emerging issues across services.
- More consistent and higher-quality information to support effective review and follow-up.
- Better use of data and analytics to support evidence-informed decision-making.
- Earlier identification of areas where improvements may be needed to support better outcomes for disabled people.