The Lifetime Support Authority (LSA) is committed to managing and responding to incidents and complaints involving Lifetime Support Scheme (LSS) participants quickly and effectively. Service providers can obtain information regarding our expectation in managing incidents and complaints below and in the “LSA’s Service Provider Guidelines for Managing Incidents or Complaints for Lifetime Support Scheme Participants” documents.

This information sets out our expectations of service providers in managing incidents/adverse events and does not replace individual agency incident management policies and procedures.

Click on the below button if you would like to submit an incident report:

Submit LSS Participant Incident Report Form

Submit feedback online

Report Incident

Who do these guidelines apply to?

Anyone can report an incident to LSA.

The below guidelines support LSA funded service providers to understand their incident reporting obligations and provides information on how incidents are to be reported to LSA.

This information applies to all service providers delivering LSA funded treatment care and support to LSS Participants.

Existing service provider reporting obligations under state, territory or commonwealth regulations/laws are not affected by these guidelines. Service providers are expected to comply with all existing mandated reporting obligations where required including but not limited to.

  • Child Abuse Report Line (or state/territory equivalent)
  • NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
  • State or Territory coroner
  • SafeWork SA (or state/territory equivalent)

What is a reportable incident?

A reportable incident is an event that has caused, or could have caused, significant harm or risk to a person’s health, safety, or wellbeing.

These incidents can occur in various settings and include any serious incident that occurs or is alleged to have occurred, in connection with motor vehicle injury related treatment, care or support.

An incident is reportable if it meets a reportable category, regardless of whether it is related to service delivery.

A reportable incident must be reported if it occurs:

  • During service delivery.
  • When services are changed, withdrawn, or not provided.
  • Outside of service times but where there is a link to funded services
  • Unrelated to service delivery but where the incident involves a person's motor vehicle injury and meets a reportable incident category.

LSA requires funded service providers to submit incident reports in the following circumstances:

Category

Subcategory

Participant death

(where death was unexpected and or/related to funded support)

Participant medical incident

(resulting in serious injury requiring ambulance attendance or hospital attendance/admission)

  • Fall
  • Injury
  • Illness
  • Medication   error

Abuse of participant

  • Physical   abuse
  • Sexual   abuse
  • Emotional   abuse
  • Verbal   abuse
  • Financial   abuse
  • Coercive   control
  • Exploitation
  • Pattern   of abuse

Neglect of participant

  • Inadequate care
  • Failure to act
  • Supervisory neglect
  • Cumulative   harm

Provider misconduct

  • Sexual   misconduct
  • Fraud
  • Theft
  • Financial   misconduct
  • Professional   standards

Restrictive practice

  • Undocumented use of restrictive practice/s
  • Misuse of restrictive practice/s

Near miss/Hazard identified

(that if not corrected, poses a risk to participant or provider safety)

  • Equipment
  • Environment
  • Other

Participant risk to self or others

  • Self-harm
  • Assault (by participant)
  • Participant behaviour (new or emerging behaviours not managed by a behaviour   support plan that pose a risk to self, service provider or community)

Other

(any other event that causes or could cause serious harm, injury or risk to a participant or providers safety or wellbeing)

What is not a reportable incident

incidents, behaviours or psychosocial presentations that pre-existed the motor vehicle injury or is not injury related.

*note – if the presentation/incident is caused or significantly exacerbated by the motor vehicle injury and fits the definition of one of the above incident categories, it becomes a reportable incident.

What to do when an incident is not reportable

Providers should still inform LSA of incidents, barriers or increases in support needs that may impact a participant, even if they do not meet the reportable incident threshold. In these situations, providers should:

  • Notify the LSA Service Planner.

Responding to and reporting an incident to LSA.

To respond to and report a serious incident service providers must follow their internal policies and procedures and take the following steps.

Step 1. Respond to immediate health and safety needs.

  • Contact emergency services on 000 (when required).
  • Ensure immediate health and safety needs are met including any psychosocial and/or physical needs.
  • Assist to obtain medical assistance when required.

Step 2. Notify the Participant’s family/guardian.

  • Notify the participants family or guardian as soon as possible to explain the incident or allegations and the action being taken to remedy it.

Step 3. Complete and submit incident report.

  • Inform LSA of the incident within 24 hours of becoming aware of the incident or allegation.
  • Report incident to LSA by using the online form

    • Report Incident

* incident categories have not yet been updated on online form, please use category that most aligns with the reportable incident you are submitting.

  • Incidents can also be reported to LSA via email lsafeedback@sa.gov.au or phone 1300 880 849 when the matter is time sensitive or access to the website is not available.

What to expect after reporting an incident to LSA

When LSA receives and incident report, LSA will:

  • Review the information provided to assess what action is required.

To support assessment and/or investigation LSA may also:

  • Speak with the participant and/or their parent/guardian (where appropriate).
  • Contact the person who reported the incident to request further information.
  • Request documentation from the provider about follow-up actions taken, including any internal investigation outcomes.
  • Provide recommendations to manage identified risks and prevent reoccurrence.

Privacy and confidentiality

Incident reports may include sensitive and confidential information. LSA will only share information where legally required or as appropriate in line with privacy principles and information sharing guidelines.

A complaint is considered an expression of concern, dissatisfaction or frustration with the quality, or delivery of services, policies, procedures or conduct of the LSA or contracted service provider where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected or legally required.

An LSS participant may make a complaint if they are not satisfied with a service or product funded by us. Complaints may be made by a LSS participant or someone acting on their behalf, or another service provider. The complaint may be made to us in the following ways:

  • verbally
  • in writing
  • online

For further information visit our Complaints and Feedback page.

Alternatively, a LSS participant can choose to contact the Ombudsman SA any time to obtain advice or report a complaint. (Toll-free - outside Metro SA only) on 1800 182 150 or (08) 8226 8699.

Service providers must inform us as soon as possible or within one business day if a complaint has been received relating to a service provided to a LSS participant. This includes complaints that have been resolved. All complaints must be summarised and emailed to LSAFeedback@sa.gov.au.

Download Guidelines for managing complaints involving Lifetime Support Scheme participants

Read Guidelines for managing complaints involving Lifetime Support Scheme participants

Page last updated: 19 February 2026