Additional guidance documents and templates to help CIMS users.
On this page
Primary policy guides for CIMS
Incident reports
Collection notices
Incident investigations and reviews
Out of Home Care guidance for service providers and carers
Reportable Conduct scheme and CIMS
Frequently asked questions
Primary policy guides for CIMS
- Client incident management guide (CIMS) (word)
- Client incident management guide - out-of-home care addendum (CIMS) (word)
- client incident management summary guide (word)
Below are additional guidance documents and templates to help CIMS users.
Incident reports
These resources provide additional guidance about incident reports
- Major impact incident process and timeframes (Word)
- Writing an effective CIMS incident report - August 2021 (Word)
Collection notices
A collection notice explains to individuals the purpose for which their information is collected, and how the organisation will use and handle the information.
For further information about providing Collection Notices to clients and non-clients, see the CIMS Guide and the OVIC website.
Templates are available below:
Incident investigations and reviews
Investigations
An investigation must be undertaken for incidents assessed as major client impact with one or more of the following incident types:
- physical, sexual (including sexual exploitation), financial, or emotional/psychological (including cultural) abuse where the subject of the allegation is a staff member (including a volunteer) or client
- poor quality of care
- injury – unexplained (in order to determine whether there has been any abuse or neglect that caused the injury).
The Investigative framework (CIMS) (Word) provides advice on how to conduct investigations, the following two plans are templates to guide investigators step by step:
Where allegations can (or cannot) be immediately substantiated, service providers can instead complete an investigation outcome and case review report or an investigation outcome and root cause analysis (RCA) report.
- Investigation outcome and case review template (word)
- Investigation outcome and root cause analysis template (word)
- CIMS short form investigation and review tip sheet (Word)
Reviews
Major impact incident types and incidents involving allegations of abuse where the subject of the allegation is not a staff member, volunteer, or client are subject to a case review or a root cause analysis review.
- Case review report template (CIMS)(Word)
- CIMS case review tip sheet
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA) review plan template (CIMS)
- Root Cause analysis report and risk reduction action plan template (CIMS) (word)
Extension requests
- Request for extension of due date for an incident investigation or root cause analysis review (word)
Out of Home Care guidance for Service Providers and Carers
These documents provide additional information and assistance for service providers in their reporting of incidents for Out of Home Care and the role of carers. Guidance template documents are also included to assist in the management of carers.
- Absent Client Reporting in Out Of Home Care Guidance August 2021 (Word)
- CIMS Service Provider Tip Sheet DFFH August 2021
- Guide for out-of-home carers (CIMS) (Word)
- Information for out-of-home carers of funded organisations (CIMS) (Word)
- Carer development plan (CIMS) (Word)
- Carer development plan progress review (CIMS) (word)
- Carer Police Investigation Fact Sheet August 2023
Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) and Client Incident Management System (CIMS) investigations
The previous Department of Health and Human Services and the Commission for Children and Young People have developed guidance material for service providers on undertaking streamlined CIMS and RCS investigations to meet the requirements of both schemes.