CIW notifications: what Welsh care providers must notify, and when

In Wales, registered care providers must notify Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) of the events listed in Schedule 3 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017. That's law, under Regulation 60. Notifications must be in writing and without delay, and the Welsh Government's statutory guidance says usually within 24 hours of the event. They're sent through CIW Online.

This guide lists what's notifiable, the timings, what changed in September and November 2026, and a simple process so nothing gets missed on a night shift.

The rules

• Regulation 60 (law): the service provider must notify CIW of the events in Parts 1 and 2 of Schedule 3. Notifications must include details of the event, be made without delay and in writing unless stated otherwise, and be in the manner and form CIW requires.
• Regulation 84 and Schedule 4 (law): the Responsible Individual (RI) must notify CIW about the manager: appointment, absences, return and leaving.
• Statutory guidance: notifications are made without delay, "usually within 24 hours". It also explains what counts as a serious injury and as an event that stops safe running.
• CIW's notification forms page: notifications are made on CIW Online.

Children's homes have extra duties to notify the placing authority, the local authority, the police and the health board (Schedule 3, Parts 3 to 6). This guide focuses on adult care homes and domiciliary support.

What you must notify: the people you support

What counts as a serious injury

The statutory guidance says notify any accident or injury which, in the reasonable opinion of a health care professional, needs treatment by a health care professional and has or may have resulted in:

• damage or impairment of sensory, motor or intellectual functions that is permanent or likely to last more than 28 days;
• changes to the structure of the person's body;
• prolonged pain or prolonged psychological harm; or
• death or shortened life expectancy.

A fall with a graze goes in your incident log. A fall with a fractured hip is notified.

Events that stop safe running

The statutory guidance says these include, but aren't limited to:

• not enough suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff deployed at the service;
• an interruption to electricity, gas, water or sewerage lasting more than 24 hours in a row;
• physical damage to the premises that has or is likely to have a detrimental effect on care;
• failure of the heating system for more than 24 hours in a row;
• failure of fire alarms or other safety devices for more than 24 hours in a row.

Staffing is the one most often missed. If a shift ran unsafely short, check whether it needs notifying. Our care home rota guide for Wales covers staffing duties.

What you must notify: the provider and the service

What the RI must notify about the manager (Schedule 4)

• Appointment of a manager.
• Expected absence of the manager for 28 days or more, 7 days before it starts.
• Unexpected absence, no later than 7 days after it starts; and if it reaches 28 days with no prior notice, immediately on expiry of the 28 days.
• The manager's return, interim arrangements for absences over 28 days, someone else managing, and the manager leaving.

What changed in autumn 2026

CIW updated its notification types on CIW Online:

From 30 September 2026

• The Abuse/Allegation of Abuse notification was redeveloped, with clearer help text and dropdown options.
• Child Protection Enquiry became Outcome of a Child Protection Enquiry; enquiries themselves go under Abuse/Allegation of Abuse.
• Missing/Unexplained Absence of a Child was redeveloped.
• Two child-related types were retired.

From 2 November 2026

• Pressure Damage is a new standalone notification for category 3, 4 or unstageable pressure damage, and asks where the damage was sustained.
• Serious Injury or Accident stays for other serious injuries.

If your incident policy or flowchart still says "report pressure damage as a serious injury", update it.

How to submit

• Log in to CIW Online. You can only notify online once your registration is approved.
• The RI can delegate notifications to someone at the service, who becomes a CIW Online assistant. Make sure at least one person on every shift pattern can send a notification, or knows who to call.
• Include the details of the event, what you did and who else you've told.
• Keep a copy and the date sent, linked to the incident.

Notifications people forget

• Allegations of staff misconduct, even minor ones you're investigating internally.
• DoLS requests: in Wales the request is notifiable, not only the outcome.
• Infectious disease outbreaks in home care as well as care homes.
• RI absences, particularly unplanned ones.
• Statement of purpose changes, which need 28 days' notice.

A simple process for every incident

1. Make the person and others safe. Get medical help.
2. Record the incident the same day: what happened, who was involved (initials or room number), witnesses, immediate action.
3. Check against Schedule 3: abuse or allegation, misconduct allegation, serious injury, pressure damage, outbreak, police, death, DoLS request, safe running.
4. If it's notifiable, send it on CIW Online without delay (usually within 24 hours) and note the date.
5. Make any safeguarding report and consider your duty of candour (Regulation 13).
6. Review: lessons learned, actions with owners and dates. The RI's six-monthly quality of care review must analyse notifiable incidents in aggregate (Regulation 80).

CIW's Code of Practice says it uses the notifications you send when planning inspections, and concerns or notifications can prompt an inspection at any time. See our CIW inspection checklist.

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The lists and timings differ. England's are in our CQC statutory notifications guide. Scotland notifies the Care Inspectorate, and Northern Ireland notifies RQIA.

How ShiftComplete helps

ShiftComplete was built for England, so its notification prompt is worded around CQC's notification rules, not CIW's Schedule 3. It doesn't send notifications for you. What it gives a Welsh service is the record behind each one:

• Incidents (falls, injuries, safeguarding concerns and more) recorded on a phone in minutes, with the person involved by initials or room number only.
• A "sent on" date on the incident, so you can show when you notified CIW.
• Lessons learned recorded against the incident, and audits with an action list.
• Incidents and notifications in the inspection pack, which is grouped under CQC's five key questions but holds the same dated records CIW asks to see.

It works alongside your care-records system. It costs £2.49 per active staff member per month, with no minimum or contract, and the first 60 days are free with no card needed. See it on our care homes page, or for home care on our home care page.