Overview
To help protect the safety, health, well-being and rights of people receiving CLBC-funded services, CLBC has established a number of formal safeguards including Critical Incident Reporting. CLBC requires its contracted service providers to report a wide range of incidents – from unexpected illnesses, falls, reports of aggressive behaviour to suspected abuse or neglect.
The purpose of these reports is for CLBC and service providers to work together to respond to and resolve these incidents and reduce future ones.
CLBC follows the reporting processes established by other parts of government, such as licensed community care facilities.
Critical incident reports can:
- show someone’s needs are not understood.
- alert CLBC that the approach to someone’s support needs to be changed.
- alert CLBC that someone’s supports are inadequate.
CLBC and Service Provider responsibilities
Just like everyone, adults with developmental disabilities may fall ill, struggle with their physical and mental health or experience accidents or personal crises. CLBC funded supports and are available to eligible persons from age 19 to the end of their life.
Service providers follow up on critical incidents and work with CLBC to:
- prevent recurrences.
- improve the quality of services and care.
- identify and respond to emerging planning needs.
- anticipate changes across the individual’s lifespan.
CLBC understands and supports the right of every individual to make their own decisions about their own lives. CLBC strives to strike a balance between providing space for people to live their lives in the way they choose while helping ensure their well-being.
CLBC actions and guidance:
- In June 2025, CLBC put in place a new information management system, helping to improve monitoring capability.
- CLBC’s Critical Incidents Policy outlines the requirements for staff and service providers to report, review and follow-up critical incidents.
- CLBC provides guidance and training for Service Providers to help ensure the well-being of eligible persons.
- Criminal Record Checks are required for all CLBC staff and all employees of service providers who work with adults with developmental disabilities. These checks are completed before hire and every five years thereafter.
Being accountable
CLBC strives to be accountable to the people we serve, and their loved ones and families.
Reports on critical incidents are shared with our Board of Directors which is responsible for overall guidance and policy direction. And beginning in fall 2025, CLBC is sharing data about the full range of reported critical incidents.
A report on the most recent year as well as previous years is available here.
What are Critical Incidents?
Critical incidents are:
- serious or unusual events that involve an individual accessing CLBC-funded services.
- events that can happen to someone receiving services, between people receiving services or be caused by someone receiving services.
- events that happen anywhere, in any CLBC-funded service, including a person’s home or while they are in community participating in employment, volunteering or pursuing hobbies.
Important: One person may be the subject of several reports, and a single incident, for example a flood in a house basement, may generate multiple reports if several CLBC recipients are affected.
Critical Incident Reports are:
- based on initial observations or concerns.
- should not be portrayed as confirmed cases.
Important: People in home sharing arrangements or in staffed living are always considered to be “in service”. For this population, that means that if an incident occurred independently in community, for example when someone was out for lunch with friends/family or taking a neighbourhood walk, a Critical Incident Report would be submitted.
The number of people eligible for CLBC has grown 46% from 2017 to 2025. Therefore, some charts refer to the percent of the people who are served to aid in accurately interpreting data.
Percentage of CLBC population experiencing a Critical Incident
2017/18 to 2024/25 Fiscal Years
Top 5 types of Critical Incidents – Ages 19 to 29
2024/25 Fiscal Year
Top 5 types of Critical Incidents – Ages 30 to 49
2024/25 Fiscal Year
Top 5 types of Critical Incidents – Ages 50 and older (CLBC services are for life)
2024/25 Fiscal Year
Percentage of CLBC population experiencing alleged abuse
2017/18 to 2024/25 Fiscal Years
