Charity Commission Serious Incident Reporting: When & How

Serious incident reporting is a legal duty for UK charities. Failing to report can lead to regulatory action — but many trustees aren't sure what counts or how to report. This guide clarifies both.

What is a Serious Incident?

The Charity Commission defines a serious incident as an adverse event that results in, or risks, significant harm to:

• Your charity's beneficiaries, staff, or volunteers
• Your charity's property, assets, or reputation
• Your charity's work or operations

Examples That Must Be Reported

Safeguarding

• Allegations of abuse by a trustee, staff member, or volunteer
• A known safeguarding risk not being properly managed
• A child or vulnerable adult harmed while in your charity's care

Financial

• Fraud or theft (any amount)
• Significant financial loss
• Misuse of charity funds
• Money laundering concerns

Other

• Data breaches affecting personal data
• Links to terrorism or extremism
• Criminal activity within the charity
• Significant reputational damage
• Regulatory investigations by other bodies (Ofsted, CQC, etc.)
• Trustee disqualification

When to Report

As soon as reasonably possible after the incident occurs or is discovered. Don't wait until you have all the facts — report what you know and update later.

The Charity Commission says: "You should report a serious incident even if you are managing it."

How to Report

1. Log in to the Charity Commission online portal
2. Go to your charity's page
3. Select "Report a serious incident"
4. Complete the form with:
   • What happened
   • When it happened
   • Who was involved
   • What action you've taken
   • What further action is planned
5. Submit and keep a copy for your records

What Happens After You Report

• The Commission will acknowledge receipt
• They may ask for more information
• In most cases, they'll note the report and monitor — no action needed if you're handling it properly
• In serious cases, they may open a regulatory case (investigation)
• Reporting does NOT mean you're in trouble — it shows good governance

Common Mistakes

1. Not reporting — the worst outcome. The Commission takes a dim view of charities that knew about incidents but didn't report.
2. Waiting too long — report promptly, even with incomplete information
3. Only reporting to the Commission — some incidents also need reporting to the police, DBS, ICO (data breaches), or social services
4. Not recording board discussion — document how trustees were informed and what decisions were made