What is the Duty of Candour?
The Duty of Candour means:
Being honest when an incident occurs
Apologising when harm has happened
Explaining what went wrong
Investigating properly
Learning from incidents to prevent them happening again
This applies when an unexpected or unintended incident causes harm to a care recipient.
What counts as a notifiable safety incident?
An incident must be escalated under the Duty of Candour if it results in:
Death
Severe harm
Moderate harm, such as:
An unplanned return to hospital
An unplanned hospital re-admission
Prolonged or significant pain
Extended recovery time
Prolonged psychological harm
(psychological harm lasting, or likely to last, 28 days or more)
👉 If you’re unsure, always report it.
The care management team will assess next steps.
Procedure Summary
Identifying an Incident:
Assess whether the incident meets the criteria for a notifiable safety incident.
Notify the Relevant Person:
Speak to the edyn.care inbound calls team right away.
You may be asked to speak to the care recipient or their representative within 24 hours, unless the office decides to do this on your behalf.
Where a care recipient lacks capacity:
A legal representative (LPA/Deputy) will be contacted.
If none exists, decisions will follow the Mental Capacity Act and advocacy support (e.g. IMCA) will be considered.
Explain the incident clearly and factually.
Written Follow-Up:
Provide a written summary, including:
What happened.
Steps being taken to investigate.
A formal apology, if applicable.
Investigation and Learning:
Participate in a thorough review of the incident.
Work with the team to identify improvements and prevent recurrence.
Support Available:
You can access training, peer support, and resources for help navigating this process. Please just ask a member of the team.
Key reminders
✔ Always report incidents immediately
✔ You will not be penalised for speaking up
✔ Be factual and honest
✔ Support learning and improvement
If you’re ever unsure:
👉 Report first. Ask questions later.