Staff FAQs

Careflare is a reporting and organisational learning platform designed to help care providers build stronger reporting cultures.

It provides staff with a simple way to raise incidents, near misses, concerns, observations, hazards, and suggestions for improvement.

The aim is not simply to collect reports. The aim is to help organisations learn from them.

Your organisation has chosen to introduce Careflare to help build a positive reporting and just culture, where staff feel comfortable speaking up, sharing concerns, and contributing to organisational learning.

No manager can be everywhere at once.

Staff are often the eyes and ears of the organisation. The things you see every day can help identify risks, improve processes, and support safer care.

A just culture is a workplace environment that balances accountability with continuous learning. It recognises that human error is inevitable and focuses on fixing flawed systems rather than punishing individuals for honest mistakes. Crucially, it distinguishes between genuine mistakes and reckless negligence.

Every report provides an opportunity to learn.

Many serious incidents are preceded by smaller concerns, communication issues, hazards, near misses, or warning signs.

Reporting helps organisations identify these early and take action before harm occurs.

Reporting is not about blame.

Reporting is about visibility, learning, and improvement.

If something does not seem right, it is usually worth reporting.

Examples include:

• Incidents

• Near misses

• Falls

• Medication concerns

• Communication issues

• Equipment faults

• Safeguarding concerns

• Environmental hazards

• Resident safety concerns

• Staff safety concerns

• Process failures

• Suggestions for improvement

You do not need to wait for harm to occur before reporting something.

Please report it.

Small issues are often some of the most valuable things an organisation can learn from.

Examples might include:

• An uneven paving slab in the garden

• A loose handrail

• Out-of-date food identified by kitchen staff

• Poor lighting in a corridor

• Repeated communication issues during handover

• A broken call bell

• A faulty door closer

• Missing equipment

• A resident nearly tripping but not falling

Many serious incidents begin with smaller warning signs.

If in doubt, report it.

A near miss is an event that could have caused harm but did not.

Examples include:

• Medication prepared incorrectly but identified before administration

• A resident almost falling

• A door left unsecured but identified before an incident occurred

• Incorrect information identified before it caused a problem

Near misses provide valuable opportunities for learning.

Report it.

You do not need to decide whether something is important enough.

If something concerns you, raises questions, or feels unusual, submit a report and allow the appropriate people within the organisation to review it.

It is better to submit a report that turns out not to be significant than to miss an opportunity to identify a risk.

Please still submit your report.

Different people often see different parts of the same situation.

Multiple reports can help managers better understand what happened and identify wider themes or concerns.

Your report will be reviewed by the appropriate people within your organisation.

Depending on the nature of the report, it may contribute to:

• Investigations

• Quality improvement work

• Trend monitoring

• Organisational learning

• Service improvements

• Risk management activities

Every report helps build a clearer picture of what is happening within the organisation.

Careflare is built around the principles of open reporting, organisational learning, and Just Culture.

The purpose of reporting is to help organisations understand what happened, identify learning opportunities, and improve systems and processes.

Reporting should be viewed as an opportunity to learn and improve, not as a way of blaming individuals.

If your organisation has enabled anonymous reporting, yes.

Anonymous reporting can help people feel comfortable speaking up when they may otherwise choose not to report a concern.

Where possible, we encourage staff to identify themselves.

This can help managers gather additional information, provide feedback, and better understand the situation.

However, if anonymity helps you feel comfortable raising a concern, it may be available as an option.

You should still report it.

Careflare exists to help organisations understand concerns and learn from them.

The purpose of reporting is not to make accusations but to raise concerns that may require review.

You should still report it.

If anonymous reporting has been enabled, you may choose to use that option.

Your organisation may also have separate whistleblowing procedures for certain concerns.

Only if your organisation has specifically advised that Careflare is the primary route for whistleblowing. 

Organisations should continue to follow their own whistleblowing, safeguarding, and escalation procedures where appropriate.

Do not worry.

Simply provide the information as accurately as possible.

Managers can review reports and seek clarification if required.

That is completely fine.

Report what you know and explain why you are concerned.

You do not need all the answers in order to raise a concern.

Yes.

If your organisation has enabled access, agency staff can submit reports in the same way as permanent employees.

Yes.

Careflare can be accessed from most smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.

Most reports can be completed in just a few minutes.

The reporting form has been designed to be quick and straightforward.

Frontline staff often have the best understanding of the challenges, risks, and opportunities for improvement within a service.

Careflare is designed not only to capture problems, but also ideas that could improve care, safety, communication, and working practices.

Feedback arrangements vary between organisations.

If you would like feedback, consider including your details where appropriate.

If something concerns you, report it.

If something could cause harm, report it.

If something almost caused harm, report it.

If something could be improved, report it.

The purpose of Careflare is to help organisations see more, learn more, and improve more.

Every report matters.