Serious incident reporting

Serious incident reporting protects both your beneficiaries and public trust in your charity. It lets the Charity Commission see that trustees have spotted a problem and are dealing with it — which is far better than the regulator, a funder or the press finding out first.

Trustees must report a serious incident to the Charity Commission promptly — as soon as is reasonably possible — even if the incident has also been reported to the police or another regulator. (Source: GOV.UK, How to report a serious incident in your charity, accessed 9 July 2026.) A serious incident risks significant harm to people, significant loss of money or assets, or serious reputational damage. The Commission’s examples table helps you judge what to report.

Have a short internal process so any trustee, staff member or volunteer knows how to escalate a concern. For the reporting thresholds and a step-by-step response, see the UK Charity Compliance Handbook and the related trustee duties. If the incident is a personal-data breach, separate ICO rules also apply.