How to prepare for a Stage 2 site visit

When Stage 2 happens

Only certification audits (Tier 1) include Stage 2 - SIL, SDA, behaviour support, and other higher-risk groups. Verification audits (lower-risk groups) stop after Stage 1 and don't have a site visit.

What happens on the day

The auditor will typically:

• Interview the owner / key personnel about governance, risk management, and how you handle reportable incidents.
• Interview a sample of workers about their understanding of the Code of Conduct, incident reporting, participant rights, and role-specific procedures (medication, mealtime, behaviour support).
• Interview a sample of participants (with consent) about their experience, choice + control, and whether they know how to make a complaint. Auditors usually want to talk to participants without staff present.
• Visit any SIL houses in scope to verify premises documents - fire safety, manual handling SOPs, medication storage, infection control - match what was evidenced at Stage 1.
• Observe practice incidentally - how staff interact with participants, whether handover is done properly, whether incident logs match what staff describe.

Brief, don't coach

A common mistake: rehearsing answers with workers and participants. Auditors are good at spotting coached responses and it sets off alarm bells about whether your culture is genuine or performative.

What you should brief on:

• Practical logistics - what time the auditor arrives, where to park, how long it takes, who'll meet them at the door.
• Reassurance. Staff and participants both often feel like they're being judged personally. Make clear the audit is on the organisation, not them; they should answer honestly.
• Where things are kept. "If they ask to see the medication folder, it's in the locked cabinet at reception" - so staff aren't flustered hunting for artefacts.
• That it's OK to say "I don't know, but I know how to find out". Auditors prefer that to confidently-wrong answers.

What participants are usually asked

• Do you feel respected?
• Were you involved in writing your support plan?
• Do you know who to contact if something goes wrong?
• Do you know how to make a complaint?
• Have your supports changed recently in a way you weren't consulted on?

The auditor isn't looking for perfect answers - they're looking for whether the participant feels heard, knows their rights, and has a real relationship with their supports. The more your day-to-day practice puts the participant first, the more this section runs itself.

After the visit

The auditor compiles their findings into a draft report, highlights any non-conformities, and gives you a window (usually 4-6 weeks) to lodge a corrective-action plan. The final report goes to the Commission, who makes the registration decision.

How Checkbase helps

The auditor portal gives Stage 2 visitors live access to your evidence on their device - so when they ask "can I see the medication chart for this participant?", you produce it in one click instead of hunting paper folders. Time-boxed access; every doc opened is logged.