Linking requirements for organisations
If an organisation provides regulated child-related services, they must ensure they link card holders to their organisation before they start working with children or young people.
No Card. No Link. No Start
Linking is a critical setp in the blue card system as it informs organisations if a card holder is no longer eligible to work with children.
All blue card holders and applicants are monitored daily by the Queensland Police Service. If there is a change in a person’s police information, we are notified and will assess whether the person should retain their blue card.
In some cases, we can take steps to immediately cancel a blue card. If this is the case, we will notify all organisations linked to the person’s blue card and advise them that the person can no longer work with children.
If an organisation has not linked the card holder, we won’t be able to notify them, creating a risk to the children within their organisation.
It is also an offence for an organisation to engage someone working with children if their blue card has been cancelled or suspended.
Link an applicant or card holder
Organisations, such as employers and self-employed/business operators, must let us know when a card holder starts or finishes with them.
Employers can:
- create a link to card holders using the Organisation Portal, or
- submit the Link a person to your organisation form (Opens in new window) to us.
Once the link is complete, the card holder (unpaid or paid) can start working in regulated employment. Students and volunteers can only get their cards for free if they are linked to an organisation.
For new volunteer and student applicants the organisation must link the applicant before they can complete their online application. This is to ensure the person is a genuine student or volunteer.
When a paid employee, volunteer or student is already linked to an organisation, and they renew their blue or exemption card prior to their card expiring, the link will automatically carry over and the organisation won’t need to create another link.
If a card holder does not renew before the expiry date and their card expires, the link between the card holder and the organisation will be removed. They will then need to have their blue card approved and be re-linked before they can work with children. Remember No Card, No Link, No Start.
Linking sole/self-employed/business operators
If someone has an agreement to work in regulated employment, their organisation must link them as a volunteer, student or paid employee.
However, if a person is not directly employed or doesn’t have an agreement to work with your organisation—for example a sole/self-employed/business operator providing a regulated child-related service or activity—you are not required to be link.
An organisation may verify a blue or exemption card using the online validation tool.
Linking an NDIS provider
If an organisation has engaged a sole/self-employed/business operator to provide NDIS supports and services to a child, they are considered a relevant person and are entitled to get notifications about their blue or exemption card status.
A relevant person includes:
- the child receiving the supports or services
- the child’s parent
- the child’s plan manager.
The relevant person may link the person by completing a Link an NDIS self-employed/business operator form.(Opens in new window)
De-linking a card holder
Just as a person is linked to an organisation when they start regulated child-related work, if the person later leaves the organisation, the organisation must de-link applicants and card holders using the Organisation Portal or submitting the De-link a person from your organisation form to us.
More information
- Video: Linking volunteers to your organisation
- Video: Linking via the Organisation Portal
- Find out more about blue card obligations for organisations.
- Find out how existing blue card holders can change or finish child-related work.