Blue cards for licensed care services

Not everyone needs a blue card to work in a licensed care service, however employers must clearly identify which roles are risk-assessed.

This refers to roles in a licensed care service that can allow a person to connect—and build a strong and trusting relationship—with a child.

An employee who holds a risk-assessed role will need a blue card.

Organisations within the scope of a licensed care service must consider other relevant factors in the context of their service environment.

Under the Child Protection Act 1999, a licensed care service is a service that provides care for children under the chief executive’s custody or guardianship, and which is licensed to do so.

As risk-assessed role includes carrying out any of the following to a child:

• physical touching of a child by
  • providing direct or personal care
  • supervision
  • supporting in activities and other events
• building rapport with a child that provides the opportunity to develop a trusting relationship in person, verbally, in writing or online
• access to the personal information of a child that could enable contact to be made
  • within or outside the care service
  • through verbally, written or online communication
  • via a significant person in the child’s life
  • after the child is no longer cared for by the licensed care service.