Blue card obligations for organisations

Organisations, business operators and self-employed business operators have obligations under the blue card system. If you don’t comply with these obligations you could face penalties for non-compliance.

You must:

• not start a person in child-regulated work without a valid card
• take reasonable steps to confirm the card holder’s identity
• link a card holder when they start with your organisation
• de-link a card holder when they leave your organisation
• maintain a register of the people engaged in your organisation
• develop and implement a child and youth risk management strategy

and

• tell us when there is a change in your organisation’s information.

Valid card

If you are engaging someone in child-regulated work it is your responsibility to make sure they have a valid blue card. You can check online if a blue card is valid.

Linking applicants and card holders

You need to link a card holder to your organisation before they start in child-regulated work.

No Card. No Link. No Start

Students/volunteers must be linked to the organisation they are studying/volunteering with to get their card for free.

Organisations must link applicants and card holders via the Organisation Portal or submit a paper link form.

Learn more about linking requirements for organisations.

Employee register

As part of your strategy, your organisation is required to create and maintain an employee register. This is a written record or register of all business operators, paid employees and volunteers involved in child-related activities within your organisation.

We can audit an organisation to ensure they maintain an employee register. You will need to develop procedures for creating and maintaining a register in either electronic or hard copy format.

If a complaint is made about an individual or your organisation, you may be asked for a copy of your employee register.

Change in information

You need to let us know whenever your organisation’s details change, including:

• the organisation’s name
• the address or contact details
• contact people (including when a contact person changes their name).

You can update these in the Organisation Portal or by submitting a paper form.

As a self-employed business operator, you must let us know within 14 days:

• if your details change
• you cease carrying on a regulated business.

Changes to police information

An organisation does not need to tell us when an applicant or card holder has a change in their police information. Instead, applicants and card holders must immediately let us know if their police information changes by completing a change in police information notification.

Existing workplace requirements for employees to report a change in their police information to their employer may remain. For example, your organisation may have a policy that requires all employees to report a change in their police information, such as a drink driving charge.

We will notify you of a card holder's change in police information when the change is considered relevant to child-related employment.

Suspension of blue or exemption card

As a business operator or self-employed business operator with a suspended blue or exemption card, you must:

• not apply for, start or continue child-related work
• not start or continue a child-related business
• return your card to us immediately unless already surrendered to the Queensland Police Service.

Once the court finalises your charge, we will re-assess your eligibility to hold a blue card.

Whilst your card is suspended, you are considered a restricted person.

Cancellation of blue or exemption card

As a business operator or self-employed business operator with a cancelled blue or exemption card you must:

• not apply for, start or continue child-related work
• not start or continue a child-related business
• return your card to us immediately.

If you have been issued with a negative notice, you are considered a restricted person .

Restricted person in restricted employment

There are exemptions that allow certain people to work or volunteer with children without a blue or exemption card in specific circumstances, such as a parent volunteering as a coach at their child’s sporting club.

As an organisation or business operator, you must not employ or continue to employ a restricted person.

Restricted person

A restricted person is a person who either:

• has been issued a negative notice
• has a suspended blue card
• is a disqualified person
• has been charged with a disqualifying offence that has not been finalised, or
• is the subject of an adverse interstate Working with Children Check decision that is in effect.

Restricted employment

Restricted employment refers to the situations or exemptions that allow a person to work with children without a blue card, such as if they are:

• a volunteer parent
• a volunteer who is under 18
• paid or unpaid staff who work in regulated child-related employment for not more than 7 days in a calendar year
• a person with disability who is employed at a place where the person also receives disability services or NDIS supports or services
• a secondary school student on work experience who carries out disability related work under the direct supervision of a person who holds a blue or exemption card.

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