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 (Opens in new window) 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.