Queensland

The Blue Card System Explained

With some limited exceptions, anyone who works in a Club, Association or Discover Sailing Centre and provides services to children, or conducts activities for children, must have a blue card. This requirement applies to paid staff and volunteers alike. It is a responsibility of both the individual and the organisation to ensure that these requirements are met.

There are several exceptions to the requirement to hold a blue card, most notably that a parent who volunteers to provide services or conduct activities doesn’t need a blue card if their child receives similar services, or takes part in similar activities, that the parent provides at the same Club. For example, a parent doesn’t need a blue card to instruct a Tackers group if their child is also in the Tackers program at that Club.

For more information about who needs a blue card, including the exemptions mentioned above, visit Blue Card Services. You can also contact Blue Card Services on 1800 113 611 or 07 3211 6999, or visit qld.gov.au/bluecard.

Additional information for DSCs, Clubs and Associations

As an organisation that has employees or volunteers who work with children, you must:

1. Ensure that anyone working with children has a valid blue card before they start working for you;
2. Confirm the card-holder’s identity (for example, by checking photo ID);
3. Link and delink card holders when they start and finish work with you (see here for instructions);
4. Maintain a register of all people engaged in child-related work in your organisation;
5. Develop and implement a child and youth risk management strategy (see below for more information); and
6. Inform Blue Card Services of any change to your organisation’s information.

Child and Youth Risk Management Strategies

A good Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy helps your Club, Association or Discover Sailing Centre identify and minimise risks to children in your organisation. It’s also a legal requirement for any organisation with employees or volunteers required to have a blue card.

There are eight requirements for a Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy:

1. Statement of commitment
2. Code of conduct
3. Recruitment, selection, training and management
4. Reporting disclosures and suspicions of harm
5. Managing breaches
6. Risk management plan for high-risk activities
7. Managing compliance with the blue card system
8. Communication and support.

The Queensland Government has published a guide to each of these eight requirements, called the Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy Organisation’s Toolkit. Click here to access the Toolkit.

Click on this link to access a suite of additional resources, including template documents and a self-assessment checklist.

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse

Recently, the law in Queensland has changed to better protect children from abuse. Specifically, two new obligations have been introduced:

1. All adults are now mandatory reporters. That is, all adults in the community that reasonably believe (or should reasonably believe) that a child under 16 is the victim of current or past sexual abuse must report it to the police as soon as possible, unless they have a reasonable excuse.
2. Adults employed by, or who volunteer for, an institution that provides services or facilities for children have a duty to protect children from sexual abuse. Specifically, such a person commits an offence if they:
   1. Know there is a significant risk that another adult associated with the institution will commit a sexual offence against a child under 16 who is under the care, supervision or control of an institution; and
   2. Have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk; and
   3. Wilfully or negligently fail to reduce or remove the risk.

Click here for more information about these changes.

Contacts

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 000.

If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm or being neglected, contact Child Safety Services and talk to someone about your concerns:

• During normal business hours - contact the Regional Intake Service.
• After hours and on weekends - contact the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre on 1800 177 135 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).