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Blue Card information

Are you working with children? You may need a blue card

When you start a new job, renew an employment agreement, set up a business or volunteer to work with CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE, you need to fill out an application form for a Working with Children Check. You may also need to apply if the nature or frequency of your work with children or young people changes. From 17 January 2005, all volunteers (unless exempt) must have a Working with Children Check and hold a BLUE CARD before they start volunteering in any area of regulated employment, regardless of how often they come into contact with children and young people.

So who needs to apply for a Working with Children (Blue Card) Check?

Volunteers and Paid Employees: Certain volunteers and paid employees who work with children or young people in the following categories of employment must apply for a blue card:

• residential facilities
• school boarding houses
• schools - employees other than teachers including non-teaching staff
• childcare
• churches, clubs and associations providing services mainly directed towards or involving children
• counseling and support services
• private teaching, coaching or tutoring
• education programs conducted outside of schools
• child accommodation services, including home stays
• religious representatives
• sport and active recreation
• emergency services cadet programs
• school crossing supervisors

These categories are retrospectively screened. This means all people who work in these categories of employment must hold a blue card regardless of when they started work. A “volunteer” is a person employed by another person or organisation who is not paid, other than being reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. A person carrying on a regulated businesses in the following categories must also apply for a blue card:

• counseling and support services
• private teaching, coaching or tutoring
• childcare
• education programs conducted outside of schools
• religious representatives
• child accommodation services, including home stays
• sport and active recreation
• operators of hostels for children other than residential facilities

The following people are exempt:

• children under 18 who are volunteers (except students required to work in regulated employment as part of their studies)
• parents who volunteer their services or conduct activities at the school their child is attending, as long as the child is under 18
• parents who volunteer their services or conduct activities through a church, club or association or are involved in sport and active recreation, where their child is involved in the same or similar activity.

Exemptions also apply to some employees, such as registered teachers. View more information on exemptions visit www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/regulated_bus.html or call the employment screening hotline on 1800 113 611.

How often do I need to work with children and young people before applying for a blue card?

Paid Employees: All paid employees must apply for a blue card if they work, or are likely to work, in regulated employment for at least:

• eight consecutive days, or
• once a week, each week, over four weeks, or
• once a fortnight, each fortnight, over eight weeks, or
• once a month, each month, over six months.

If an employer does not ensure that paid employees working in the categories of regulated employment hold a blue card, or have applied for a blue card, they are committing an offence and may face fines or imprisonment.

Volunteers: From 17 January 2005, all new volunteers, (unless exempt) must undergo a Working with Children Check and hold a blue card before they start volunteering in any area of regulated employment, regardless of how often they come into contact with children and young people.

Failure of the employer to comply with this obligation is an offence and may result in fines or imprisonment.
How do I apply? When you start a new job, renew an employment agreement, set up a business or volunteer to work with children and young people, you need to fill out an application form for a Working with Children Check.

Paid Employees and Volunteers: The employer, volunteer organisation or education provider (where the applicant is a student) is responsible for applying to the Commission for the Working with Children Check for paid employees and volunteers.
Businesses: People carrying on regulated businesses are responsible for applying to the Commission for their own Working with Children Check.

Cost: Free for volunteers. Paid employees and those people carrying on a regulated business must pay a fee of $40. The blue card is valid for two years from the date of issue unless it is cancelled earlier by the Commissioner. For more information about the Working with Children Check visit website www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au or phone the employment screening hotline on freecall 1800 113 611 or (07) 3247 5145.

Do you work with children and young people in a business

Queensland law now requires people in regulated businesses or employing someone in regulated employment (ie. Those requiring a blue card) to implement an annual risk management strategy.

Failure to comply with the new legislation is an offence and may attract a fine. A risk management strategy aims to promote children’s wellbeing and protect them from harm. Harm is a detrimental effect of a significant nature on a child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing. Children and young people have the right to learn , thrive and enjoy activities in safe environments.

Your organisation and all the people in it have a duty of care to protect children and young people from any foreseeable risks of harm. Every employer, staff member and volunteer plays a significant role in protecting the rights, interests and safety of children and young people who use your services. Is your commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing set out in policy guidelines? Do you have a Code of Conduct for interacting with children and young people? Do you maintain a child-friendly culture by screening and selecting appropriately skilled staff who respect the rights and needs of children and young people?

Are staff, volunteers, children and their parents told about your child protection policy and trained to follow procedures and document incidents if harm occurs? Do you assess the risk of harm to children in all aspects of your operations and ensure that risk controls are in place, understood and regularly updated? Keeping children and young people safe from harm requires ongoing management and review of employment practices and services.

Information about risk management and employment screening can be found on the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian’s website at www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au

A Working with Children Kit has been designed to support organisations to develop and implement policies and practices which will contribute to safe and friendly environments for children and young people, see www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au/about/wwckit.html for more information.

The Commission offers a half day workshop to help your organisation develop its strategy so it can meet its obligation to create safe and friendly environments for children and young people. The workshop is designed to:

1. Explain your obligation to maintain a safe and friendly environments for children and young people by managing risks of harm.
2. Guide the development of your child protection risk management strategy, and
3. Help you assess your current approach to managing risks and plan improvements.

Please complete the registration of interest form, available from www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au/about/registrationform.asp and contact the Commission on 3247 5518 or freecall 1800 688 275 to express your interest in attending a workshop. All completed registrations of interest should be forwarded to: The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian by Fax: 3247 5507 or by Post: Box 12671, Brisbane George Street, Qld Australia 4003.