Did you know that if you supply workers to businesses or organisations that provide the following services, you may have obligations under blue card legislation?
Labour hire providers operating regulated businesses for the purposes of the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (the Working with Children Act) need to be across the additional obligations that apply to them under this legislation.
You may already be aware that individuals working in certain regulated activities (for example, child care) may require blue cards, but it’s important you also know your own obligations if you are an employer under the Working with Children Act.
Selecting the appropriate category
Labour hire providers subject to the Working with Children Act must ensure workers hold a blue card, and they have applied under the correct category when applying for a blue card. This is important because the category determines compliance with the Working with Children Act.
For example, if you:
- place workers in an early learning or child care centre, they must apply under the education and care services category
- supply workers to provide disability support, they must apply under the disability work category
- place workers for nannying or babysitting services, they must apply under the child care services category.
Selecting the wrong category (especially for education and care services) can lead to compliance issues because this category requires notification to the relevant regulatory authority. Always confirm the correct category before workers apply. If you employ workers who already hold a blue card, make sure their blue card relates to the appropriate category.
Labour hire providers and business operators
Employers and self-employed business operators 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 labour hire organisation
- maintain an employee register of the people engaged in your labour hire organisation. This is a written record or register of all business operators, paid employees, and volunteers in your organisation.
- develop and implement a child safe policies
- comply with any compliance or audit requests
- notify Blue Card Services of changes to your organisation’s information.
Understand your employer obligations as a regulated organisation. Failure to comply can result in penalties for non-compliance.
Executive officers
Under the Working with Children Act, an executive officer of a corporation who operates a regulated business must also hold a blue card. This includes directors or executive officers of companies or organisations operating regulated businesses including labour hire providers who supply workers to these industries. These obligations apply even where they are not directly providing the child-related services themselves or if they live outside of Queensland.
Blue Card Services Organisation Portal
The Blue Card Services Organisation Portal makes it easier to meet a number of these obligations. It’s an online system where employers can:
- link and de-link blue card holders
- check card status in real time
- receive notifications about renewals and status updates
- make single and multiple payments
- add or remove portal users.
Learn more and how to register your organisation.
Blue card applicants and holders
Individuals, including applicants, card holders, and business operators, also have obligations under the blue card system. If you work in a regulated organisation, you and your team must comply with these requirements.
Find out more about rights and obligations for individuals.
Keeping Queensland children safe is a shared responsibility. Regulated organisations, businesses and blue card applicants or holders all have obligations under the Working with Children Act. By knowing our responsibilities and making sure we prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, we can all help keep children safe.
For more information, please contact Blue Card Services.
