Reportable Conduct SchemeAustralia
Queensland
QLDCommencing 1 July 2026

Queensland

Framework & Regulation

RegulatorQueensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC)
LegislationChild Safe Organisations Act 2024

Notification Timeframes

Initial Notification 3 business days from the head of the entity becoming aware; Interim Report 30 business days; Final Report as soon as practicable.

Initial
3 business days
Interim
30 business days
Final
As soon as practicable

Training Requirements

Continuous capability building linked to the rolling rollout of the 10 Child Safe Standards. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff face strict foundational safety deadlines.

Child Safe Standards Induction

All new staff, volunteers and contractors before commencing child-related workOn induction (once), prior to any unsupervised contact

Foundational induction covering the organisation’s child-safe policy, code of conduct, professional boundaries, and how to raise a concern. Completion must be recorded against each worker.

Reportable Conduct & Threshold Recognition

All staff and volunteers; intensive for managers and the entity headAnnual refresher

Teaches the difference between a performance/HR matter and reportable conduct (sexual offences/misconduct, physical violence, significant emotional or psychological harm, and significant neglect of a child), and the legal duty to notify the regulator.

Mandatory Reporting & Identifying Harm

All workers in child-related rolesAnnual refresher

Recognising indicators of abuse and neglect and the separate obligation to report risk of significant harm to child protection or police, which runs alongside (not instead of) reportable conduct notification.

Code of Conduct & Professional Boundaries

All staff, volunteers and contractorsAnnual acknowledgement and refresher

Re-affirms acceptable and prohibited behaviours, online/communication boundaries, gift and physical-contact rules, and the consequences of breaches.

Cultural Safety & Inclusion

All staff and volunteersAnnual

Culturally safe practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, aligned to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Respect at Work

All staff, managers and leadersAnnual

Reportable Conduct Scheme program on preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and meeting the positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) introduced by the Respect@Work reforms.

Psychological Safety at Work

All staff, managers and leadersAnnual

Reportable Conduct Scheme program on building a psychologically safe workplace and identifying and managing psychosocial hazards in line with WHS psychosocial regulations and codes of practice.

Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace

All staff, managers and leadersAnnual

Reportable Conduct Scheme program on identifying, assessing and controlling psychosocial hazards at work in line with the model WHS Regulations and the Managing psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice.

Child Safe Standards Readiness (10 Standards)

Leadership, safeguarding leads, board/governanceAnnual, with implementation milestones before 1 July 2026

Mapping each of the 10 Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle to organisational policy, practice and evidence ahead of commencement.

Entity Head Notification Duties

Heads of entity and delegated decision-makersAnnual

Specific training on the 3-business-day notification clock, interim reporting at 30 business days, and personal liability (fines up to $17,000) for failure to notify or report.

Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosure

All staff, managers and board; designated eligible recipients and whistleblower protection officersAnnual

Handling protected disclosures under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld) for the public sector, including confidentiality, protection from detriment and reprisal, and the role of eligible recipients. It also covers the Commonwealth whistleblower protections in Part 9.4AAA of the Corporations Act 2001 (strengthened by the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Act 2019) for companies and not-for-profits, and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) for the Australian Government public sector.

Investigations

QFCC does not recommend or certify external investigators. Internal employees are exempt under the Security Providers Act 1993, but external contractors hired to investigate misconduct must hold a QLD Private Investigator Licence.

Penalties

Fines up to $17,000 for an entity head who fails to notify or report.

Audits & Processes

  • Child Safe Standards gap assessmentBefore commencement, then annually

    Document the organisation’s position against all 10 Standards and the Universal Principle, with an evidence register and remediation plan.

  • Reportable conduct register & systems reviewAnnual

    Maintain a register of allegations, notifications and outcomes, and test that the notification/interim/final-report timeframes can be met.

  • Recruitment & Working with Children (Blue Card) auditAnnual

    Verify current Blue Cards, screening and onboarding controls for all workers in regulated child-related roles.