QLD Reportable Conduct Readiness - ONLINE Course

By completing this course, participants will develop an understanding of:

• The purpose and operation of the Queensland Reportable Conduct Scheme
• Which organisations and workers are covered by the Scheme
• The responsibilities of the head of a reporting entity and their delegates
• The categories and thresholds of reportable conduct
• How to identify a reportable allegation or reportable conviction
• How to apply the reasonable-belief threshold
• The required reporting timeframes and information to provide
• How to assess and manage risks to children and other involved parties
• The stages of a fair, child-centred and procedurally sound investigation
• The records, policies, procedures and reporting pathways organisations need
• How investigation findings can inform organisational improvement

• Would your organisation recognise whether it may be reportable conduct?
• Is your Head of Entity clearly identified and aware of their responsibilities?
• Do staff, volunteers, contractors and leaders know how to raise concerns?
• Are your internal escalation and external reporting pathways clear?
• Can your organisation assess and manage immediate risks to children and young people?
• Does your organisation have the capability to conduct a fair, timely and child-centred investigation?
• Are there clear alternatives if an allegation involves the Head of Entity?
• Do your policies, procedures and record-keeping systems support compliance with the Scheme?

• Heads of Entity, including CEOs, principals, senior officers and equivalent leaders
  
• Executive Leaders and senior managers
  
• Management, Board Members, Senior Leadership
• Child Safety Officers, Safeguarding Leads and Child Protection Officers
  
• HR, People and Culture, risk and compliance personnel
  
• Governance professionals and Board members
  
• Managers responsible for complaints, investigations or workforce conduct
  
• Program leaders and operational managers
• Staff responsible for implementing child safety policies and procedures

1. Foundations of the Reportable Conduct Scheme

Participants are introduced to the legislative and safeguarding foundations of the Queensland Reportable Conduct Scheme, including:

• The Child Safe Organisations Act 2024
• The purpose of the Reportable Conduct Scheme
• The role and oversight functions of the Queensland Family and Child Commission
• The meaning of key terms, including reporting entity, head of entity, allegation and worker
• Organisations and sectors covered by the Scheme
• The broad range of workers covered, including employees, volunteers, contractors, consultants, trainees, work-experience students and religious leaders
• The application of the Scheme to former workers and certain historical conduct
• The responsibilities of the head of the reporting entity

2. Recognising reportable conduct

Participants explore the six categories of reportable conduct and how they apply in practice:

• A child sexual offence
• Sexual misconduct committed in relation to, or in the presence of, a child
• Ill-treatment of a child
• Significant neglect of a child
• Physical violence committed in relation to, or in the presence of, a child
• Behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child

The course also considers:

• Conduct occurring inside and outside the workplace
• One-off incidents and patterns of behaviour
• Criminal and non-criminal conduct
• Professional boundaries and inappropriate behaviour
• Conduct that may not meet the reportable-conduct threshold
• The importance of assessing conduct in context and against organisational policies and professional standards

3. When and how to report

Participants learn when an organisation’s reporting obligations are triggered and what information must be provided, including:

• The allegations-based nature of the Scheme
• Forming a reasonable belief based on available facts and information
• The distinction between an allegation, an investigation and a substantiated finding
• Identifying and responding to reportable convictions
• Initial notification to the Commission within three business days
• Providing investigator details as soon as practicable
• Providing an interim report within 30 business days
• Providing the final investigation report as soon as practicable
• Information required at each reporting stage
• Notifications to Police, child-protection authorities, Blue Card Services, professional bodies and other regulators
• Clear, accurate, secure and complete record keeping

4. Responding to reportable conduct

Participants follow the end-to-end response and investigation process through three connected stages.

Stage 1: Receive, assess and notify

• Receiving and documenting an allegation
• Assessing whether the matter may involve reportable conduct
• Identifying immediate risks to children and other involved parties
• Implementing proportionate interim safeguards
• Preserving relevant information and evidence
• Notifying the Commission and other authorities

Stage 2: Plan, investigate and update

• Defining the allegation and investigation scope
• Selecting an appropriately skilled and impartial investigator
• Identifying and managing conflicts of interest
• Preparing an investigation plan
• Identifying witnesses, evidence and investigation questions
• Conducting child-centred and procedurally fair interviews
• Maintaining cultural safety, accessibility and confidentiality
• Reviewing risk controls as new information emerges
• Providing the Commission with an interim report

Stage 3: Finalise, report and take action

• Assessing the credibility, reliability and consistency of evidence
• Applying the balance-of-probabilities standard
• Making a clear finding for each allegation
• Preparing and submitting the final report
• Communicating outcomes and providing appropriate support
• Implementing employment, policy, practice and safeguarding actions
• Identifying systemic issues and opportunities for continuous improvement

5. Embedding effective organisational systems

Participants consider the policies, practices and procedures needed to support compliance and create a strong safeguarding culture, including systems that:

• Prevent reportable conduct
• Enable children, families, carers, workers and community members to raise concerns
• Provide clear and accessible internal and external reporting pathways
• Allow concerns involving the head of entity to be reported directly to the Commission
• Support timely, consistent and child-centred investigations
• Protect confidentiality and support whistleblowers
• Strengthen screening, recruitment, induction, training and supervision
• Embed the Queensland Child Safe Standards
• Use investigation outcomes to improve organisational practice

6. Resources and implementation tools

Learners receive access to practical resources to support implementation, including:

• ChildSafe’s Queensland Reportable Conduct Scheme Readiness Checklist
• ChildSafe’s example Investigation Plan template
• Downloadable summaries of the five core course sections
• Links to Queensland Family and Child Commission guidance
• Additional child-focused complaint-handling resources

Learning approach

The course incorporates:

• Interactive explanations and activities
• Scenario-based decision-making
• Knowledge checks requiring correct responses
• Practical reflection activities
• A progressive Sandy Bay case study covering triage, notification, risk management, investigation planning, evidence assessment and organisational improvement

• Overview of Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme
  
• Reporting entities, workers and Heads of Entity
  
• Responsibilities, delegates and key definitions
  
• Historical conduct and former workers