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Frequently Asked Questions

Paid employee working for a service provider engaged by a school

I work for a business that provides a service to a school. Do I need a blue card?

It depends on whether you're providing a service directed mainly towards children or mainly towards the school.

You do need a blue card if your employment usually includes (or is likely to include) providing a service at a school directed mainly towards children and you carry out (or are likely to carry out) that work over 12 months for:

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.

You can apply for your blue card by submitting a Paid Employment (P) Application Form and the prescribed fee. As a paid employee you can work while your application is being processed.

However, you do not need a blue card if you are:

under 18 and working as a volunteer (except a ‘trainee student’ working as part of a course of study with an ‘education provider’ as defined in the Act);
a volunteer parent of a child attending the school;
a teacher registered under the Education (Queensland College of Teachers) Act 2005 (Qld) to work at a school;
a volunteer guest of a school or registered charity, incorporated association or corporation for 10 days or less on no more than two occasions per year for the purpose of observing or supplying information or entertainment to 10 or more people, who is unlikely to be physically present with a child while no other adult is present; or
a volunteer performing the function of employment for 10 days or less on no more than two occasions per year, at a national or state event, attended by more than 100 people which is organised by a school or recognised body (operating at a state or national level) for a sporting, cultural or skill based activity, who is unlikely to be physically present with a child while no other adult is present.

You do not need a blue card if the service you provide is directed mainly towards the school, ie. a builder doing construction work at a school.

Note

As a paid employee you may begin or continue work while your application is being processed.

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Last Updated: June 30, 2008

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