Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme is now in effect

July marks an important milestone in strengthening safeguarding across Queensland, with the commencement of the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

The scheme requires organisations working with children and young people to identify, report and investigate concerns about worker conduct that may pose a risk to children. It applies to an estimated 10,000 organisations across Queensland, including early childhood education and care, government departments, accommodation and residential services, schools and hospitals, religious bodies, services for children with disability, and those working in youth justice and child protection.

Why the scheme matters

Every child should be safe wherever they are, at home, in care, or in the community.

But we know this is not always the case. Child abuse remains disturbingly prevalent, and responses can too often remain fragmented across systems, resulting in missed opportunities to identify risks and protect children earlier.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme is an important way Queensland will strengthen how organisations identify, prevent, respond to and share information about child abuse and misconduct. It creates a critical reporting pathway for matters that do not meet a criminal threshold, helping to identify concerning behaviour earlier.

By improving visibility, accountability and information sharing, the scheme supports a more connected safeguarding system — one that can recognise risks sooner, and respond before harm occurs.

What is reportable conduct?

Reportable conduct includes:

• child sexual offences
• sexual misconduct
• ill-treatment
• neglect
• physical violence
• significant emotional or psychological harm.

Learn more about what constitutes reportable conduct on the Queensland Family and Child Commission website.

What organisations need to know

From te 1st of July, organisations subject to the scheme must have systems and processes in place to:

• identify and respond to reportable conduct
• assess and manage risks to children
• notify the Queensland Family and Child Commission of reportable conduct
• investigate allegations in a timely and child-centred way.

The scheme has clear reporting timeframes, including:

• an initial notification within 3 business days
• an interim report within 30 business days
• a final report once the investigation is complete.

To support organisations in implementing the scheme, we have developed a range of practical resources:

• Who needs to comply – find out whether your organisation is covered by the scheme
• Implementation guideline – practical guidance to support implementation of the scheme
• Managing a reportable conduct matter – understand what needs to happen at each stage of a reportable conduct matter
• Heads of entities guidance – understand who holds legal responsibility under the scheme
• Shareable resources – content for your use on your communication channels.

These resources are designed to help organisations build confidence and capability in meeting their obligations under the scheme.

Access the full suite of Reportable Conduct Scheme resources for organisations on the Queensland Family and Child Commission website.