Working with children check (Blue Card)

What is a Blue Card?

All children have the right to be safe and protected from harm. Blue Card Services administers the blue card system – Queensland’s working with children check. Working with children checks provides a check of a person’s criminal history and is also an ongoing assessment of your eligibility to work with children while you are on placement.

If your application is approved, you will be issued with a Positive Notice and a Blue Card which allows you to work with children while on placement for 3 years. It is your responsibility to hold a valid Blue Card for the duration of your placement.

Most students will be required to hold a valid Blue Card before the commencement and for the duration of their placement. If you are required to hold a valid Blue Card, it is against the law for you to commence or continue your placement without one.

What do I need to do?

If you don’t already have a Blue Card you will need to apply for one as long as you are not a disqualified person. If you are a disqualified person, it is an offence to apply for a Blue Card and penalties may apply.

If you have an existing valid Blue Card you will need to request that the HaBS Placement Ready Team link it to UQ before you commence your placement.

If your card is due to expire, you will need to renew it before it expires.

Apply for your Blue Card

Application time: At least 5 days plus internal processing time at UQ. Can take longer if further investigation is needed.

Cost: $0 (students are classed as volunteers)

Applications should be completed online.

Obtain or locate CRN from TMR Register for online Blue Card account Enter Blue Card account number into InPlace HABS Placement Ready Team links account to UQ Complete application process via Blue Card online portal

Step 1:

You will need a Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) customer reference number (CRN) in order to prove your identity to Blue Card Services.

You may already have a TMR customer reference number

Do you already have a TMR customer reference number (CRN)? Your customer reference number is shown on a range of TMR products including a Queensland driver’s license or proof of age card. You can find your customer reference number in the top right area on the front of your card.

Example:

Don’t already have a TMR customer reference number?

If you don’t already have a Queensland TMR customer reference number, you will need to obtain one before you can progress your Blue Card application.

To obtain a TMR customer reference number, check which identity and Queensland residential address documents you will need, then take these documents to a TMR centre in person and request a customer reference number. Let the staff take your photo and wait for the letter/email confirming your CRN and keep it in a safe place.

You must attend a TMR centre in person. If you are an international student, you will need to wait until you arrive in Brisbane to visit a TMR centre. It is not possible to commence this process until you are in Australia.

Step 2:

Once you have your CRN, you will need it to register for a Blue Card Services online account before you can apply for your Blue Card. You only need to register once. You can register here for a Blue Card Services online account. Take note of your Blue Card account number when you register for your account.

Step 3:

Once you register for a Blue Card Services online account, you will receive a Blue Card account number. This account number will be used by us to link you to UQ.

You need to tell us your Blue Card account number by entering the number into InPlace:

The HaBS Placement Ready team will then verify your Blue Card account number in the Blue Card Services organisational portal and link you to UQ. You won’t be able to progress your Blue Card application until this step has been completed. You will be notified by Blue Card Services when you have been linked to UQ and you can then progress to the next step in the application process.

Step 4:

Once you have been notified by Blue Card Services that you have been linked to UQ, you need to log in to the Blue Card applicant portal and apply for a Blue Card.

Once Blue Card Services have approved your application, you should receive a Positive Notice via email and your new Blue Card will be mailed to your nominated address. UQ will also be notified that your card has been approved so there is nothing further for you to do.

Your placement provider may ask to see your Blue Card at any time, so you should carry it with you at all times while on placement.

Link your existing valid Blue Card to UQ

Renew your expiring Blue Card

Application time: Once linked to UQ at least 5 days. Can take longer if further investigation is needed.

Cost: $0 (students are classed as volunteers)

You will receive a reminder from Blue Card Services when your card is going to expire. Do not ignore this reminder. It is your responsibility to hold a valid Blue Card as relevant to your placement. You must submit your Blue Card renewal before your current card expires to be able to undertake or continue placement activity under the No Card, No Start law. Blue Card renewals should be completed online.

Step 1:

You will need a Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) customer reference number (CRN) in order to prove your identity to Blue Card Services and to renew your card online.

You may already have a TMR customer reference number

Example:

Don’t already have a TMR customer reference number?

If you don’t already have a Queensland TMR customer reference number, you will need to obtain one before you can progress your Blue Card renewal.

Step 2:

Once you have your CRN, you will need it to register for a Blue Card Services online account before you can renew your Blue Card. You only need to register once. You can register here for a Blue Card Services online account.

Step 3:

As you will already be linked to UQ, you can log in to the Blue Card applicant portal to renew your Blue Card online.

Once Blue Card Services have renewed your Blue Card, you will receive a Positive Notice via email and your new Blue Card will be mailed to your nominated address. UQ will also be notified that your card has been renewed so there is nothing further for you to do.

Your placement provider may ask to see your Blue Card at any time, so you should carry it with you at all times while on placement.

Disqualified persons and Negative Blue Card Notice

To help ensure the safety of children and young people in Queensland, the blue card system stops certain people from holding or applying for a blue card such as:

People convicted of disqualifying offences
Current negative notice holders
People convicted of serious offences as they can only hold a blue card in exceptional circumstances.

If you are a disqualified person, it is an offence to apply for a Blue Card and penalties may apply. If the outcome of your Blue Card application is a Negative Notice, you cannot:

apply for, start, or continue in child-related work (paid or voluntary)
carry on a child-related business regulated by the blue card system.

The HaBS Placement Ready team will be notified of your Negative Notice status and will contact your School immediately to have you excluded/removed from any child-related placements.

Your Blue Card InPlace record will be marked as rejected and appear red in colour with verification comments confirming the status of your Blue Card application.

You are entitled to make a submission to Blue Card services to explain your side of the story in relation to police or disciplinary information that might preclude you from holding a Blue Card. Your submission should demonstrate how your behaviour has changed since the offence occured. You might want to include written references from employers, colleagues or health professionals who know about your past, or other relevant material.

Important: If you are a disqualified person or you receive a Negative Blue Card Notice, you should notify your School immediately.