Managing a report

As soon as the head of your organisation becomes aware of a reportable conduct concern, they must notify us within three business days.

The notification provides preliminary information to alert us to the concern. It must:

• advise us that you have received a reportable conduct concern
• outline the known details, for example, the subject of the concern and the nature of the conduct
• confirm the steps you have taken to manage any immediate risks to children
• outline other organisations that have been informed, including the Queensland Police Service or a sector regulator.

You must protect the safety and wellbeing of children while you investigate the reportable conduct concern. This prevents further harm from occurring before the findings of the investigation are known.

The head of your organisation is required to complete a risk assessment and take actions in response. Progress against these actions must be included in the notification, interim report and final report.

Actions should include:

• taking immediate steps to identify and manage any ongoing risk to children
• considering temporary changes to duties, supervision, reporting lines, or work environments
• recording your risk assessment and reasons for your decisions
• ensuring support is offered to all children involved, their families and affected staff.

Risk management must be proportionate, fair and regularly reviewed.

The head of your organisation is required to conduct an investigation as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the reportable conduct concern. You will likely already have processes in place to look into concerns, complaints and incidences, and these will be sufficient, provided they are:

• timely – they must commence promptly and progress without avoidable delay
• fair and procedurally sound – they must give all parties the opportunity to be heard, and ensure impartial decision-making
• child-centred – they must minimise further trauma, prioritise safety and consider the child’s views and needs
• evidence-based – they must collect and assess information objectively, using appropriate interview and fact-finding processes.

Your organisation is responsible for investigating the reportable conduct concern unless we determine that our intervention in the investigation is necessary.

You are required to provide us with an interim report within 30 business days of receiving the reportable conduct concern. This report must provide an update on the investigation’s progress.

When your investigation is complete, you must provide us with a final report that details the process you followed, the evidence you gathered, the outcomes, and the actions you have taken to address risks or prevent recurrence.

These outcomes should be used to strengthen your child safeguards, as part of your obligations for continuous improvement under the Child Safe Standards.

If a worker has been found to have engaged in reportable conduct, we will notify Blue Card Services, which administers Queensland’s Working with Children Check.

Failure to report can result in the head of an organisation receiving a financial penalty of $16,690 (100 penalty units) and details can be recorded on a public register.

We will provide further guidance about reporting ahead of 1 July 2026.