Content Warning: This resource includes references to grooming, abuse, sexual abuse and trauma.  Please read at your own pace and stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable. Support is available through Blue Knot (1300 657 380), Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) and 13 YARN (13 92 76). Your organisation may also offer support through its Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

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With Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) commencing on 1 July 2026, now is a critical time for organisations with reportable conduct obligations to prepare.  Schools, early childhood education and care facilities, health providers, religious bodies, NDIS providers, child protection services, accommodation services, justice services and all government entities are designated as ‘reporting entities’, meaning they will be subject to the RCS requirements outlined in the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024.  

The RCS requires these organisations to report and investigate allegations of reportable conduct against workers, such as child sexual offences or sexual misconduct, ill-treatment or neglect, physical violence or emotional or psychological abuse. 

For those of you familiar with our Building Blocks framework, this sits under BB4 – Response. It isn’t just about responding – it’s about responding well, with care for everyone impacted and in a way that is aligned to your organisational values. RCS not purely a compliance requirement, but it is an opportunity to keep making children safer in our organisations, to support staff to work safely with children, and to improve the overall safety of children in Queensland. 

Here are six key questions organisations need to ask to be prepared for the start of the RCS. 

1. How strong is our child safeguarding system?

Organisations need to implement the Child Safe Standards – the other requirement under the new legislation – and make sure that policies, procedures and codes of conduct are up to date. These documents might need updates to provide advice about new reporting pathways, and staff might need to be trained about what needs to be reported. 

2. What are our reporting pathways? 

Organisations will need to decide on key points like who will be responsible for receiving reports and what the next steps will be, including assessing whether an allegation is reportable conduct and needs to be reported to the Queensland Family and Child Commission. It will also be important to think about how staff, clients, children or families might make reports, and to ensure these pathways are accessible given the diversity of your community. 

3. How will we assess reportable conduct? 

 Organisations will need processes to assess notifications and allegations, to decide if they meet the threshold for reportable conduct, as well as whether other reports need to be made, for example to police, professional bodies, or child safety.  

If organisations assess that the conduct is not reportable, other internal action may need to be taken, for example if the behaviour breaches codes of conduct or other policies.  

4. How will we undertake investigations? 

If an allegation is determined to be reportable conduct, organisations must undertake an investigation, which has specific requirements under the legislation. Before 1 July, organisations should have a clear idea of the circumstances when investigations will be undertaken internally (and therefore what capability and capacity is required) or by an external contracted investigator and how they will be selected; have investigation plans and templates in place; and determine who will make final decisions about findings and actions.  

5. How do we communicate with our staff and community? 

A number of organisations are sharing with us that their staff are anxious about what it would mean to be the subject of a reportable conduct allegation. Providing training to staff and proactively communicating with your wider community about reportable conduct will build trust and knowledge about what reportable conduct is and isn’t, and provide reassurance about what will be in place to manage these allegations.  

6. How will we use the Reportable Conduct Scheme to strengthen our safeguarding culture? 

The Reportable Conduct Scheme is a significant change for the safeguarding landscape in Queensland. However, it can be seen as an opportunity to strengthen safeguarding culture across all relevant organisations, providing clear pathways for identifying reportable conduct and new ways to support children’s safety.  

BBSafe is bringing our extensive experience, knowledge and capability in child safeguarding to this new part of the system. We have developed tools, resources and packages of support to assist organisations in moving into this next phase of child safeguarding arrangements. We can help with organisations’ preparation for the RCS by working through the answers to the above questions and many more. We can support you to undertake robust internal investigations or provide an independent trauma informed investigation for you.  

Please reach out to us at info@bbsafe.com.au if you’d like to talk more about how we can support your organisation.  

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