Queensland Reportable Conduct Scheme: What Schools and Early Learning Services Need to Prepare

Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme commences on 1 July 2026 and introduces a consistent statewide approach to reporting and responding to allegations of harm to children by workers. The Queensland Family and Child Commission says organisations that will need to implement the scheme should be preparing now, so they are ready to meet their obligations when the scheme begins.

For schools and early learning services, this is not just another policy update.

The real work is making sure leaders know how allegations will be identified, assessed, notified, investigated, recorded and reviewed in practice.

Many schools and early learning services already have child protection policies, complaints processes, HR procedures, WHS systems and student safety frameworks. The challenge is making sure these systems connect when a concern involves the conduct of a worker, volunteer, contractor or other person engaged by the organisation.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme requires organisations to report and investigate allegations of child abuse and misconduct by workers, and to take concerns seriously and respond appropriately.  That means preparation needs to go beyond awareness. It needs to include practical systems, clear ownership and evidence that decisions are being managed properly.

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Why preparation matters

When a concern is raised, leaders may need to make quick decisions about child safety, worker safety, procedural fairness, notification obligations, investigation steps, communication, recordkeeping and risk controls.

If the process is unclear, organisations can lose valuable time working out who owns the matter, what threshold applies, whether external advice is needed, who should investigate, and what records need to be kept.

For schools and early learning services, this is especially important because reportable conduct does not sit neatly in one box. It can overlap with child safety, HR, workplace investigations, WHS, psychosocial risk, complaints management, governance and regulatory reporting.

Preparation is about making sure those areas work together before a matter arises.

1. Clarify who owns the process

One of the first things schools and early learning services should confirm is who has responsibility for managing reportable conduct matters.

This does not mean one person does everything. It means the organisation knows who is responsible for receiving information, assessing concerns, making notification decisions, managing immediate risk, appointing an investigator, keeping records and briefing leadership or governance bodies.

Questions to ask:

• Who receives concerns about worker conduct?

• Who assesses whether a matter may meet the reportable conduct threshold?

• Who makes the decision to notify?

• Who manages immediate child safety or workplace risk?

• Who appoints or engages an investigator?

• Who maintains the records?

• Who reports trends, risks and outcomes to leadership or governance?

If the answer depends on the type of allegation, the role of the worker, the location of the incident or whether the person is an employee, volunteer or contractor, those pathways should be written down clearly.

2. Build a practical triage process

Triage is one of the most important parts of reportable conduct readiness.

A triage process helps leaders make an early, structured assessment of a concern. It does not need to determine the final outcome. It simply helps the organisation decide what the matter is, what risks exist, whether external reporting may be required, and what needs to happen next.

A practical triage process should consider:

• the nature of the allegation or concern;

• who is involved;

• whether a child may be at immediate risk;

• whether the matter may involve reportable conduct;

• whether police, child protection or another regulator may need to be contacted;

• what immediate action is required to manage risk;

• what records need to be created;

• whether an internal or external investigation is required.

This is where many organisations become unstuck. They may have a complaints process and a child protection process, but not a clear reportable conduct triage pathway.

3. Prepare notification and reporting steps

Schools and early learning services should understand what information may need to be gathered before a notification is made, who is responsible for preparing it, and how the decision will be recorded.

This does not mean delaying action until every fact is known. Reportable conduct processes often require early decisions based on limited information. That is why a clear notification process is important.

Organisations should prepare templates or prompts for:

• the allegation or concern;

• the worker’s role;

• the child or children involved;

• immediate safety actions;

• initial risk assessment;

• whether other agencies have been contacted;

• the decision made;

• the reason for the decision;

• next steps.

Good recordkeeping matters because it shows that the organisation took the concern seriously, considered risk and made a reasoned decision.

4. Plan how investigations will be managed

A reportable conduct matter may require an investigation. Schools and early learning services should decide in advance how investigations will be managed, who has authority to appoint an investigator, and when an external investigator may be appropriate.

External investigation support may be useful where:

• the allegation is serious or sensitive;

• internal capacity is limited;

• independence is important;

• there is a conflict of interest;

• the matter involves senior staff;

• the organisation needs specialist investigation experience;

• the matter may involve multiple systems, witnesses or records.

Investigation planning should include terms of reference, scope, evidence sources, interview planning, confidentiality, procedural fairness, timelines, findings and reporting.

This is not just about completing an investigation. It is about making sure the process is fair, structured, defensible and child-safe.

5. Connect reportable conduct with child safety systems

Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme sits within the broader Child Safe Organisations system. The Child Safe Standards are designed to protect children from harm when they interact with businesses and organisations, and organisations that provide services or spaces specifically for children may need to implement them.

For schools and early learning services, reportable conduct should connect with existing child safety systems, including:

• codes of conduct;

• recruitment and screening;

• complaints handling;

• child-friendly reporting pathways;

• staff and volunteer training;

• supervision practices;

• risk assessments;

• online safety;

• excursions, camps, transport and offsite activities;

• recordkeeping and governance reporting.

A reportable conduct process that sits separately from the child safety framework is less likely to work well in practice.

6. Consider WHS and psychosocial risk

Reportable conduct matters can create significant psychosocial risk for children, families, staff, leaders, witnesses and the person subject to the allegation.

Schools and early learning services should consider how they will manage wellbeing, confidentiality, communication and support during the process.

This may include:

• support for children and families;

• support for staff involved in the process;

• support for the person subject to the allegation;

• managing workplace conflict or rumours;

• communication boundaries;

• workload impacts on leaders managing the matter;

• preventing victimisation or retaliation;

• maintaining confidentiality.

These matters are not only child safety issues. They can also become WHS and psychosocial risk issues if they are poorly managed.

7. Strengthen governance and evidence

Boards, approved providers, governing bodies and senior leaders need visibility of serious risks and system gaps.

That does not mean they need to know every operational detail of every matter. It means they need assurance that the organisation has a clear process, appropriate controls and reliable reporting.

Useful evidence may include:

• a reportable conduct procedure or flowchart;

• role and responsibility documents;

• triage templates;

• notification decision records;

• investigation templates;

• training records;

• risk assessment records;

• action registers;

• governance reports;

• post-incident review records;

• evidence of system improvements after matters are closed.

The aim is to show that reportable conduct is not being handled informally or inconsistently.

8. Test the system before the scheme starts

The best time to test the process is before it is needed.

Schools and early learning services can start by running a simple scenario exercise. For example:

A concern is raised about a staff member’s conduct towards a child. The information is unclear, the parent is upset, the staff member is distressed, and the principal or service leader needs to decide what happens next.

Then ask:

• Who receives the concern?

• Who assesses it?

• Who manages immediate risk?

• Who decides whether it may be reportable conduct?

• Who records the decision?

• Who communicates with the family?

• Who supports the child?

• Who supports the worker?

• Who decides whether an investigation is needed?

• Who briefs governance or senior leadership?

• What evidence would show the process was followed?

If the answers are unclear, inconsistent or dependent on one person’s memory, the system needs strengthening.

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What schools and early learning services should prepare now

Before 1 July 2026, schools and early learning services should consider preparing:

• a reportable conduct procedure;

• a triage and threshold assessment tool;

• notification decision templates;

• immediate risk assessment guidance;

• investigation planning templates;

• terms of reference templates;

• recordkeeping guidance;

• governance reporting pathways;

• staff awareness training;

• leadership scenario testing;

• links between reportable conduct, child safety, WHS, complaints and HR processes.

The goal is not to create unnecessary paperwork. The goal is to make sure the organisation can respond quickly, fairly and safely when a concern is raised.

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How OnPoint360 can help

OnPoint360 provides practical reportable conduct scheme support for Queensland schools and early learning services.

We help organisations prepare for the Reportable Conduct Scheme by reviewing current systems, identifying practical gaps and strengthening the way reportable conduct connects with child safety, WHS, risk, investigations and governance.

Our support can include:

• reportable conduct readiness checks;

• triage and threshold assessment support;

• QFCC notification guidance;

• immediate risk response guidance;

• procedure and flowchart development;

• investigation planning;

• independent investigations;

• report preparation;

• recordkeeping and governance evidence;

• leadership briefings and practical scenario testing.

We do not make compliance more complicated than it needs to be.

We help schools and early learning services turn serious obligations into clear, workable systems.

Need practical reportable conduct scheme support?

If your school or early learning service is preparing for Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme, OnPoint360 can help you identify what is working, what is unclear and what needs to be strengthened before the scheme commences.

Contact OnPoint360 for practical reportable conduct scheme support for Queensland schools and early learning services.

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