All Access Arts policies relate to all Staff as well as Members.
Access Arts Inc. defines a Member as any person who has filled out a membership form to join the organisation.
Staff are defined as persons engaged in Office, workshop/project or program, Volunteer or Student placement work at Access Arts Inc.
Definitions:
Working with Children Blue Card:
- A person will need a blue card if they propose to work, in a paid or voluntary capacity, or to carry on a business, in a child-related area regulated by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000.
- The Commission conducts the Working with Children Check to determine whether a person is eligible for a blue card. If a person is considered eligible they are issued with a positive notice letter and a blue card.
Disability Services Queensland Police Check:
- The Disability Services Act 2006 provides for criminal history screening for all staff and volunteers of funded non-government service providers to increase the safety of people with a disability when they are accessing funded services.
Purpose:
To ensure all Staff have a Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) police check and blue card as required (if working with children).
Policy:
- All Staff are to have a DSQ police check (or apply for one within a week of employment). This includes all Employees, Volunteers, Management Committee members, Executive Officers, Students and any other person who has a contract with Access Arts Inc.
- Access Arts will provide staff with the required DSQ and Blue Card application forms and will sign and return the forms, with payment as required.
- All Staff members who will come into contact with children during the course of their work must hold a blue card before commencing work.
DSQ Police Check and Blue Card Procedure
- Any Staff Member who does not have a Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) police check must apply for one within a week of employment.
- If a Staff Member is going to work with children, he/she must obtain a blue card before this work commences.
- Once the DSQ police check/ blue card application has been accepted all hardcopy details pertaining to the application must be filed in the police check and blue card folder and recorded in the computer register (located in ‘Governance’ in the ‘s’ drive under the ‘Register for Police History Check and Blue Card’ folder).
- If an application for a blue card or DSQ police check is rejected the Staff Member must report to the Executive Director as soon as possible.
- If the rejection is based on inadequate or incorrect information, action can be taken to re-submit the application with the correct information.
- If a Staff Member is found unsuitable for a blue card, he/she cannot work with children, and action is to be taken at the Executive Director’s discretion. This action will consider the relevance of the criminal conviction or charge in relation to the work to be undertaken by the Staff member.
- If a criminal charge or conviction is found during the course of a DSQ police check, action is to be taken at the Executive Director’s discretion. This action will consider the relevance of the criminal conviction or charge in relation to the work to be undertaken by the Staff Member.
- Access Arts must follow the procedures through Disability Services Qld and Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian relating to Criminal History screening of all Staff.
Complies with Queensland Disability Service Standards: 8, 9, 10
Update Responsibility: Angela Jaeschke
Date of last update: 20/07/2009