Requirements for healthcare organisations caring for children — Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme is now in effect
The Reportable Conduct Scheme is part of Queensland’s new child safeguarding law, the Child Safe Organisations Act (The Act). The Act works to protect children from harm when they interact with businesses and organisations.
As of 1 July 2026, around 10,000 organisations in Queensland that care for, supervise or exercise authority over children need to comply with the Reportable Conduct Scheme. This includes healthcare businesses and organisations such as general practices, pharmacies and other allied health practices that treat children and their families.
The scheme requires organisations to report and investigate concerns of harm and abuse by their workers and allows for information to be connected across sectors and organisations to better identify risks to children.
Importantly, it will play a critical role in providing a pathway for raising concerns which may not reach a threshold for police, helping to ensure organisations and regulators are actively:
keeping children safe
providing parents and families with confidence that concerns will be handled promptly.
The scheme works in partnership with the Child Safe Standards, which the healthcare sector has been implementing over recent months. The Standards are there to prevent harm and the scheme is there to enable an appropriate response if harm occurs.
Healthcare providers/organisations that must comply with the Reportable Conduct Scheme
Businesses and organisations need to implement the Child Safe Standards and comply with the Reportable Conduct Scheme if they provide either:
services specifically for children
facilities specifically for use by children who are supervised by the organisation.
This includes:
public hospitals and health services
private hospitals and health facilities, including general practices, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, day surgeries
the Queensland Ambulance Service
mental health services including treatment, assessment or rehab services/programs
organisations providing alcohol or other drug related treatment
counselling or support services
registered health professionals e.g., pathology services, dieticians, naturopaths, speech pathologists, community health services and other health service providers.
Requirements as of 1 July 2026
Organisations subject to the scheme are now required to:
prevent harm by embedding the Child Safe Standards
educate all staff and volunteers in the organisation about what constitutes reportable conduct and who concerns can be reported about
put systems in place that enable anyone to report instances of reportable conduct to the head of the organisation and to the Queensland Family and Child Commission
investigate reportable conduct when concerns are raised and manage risks to children throughout this process.
The Queensland Family and Child Commission is the regulator for the Child Safe Organisations system, including the Reportable Conduct Scheme.
Information for heads of organisations
If your healthcare practice or organisation is subject to the scheme, the legal responsibility for meeting reporting and investigation requirements belongs to the head of your organisation.
See the Queensland Family and Child Commission website for information on:
your organisation’s requirements to comply
an implementation guideline containing detailed information and tools to help you implement the scheme.
Information for staff and volunteers
The Commission’s website has resources to help your team understand the scheme and their responsibilities under it, including: