Getting started in our Schools
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Congratulations!
Congratulations on completing your online learning requirements.
This short module will provide you with a summary of the administrative prerequisites needed before commencing as a volunteer in our Catholic School community.
It will take about 5 minutes to review. I hope you find it useful guide to ensuring you have satisfied all requirements before getting started. �
Jacqui Francis
Executive Director
Townsville Catholic Education
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To register as a volunteer there are a couple of pre-requisites:
Applying to Volunteer
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We take child protection seriously.
If you are not a parent or legal guardian of a student at our school, you are required to obtain a Blue Card (Working with Children Check) in order to volunteer. (Restrictions apply to parents/guardians requiring Blue Cards, depending on school volunteer activity - refer to Blue Card Compliance)
All people working with children (who are not a parent or legal guardians of students at the school) require a blue card before they can start child-related volunteer work.
Volunteer Screening
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There have been changes to the Blue Card system with respect to volunteers which came into effect on 20 September 2025. These changes affect applicants, card holders and organisations.
Volunteer activities not involving their own child or involving close personal contact with another child: Parents will now require a Blue Card if their volunteer activities do not involve their own child in the activity or if the activity involves close personal contact with another child. Examples of close personal contact include bathing, toileting or dressing.
School camps/excursions: Parents who are attending their child’s overnight camp must have a Blue Card. Parents who are attending their child’s excursion (excluding overnight camps) do not require a blue card, however must sign the Restricted Person Declaration.
Parents and Citizens and Parent and Friends associations: A person will need a blue card if they are an Executive Committee member of a P&C or P&F Association or similar entity and they make decisions related to children. As an executive committee member, the volunteer parent exemption does not apply. If your P&C or P&F does not run an Outside School Hours Care service (OSHC), and you make decisions related to children less than 7 days per calendar year, you will not need a blue card.
If you are a parent and have been relying on the volunteer parent exemption for any activities not covered by the new exemption rules, you must obtain a blue card that is linked to your organisation before starting as a volunteer at your child’s school.
Blue Card Compliance
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Frequency test
The frequency test will check whether a person needs a blue card based on how much regulated work (paid or volunteer) they will do in a year.
You will not need a blue card if your regulated child-related work is not more than 7 days in a calendar year. If it is more than 7 days, a blue card is needed.
For this test, a 'day' includes a full day or part of a day (e.g. 2 hours of work on 1 day is considered to be a day). A 'calendar year' covers the period from 1 January to 31 December.
You will not be able to rely on the frequency test if you are either:
The new frequency test will only apply to volunteers, paid employees and students doing practical placements for their course.
There is no minimum frequency test for people who run a regulated child-related business—you will always need a blue card.
NOTE: Parents attending camps must have a blue card and are not subject to the frequency test.
Frequency Test
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Currently there are some exemptions that allow certain people to work or volunteer with children without a blue card in specific circumstances.
Restricted person
A restricted person is a person who either:
Restricted Persons
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All volunteers who do not require a Blue Card (including parents and those subject to the frequency test), will be required to confirm they are not a Restricted Person by signing the Restricted Person declaration and returning to the school in which you are volunteering. If you do not complete the declaration, you will be unable to volunteer in our school.
It is an offence to sign the declaration if you are a restricted person and penalties apply.
Restricted Persons Declaration
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If you are not a parent or legal guardian of a student at the school and do not have a current Blue Card, you will need to complete a Blue Card application form. (Restrictions apply to parents/guardians requiring Blue Cards, depending on school volunteer activity - refer to Blue Card Compliance).
Blue Card application forms are available online here
You will be required to provide your details (Name, DOB and Blue Card account number) to the school so that your Blue Card application can be linked to the organisation that you will be volunteering at. Once this is linked, you will then be able to finalise the application online.
We will be in touch once we receive notification from Blue Card Services about the outcome of your blue card application.
Blue Card applications
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You have completed the final module and have all the information you need to get started.
Please complete the Volunteers Quiz.
Congratulations!
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