Organisations Linked to Blue Cards Services
13. What are the linking requirements for organisations?
If you are an organisation that provides regulated child-related services, you must ensure that card holders are linked to your organisation before they start working or volunteering with children or young people.
For Surf Life Saving Clubs in Queensland, your member’s Blue Card details need to be linked to Surf Life Saving Queensland (not your individual club). It is important to help members complete this process. Failure to comply may result in penalties for SLSQ, the club, and individuals under the Act.
14. What purpose does linking Blue Cards serve?
Linking blue cards serves a vital safety and compliance purpose:
- If there is a change in a person’s information (e.g., cancellation, suspension, or withdrawal of their blue card), Blue Card Services will notify the linked organisation.
- Without a link to SLSQ, Blue Card Services cannot notify the organisation, creating a serious risk that the individual could continue working or volunteering with children while ineligible.
- It is an offence for an organisation to engage someone whose blue card has been cancelled, suspended, or withdrawn.
It is an offence for an organisation to engage someone working or volunteering with children if that person’s Blue Card has been cancelled, suspended, or withdrawn.
15. What happens if I’m not linked?
If you are working or volunteering in a role that requires a blue card and are not linked to SLSQ:
- SLSQ will be unable to update your blue card details.
- Your membership status will be placed on Leave/Restricted until the linking process is completed.
Provide your account number/valid Blue Card or Exemption Card and date of birth details using the SLSQ survey.
SLSQ & Blue Cards Linking/ Validating
16. Why is it important to link your Blue Card?
When volunteering at a Surf Life Saving Club, in a role as outlined on page 4 of the SLSQ Policy, you will need to link your Blue or Exemption Card with Surf Life Saving Queensland. This is important because:
- Volunteers and students receive their cards for free if they are linked to an organisation.
- For new volunteer and student applicants, the organisation must link the applicant before they can complete their online application.
17. How are Blue Card linked by SLSQ?
Linking can only be done by nominated SLSQ users in the Blue Card Services Organisational Portal.
Surfguard and the Blue Card Portal are not connected, meaning that updating the member’s details on Surfguard will not ‘link’ the member’s Blue Card details to SLSQ on the Blue Card Portal.
18. How do I link my Blue Card with SLSQ?
Once you have registered for a Blue Card Account or have a valid Blue Card:
- Provide your Account Number/valid Blue Card or Exemption Card and date of birth details using the SLSQ survey.
- SLSQ will link your account/valid card.
- Once your Blue Card has been linked, you will receive an email from Blue Card Services to login to your Blue Card Services Application Portal and complete your application.
- Blue Card Services will issue your card and SLSQ will enter your Blue Card details in Surfguard.
Please refer to the Completing Blue Card Applications if you require further information.
19. Do I need to re-link my Blue Card every year?
A Blue Card is valid for 3 years and exemption cards remain valid as long as you remain as a registered teacher of police officer.
When a paid employee, volunteer, or student is already linked to SLSQ and they renew their Blue or Exemption Card prior to their card expiring, the link will automatically carry over and the organisation won’t need to create another link.
If your Blue Card expired before you renewed it, you will need to have it re-linked to SLSQ.
If your Blue Card is still in its validity period, you do not need to relink this every year.
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