Frequently asked questions
These FAQs are designed to assist non-government organisations with the licensing process being undertaken by the our department.
- Applying for a care service licence
- Service standards - Self Assessment Workbook (SAWB)
- The Service Standards
- Service standards - process documentation
- Service standards - staff/management awareness
- Service Standards - output documentation
- Service standards - stakeholder feedback
- Independent external assessments (IEAs)
- Combining licensing process for different service types
- The role of the Community Support Team (CST) and Licensing Coordination Teams (LCT)
- Lead Zone Process
- Determining a licence application
- Suitability process
- Nominees duties
- Legal documents
- Corporations
- Resourcing implications
- Services not required to be licensed
- Departmental monitoring processes
1. Applying for a care service licence
Are only grant funded services required to be licensed?
No, if the service meets the scope of licensing it is eligible to be licensed regardless of the type of funding it receives (grant or transitional (PASP).
How do I know whether the service my organisation provides meets the scope of licensing?
Non-government services that have the primary purpose of providing out-of-home care to children subject to statutory child protection intervention are required to be licensed.
In assessing the primary purpose of the service, the department will consider whether the:
- primary function of the service is to provide a child protection out-of-home care service to children and young people subject to statutory child protection intervention, rather than placements to other target groups, such as homeless young people or people with disabilities
- service is made available specifically for departmental referrals
- majority of placements with the service are child protection placements
- majority of funding for the service is received from the Department of Child Safety.
If you are unsure if your service meets the scope you should contact the Community Support Team at your local Child Safety zonal office.
What do I need to be able to evidence before applying for a license?
You must be able to evidence that you have process documentation across all 11 standards, staff and management awareness, a premise and a way to evidence output documentation.
What does being licensed mean for my service?
Being licensed means that you have demonstrated that your service meet the minimum standard for out of home care services.
Being licensed does not guarantee that you will receive recurrent funding from the department or that the zone will place children and young people with your service.
Participating in the licensing process is not voluntary. If you have children and young people placed and you meet the scope of licensing, you must lodge an application.
2. Service standards - Self Assessment Workbook (SAWB)
How does the SAWB assist in developing my service?
The SAWB is an internal auditing tool that will assist your service to imbed quality assurance processes in everyday practice. It is a tool which can assists your service to identify your strengths and plan for meeting any shortfalls against the service standards.
Completing a SAWB enables a licence applicant to be confident that they meet the required standards and are therefore ready to progress through the licence application and assessment process.
The SAWB is provided to the independent External Assessor and will assist in assessing your processes across the service standards. A well completed SAWB will ensure that the IEA assesses all of your process in determining whether any element is met or not met.
Are the eleven (11) service standards applicable to all service types?
Yes. The service standards are applicable to all service types. However, how services apply will depend on the functions they provide. Refer to Appendix 3, Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.
What if a new out-of-home care service is not able to provide evidence for output documentation relating to children (because no child has been placed with them)?
The service should mark the relevant section of SAWB as data not available. There will be opportunity to collect and document this evidence once placements have been made with the service.
Can organisations address specific criteria at an organisational level for multiple service types?
Yes, an organisation can submit one SAWB to address elements of standards that are applicable at the organisational level, as long as the organisation fits within the parameters of the business rules set out in Appendix 5, Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.
The SAWB must address the three evidence types for these criteria:
- process documentation
- staff/management awareness
- output documentation.
Note: Elements may vary depending on how each organisation operates. Contact your Community Resource Officer (CRO) for assistance with determining which elements can be addressed at the organisational level.
When do I submit my self-assessment to the department?
It is preferred that a draft SAWB be submitted to your CRO prior to formally submitting your SAWB as an attachment to the licence application. This will enable the CRO to provide you with feedback prior to the 90-day licensing period commencing.
Can I provide electronic documentation to support my self-assessment?
Yes. When completing the SAWB, services are required to provide copies of their policies and procedures to demonstrate compliance with the service standards. These need to be provided to the zonal office as part of the licence application process. To make this process as easy and cost efficient as possible, electronic copies of policies and procedures can be forwarded with your completed workbook.
Note: All process documents sent to the department will be kept by the Independent External Assessor.
What are the timeframes for completing the SAWB?
Organisations will negotiate this date through the completion of the Implementation Plan, developed in consultation with the Community Support Team and/or Licensing Coordination Team.
It is important to note that services must have an application properly made or be actively engaged in the licensing process within six months of signing the service agreement.
Who fills in the boxes in the SAWB marked Overview of what was said/assessors comments?
The entire workbook including the boxes marked Overview of what was said/assessors comments is to be completed by the service. Generally, the first section will include the comments from staff being assessed. The overview section should be a summary of responses with a comment about the responses. Eg, staff demonstrated an adequate understanding of the process, their roles and responsibilities.
Who needs to be involved in the staff management/awareness section of the SAWB?
The staff management/awareness section of the SAWB should reflect that the people who need to know about the standards, policies and procedures do actually know about them. This includes nominees/directors being involved in providing staff management/awareness evidence regarding corporate governance. As part of the independent assessment, a sample of staff will be required for assessing awareness therefore, it is essential that all staff have participated in this process.
3. The Service standards
Have the 11 service standards changed?
Yes, but only minor changes have been made. It has been necessary to make a small number of changes to the standards to:
- accurately reflect their intent
- address instances where aspirational (beyond minimum standards) requirements were included
- to reflect changes to legislation and departmental policy.
The main changes cover:
- blue card and suitability requirements
- informing child and young people about limits to confidentiality
- removing some requirements concerning:
- consent to share information
- evidencing training
- carer approvals
- tracking reported harm not arising from the service
- assisting the child or young person to make external complaints.
A tracked changes version of the standards, showing the amendments, has also been placed on the department's website so it is easy to see the changes that have been made.
What do services need to do in response to the changes?
Services that are not yet engaged in the self-assessment process should download the new workbook from the Child Safety Internet. The changes have also been reflected in the 'evidence guide' in appendix 2 of the Out of Home Care Services Licensing Manual and the 'how standards apply to service types' in appendix 3 of the manual.
Services that have already started their self-assessment should continue using the workbook, but take note of the changes to the standards when completing it.
Services whose licence application has been accepted by the department do not need to do anything; however, Independent External Assessments conducted from now on will reflect the new wording of the service standards.
4. Service standards - process documentation
I want to make sure that my services process documentation is consistent with the departments policies. Where can get I get access to departmental policies?
If you have any queries about policies on any matter or would like any information about departmental policies or procedures contact your Community Resource Officer (CRO).
My service does not have a service agreement with the department as we receive Transitional (PASP) funding. How do I respond to Standard 10.1.2 when completing the Self Assessment Workbook (SAWB)?
At present this element is only relevant to services that have a service agreement with our department.
5. Service standards - staff/management awareness
What is required to show staff/management awareness of the standards?
Staff or management who are involved in implementing the process should demonstrate an understanding of its key features. There is no requirement that staff be able to recite procedures or that staff be aware of procedures for which they are not responsible. The questions listed in the SAWB are the questions the IEA will be assessing.
Who will need to participate in staff/management awareness groups conducted by the Independent External Assessor?
The licence applicant must provide a list of all staff (including volunteers, management, directors and the nominee of the service). The Independent External Assessor will select a sample of people from the list to reflect the number of staff, their roles in the service and number of locations (if relevant). Refer to Appendix 5, Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual.
Before the site visit the Independent External Assessor will contact the service to confirm who needs to participate in the groups.
What questions will the Independent External Assessor be asking staff regarding staff/management awareness?
The assessor will be asking questions directly as they appear in the Self Assessment Workbook (SAWB) under the staff/management awareness section.
What if the staff selected by the Independent External Assessor are not available?
If these people are not available, the service will need to discuss this with the assessors prior to the site visit so an alternative arrangement can be made.
7. Service standards - output documentation
What do I do if I can't evidence some output documentation elements?
You may be unable to evidence some output sections of the SAWB if there are new processes or an event has not occurred. For example, you may not be able to list evidence for Matters of Concern because your service has not had any MOCs. For these elements, you are required to indicate that Data is not available by ticking the DNA boxes in the SAWB.
What do I need to provide to evidence output documentation?
You are not required to provide any documentation for output elements. The SAWB requires you to list the documents relating to the element and these documents will be assessed by the IEA during the scheduled site visit with your service.
6. Service standards - stakeholders feedback
Do I need to complete stakeholder feedback?
You are required to provide evidence of stakeholder feedback in reference to standards 5, 8, and 9. These standards explicitly contain a requirement to seek and respond to stakeholder feedback. This can be evidenced by providing records, for example surveys, minutes of meetings or file notes. You are not required to ask the specific questions listed in Views of stakeholders - these are examples only.
8. Independent External Assessment (IEAs)
Can the Independent External Assessor provide advice prior to the assessment?
No. If the service has any questions about the process they are to ask their Community Resource Officer (CRO), the Licensing Coordination Team (LCT) or they can contact PeakCare or Queensland Aboriginal Islander Health Council (QAIHC) who have been involved in supporting services with licensing.
Will volunteers need to participate in IEA?
Yes. Volunteers will be assessed on the criteria relating to the tasks they carry out.
Who pays for casual staff and volunteers to attend IEA?
The organisation is responsible for meeting any costs involved. Any issues should be discussed with the Independent External Assessor, as alternative processes (for example, telelinks) may be possible.
Is the IEA for specialist foster care services and foster and kinship care services the same?
The Independent External Assessment for specialist foster care services only differs from the IEA for foster and kinship care services if the specialist foster care service engages care staff to work directly with children and young people and foster carers.
When preparing to undertake the self-assessment it is important to refer to Appendix 3 of the Out-of-Home Care Services Licensing Manual so as to identify which service standards apply to this type of specialist foster care service as well as which criteria under each standard 'things that must be considered' apply. These will also be assessed by the Independent External Assessor.
What should I expect from an IEA site visit?
The IEA site visit is usually undertaken in one to two days depending on the number of staff, location of premises and the location of files. The site visit enables the Independent External Assessors to sight and assess output evidence and to assess staff and management awareness of relevant process documentation. At the beginning of the site visit the assessor will meet staff to introduce themselves and explain the process and answer any questions. Once the site visit is finalised the assessor will conduct an exit interview and provide a broad overview of the evident gaps in process documentation, staff awareness and output documentation. It is important that key staff from your service attend this meeting.
It is imperative that all relevant staff and management attend the site visit. The Independent External Assessor will contact you prior to the visit to negotiate a suitable date and time for the visit to occur.
Will I receive the IEA report directly from the assessors?
No. The IEA is conducted to assist the department to make a decision regarding the outcome of your licence application. The report is therefore provided to the department.
However, the department will forward you a copy of the report with an invitation to provide the relevant Zonal Director with a response regarding the findings. Any response you provide will be considered when determining the outcome of your licence application.
Is the IEA report the licensing decision?
While all organisations seeking care service licences must meet minimum standards before the department will approve a licence, the IEA report represents only one of a number of assessment processes the department utilises when considering and making a licensing decision. Other measures include assessing:
- that your licence application shows that your service is eligible to be licensed
- your response to the IEA report
- implementation of your action/improvement plan meets requirements
- the outcome of personal history checks and other information regarding the suitability of persons associated with the service
- information arising from matters of concerns and case work matters that relate to the service
- feedback obtained from children and young people
- any complaints received by the department in relation to the service.
What happens if we get a not met in the IEA report?
If a service does not meet all of the standards in their IEA report, the service will be given the opportunity to demonstrate they have rectified the issue to meet the standard/s.
For services who have received a 'not met', on any process documentation elements, the service will be given the opportunity to amended the documentation inline with the feedback from the IEA report with support from the Community Support Team and/or Licensing Coordination Team.
Do I need to complete a contents page when sending documents back for a follow-up IEA?
Yes. You will be required to complete a contents page detailing the elements assessed as 'not met' with the exact reference to the amendments made e.g. amended section 5.3 Policy and Procedures manual page 45. The services will then higlight the changes within the document before submitting for the follow-up IEA.
What is the Summary Report?
The Summary Report is the final piece of information completed by the Community Support Team and presented at the State-wide Licensing Panel. This document includes a summary of initially 'not met' elements from the IEA report, details of the amendments made to documentation, updated staff awareness and re-assessed output documentation and the final assessment of these elements made by either the IEA or the CST. There are also other appendices of this document which include information about the location of houses (Premise site/coordination applications only), carer approval details (carer and direct care applications only), staff suitability information and details of matters of concerns for the past 12 months. Your CRO may require your assistance in completing these documents.
Can I provide new or revised process documentation to the department or Independent External Assessor after I have submitted my licence application?
No. As a general rule, any process documentation developed or updated after the licence application has been accepted will not be considered by the IEA.
Of course, you will be expected to amend any process documentation that the IEA determines does not meet the minimum standards. Once the amendments are in place you will need to submit changes to your CRO to enable feedback and progression through the assessment phase. You will also need to ensure that staff and management are aware of these changes, that the change is referenced throughout other interrelated process documentation, and that where possible you provide output evidence.
We have developed new processes consistent with the suggestions in the IEA report. Do we need output evidence to demonstrate this before being granted a licence?
As a general rule, yes. Evidence of output documentation is an integral part of the assessment process. Nevertheless, the department recognises that there are particular policies and procedures that may not be implemented within the assessment timeframe. In these instances you may be able to submit a response of Data Not Available (DNA); however it is recommended that you contact your CRO for assistance when determining which output documents can be omitted.
9. Combining licensing processes for different service types
Can an organisation obtain one licence to cover two services or more?
Yes. An organisation may submit one licence application to cover two services or more in certain circumstances. In general, the services must share the one nominee, group of directors, one coordinator and one set of process documentation. They must be located within the one coordination site and service delivery must be conducted within the boundaries of one departmental zone. If you believe your services may be able to share a licence you should contact your Community Resource Officer (CRO) to discuss.
Will forms or templates be available to help organisations undertake the licensing process?
Yes. All relevant licensing of care services forms and templates are available from your CRO.
Some of the licensing forms and templates are also available on our website.
10. The Role of the Community Support Team (CST) and Licensing Coordination Teams (LCT)
How can the CST and LCT assist my service?
The LCTs have the primary focus on assisting services and CSTs with progressing services through the licensing process. For some zones, the LCTs will take the lead on directly supporting services, while in others, the LCTs work directly with the CST to support services.
What type of support can I expect?
The LCTs can offer advice and feedback on your services licensing submission including general information about commonly 'not mets' areas. These key areas are referred to as 'hot spots'.
What are the Implementation Plans and Actions Plans?
Implementation Plans are the overarching agreement between your service and the department around the meeting of key milestones within the licensing process. The plans are designed to assist your service to identify timeframes around each step of the licensing process with a tentative date for assessment of your application.
The Implementation Plans are signed by the service Nominee or delegate, the CST Manager and the Coordinator of the Licensing Coordination Team.
Action plans are more specific plans and are completed after a review meeting. These plans set out the feedback from the CST or LCT in relation to each of the elements. It is important to note that these are suggestions only.
11. Lead Zone Process
What does the lead zone process mean for my organisation that has a number of services across zones?
For services that have a number of services across zones, the department has developed the lead zone process aimed at streamlining the licensing process. The Licensing Coordination Teams are leading this process which will involve the development of a cross zonal lodgment plan.
As part of the lead zone process, services will lodge their draft applications with the Licensing Coordination Teams (LCTs). The LCTs will review the application and forward to the relevant Community Support Team (CST) for review and determination of properly made or not properly made.
The lead zone (CST) will be responsible for coordinating the suitability of the nominee and directors that are across the organistion.
The process aims to ensure that organisations are receiving consistent information from the department and provides a central contact point for all licensing queries.
What does the lead zone process mean for my organisation/service that is only in one zone?
The lead zone process does not apply to your service.
12. Determining a licence application
How long does the department have to process and determine an application for a care service licence?
Our department has 90 days once an application for a licence (LCS Form 1) has been determined properly made.
Can the 90 day licence application period be extended?
Yes. If our department needs more time to consider an application or the service needs additional time to rectify areas where the Independent External Assessor has identified non-compliance, the 90-day timeframe can be extended. The extension must be agreed to, in writing by our department and the licence applicant before the initial 90 days expires.
The department's policy position is that they will only be extended for an additional 90 days.
Note: Only one extension can be granted for any licence application.
13. Suitability process
My service is currently licensed under the previous licensing regime. Can a nominee or director take up their position prior to receiving outcomes of suitability and/or blue cards?
No. A nominee or director must have an outcome of suitability and hold a current, valid blue card before they take up their position.
Can service managers and staff members start work in a licensed care service while they are waiting for the result of their blue card application?
Yes, as long as the manager and/or staff member has received notification of suitability from our Central Screening Unit and has applied for a blue card. The service must also have a documented risk management strategy. Examples of risk management strategies include:
- not working alone with children
- having strong, confirmed references
- conducting criminal history checks.
Can a volunteer start work in a licensed care service if they have only applied for a blue card?
No. The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 states that a volunteer must have a blue card before they can be engaged in regulated employment. A volunteer must also be determined suitable by our Central Screening Unit prior to commencing with a licensed service.
Where can I find a blue card application/authorisation form for nominees/directors?
Blue card forms for nominees and directors are available on our website.
Where can I find a blue card application/authorisation form for staff/volunteers?
Blue card forms for staff and volunteers can be found on the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (CCYPCG) website.
When do nominees, directors, service managers, staff and other volunteers need to complete an LCS Form 7: Confirmation of suitability?
Any person who has received a letter of suitability from our Central Screening Unit after 30 May 2006 should submit an LCS Form 7 (rather than LCS Form 2).
These licensing forms and templates are available on our website.
Does a person engaged by a licensed care service need to have another suitability check conducted by the department, if they shift employment from one licensed care service to another?
A Notification of suitability letter issued by our Central Screening Unit after 31 May 2006 is valid for two years. If a relevant person has received a letter from our Central Screening Unit on, or after 31 May 2006 they still need to confirm their suitability using an LCS Form 7 prior to commencing with the new service.
14. Nominees duties/responsibilities
Can the nominee delegate tasks such as the verification of identification of staff on an LCS form 2?
Yes, the nominee can delegate a task if appropriate. However, the responsibilities of the nominee pursuant to the Child Protection Act 1999 cannot be delegated. Therefore, if a nominee delegates tasks in relation to their responsibilities under the Act, they would need to sign off on the completion of their tasks as they are ultimately responsible for such matters
Who can be a nominee of a licensed care service?
Pursuant to the Child Protection Act, a nominee must be:
- 18 years-of-age or over
- an individual
- determined suitable by our department
- hold a current blue card.
What is the role of the nominee?
The nominee is the individual who represents the licensee (which is the corporation who holds the licence). The responsibilities of the nominee are detailed under Section 130 of the Child Protection Act. The Act states that the nominee for a licence is responsible for ensuring:
- the standard of care provided by the service complies with the statement of standards
- the persons engaged in relation to the provision of care services by the service are suitable persons
- the licensee complies with the Commissioner's Act, part 6, in carrying on a regulated business or employing persons in regulated employment under that Act.
Is a person able to be the nominee of more than one service?
Yes. A person can be the nominee of more than one service.
15. Legal documents
Is a service required to obtain a copy of the certificate of classification from the relevant local authority as part of its licence application?
Yes, if the service is a residential service, and it is required by the services city council.
16. Corporations
The Child Protection Act requires organisations to be a corporation in order to be licensed. Does it matter what type of corporation my organisation is?
Under Section 125 (1) (a) of the Child Protection Act 1999, an applicant for a care service licence must be a corporation. The intent of this requirement is to ensure that licensees are organisations and not individuals.
To meet the requirements of the Act, organisations applying for a care service licence must be:
- incorporated under one of the following:
- Associations Incorporations Act 1981 (Qld)
- Religious, Education and Charitable Institutions Act 1861 (Qld)
- Co-operatives Act 1997 (Qld)
- Corporations Act 2001 (Commonwealth)
- Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976 (Commonwealth)
- Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Commonwealth)
- Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 (Queensland)
- recognised under the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 (Queensland)
- recognised under the Aboriginal Communities (Justice and Land Matters) Act 1984 (Queensland)
- an incorporated local government authority
- an organisation with non-profit objectives incorporated by an Act of Parliament and approved by the Minister
How do corporations (without boards or with boards that are significantly removed from the operation of the out-of-home care service) evidence the criteria in Standard 11 about boards of management or management committees?
Standard 11, the standard for governance and accountability, includes criteria about electing, inducting and the training and development of board or committee members.
These criteria reflect the governance arrangements of incorporated organisations to ensure internal and external accountability for what the organisation does in relation to services funded by the Department of Child Safety.
While all organisations applying for a care service licence must be a corporation, they may have a range of organisational structures. As a result, these criteria may not apply in the same way for all organisational structures. Two examples of governance arrangements, which may be different to more common forms of incorporated bodies are:
- corporations that are Proprietary Limited companies incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 that are single-director companies and therefore do not have boards or organisations where responsibility for decision making in relation to service delivery is delegated from the corporation to a paid executive(s) or similar position(s), and where the incorporated entity is significantly removed from the operation of the licensed service.
For these kinds of organisations the department needs to have confidence they have suitable governance processes in place that ensures:
- the organisation is a viable corporation, on an ongoing basis, so as to ensure continuity of service delivery decision making arrangements are established, necessary delegations are in place and those with these delegations are aware of their responsibilities when governance responsibilities change within the organisation, those assuming these responsibilities understand their obligations and have ongoing training in these matters.
The following table indicates the evidence that should be provided by these organisations for these criteria.
Criteria |
Evidence must demonstrate |
| Process Documentation | |
| 11.1.1 Procedures for electing the management committee or board members. | Procedures for recruiting or appointing a new director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| 11.1.2 Procedures for induction of management committee or board members. | Procedures for hand over or induction of a new director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| 11.1.3 Procedures for provision of ongoing learning, training and development for management committee or board members. | Procedures for ongoing learning, training and development of the director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| Staff / management awareness (those responsible for the process) | |
| 11.2.2 Knowledge of processes for induction of management committee or board members. | Knowledge of processes for inducting a new director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| 11.2.3 Knowledge of processes for ongoing training and development for management committee or board members. | Knowledge of processes for ongoing learning, training and development of director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| Output documentation | |
| 11.3.1 Records of decisions made by the management committee or board. | Records of decisions made by the director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| 11.3.2 Records of induction of members of management committee or board. | Records of the induction of new director(s) or executive(s) or similar position, responsible for the service. |
| 11.3.4 Organisation Constitution. | The organisations constitution (if required by legislation under which the organisation is incorporated) or governing document that sets out how delegated authority is conveyed, and the powers and obligations of directors and/or executives that are responsible for the service. |
17. Resourcing implications
How are the service standards related to the service agreement and departmental funding?
Demonstrating compliance with the service standards is a requirement of the service agreement.
18. Services not required to be licensed
My organisation is funded by the department to provide an out-of-home care service and a child protection counselling service. Do both services need to be licensed?
The licensing process only applies to out-of-home care services. Support services, including counselling services, are not required to be licensed. However, our department will be introducing a Quality Assurance Strategy for all funded services in the future.
19. Departmental monitoring processes
How will licenses be monitored by the department?
Our departments Quality Assurance Branch is working closely with our Community Partnerships Branch to establish a combined monitoring process. Monitoring activities for grant funded and licensed care services will be combined where possible and will include:
- quarterly service meetings
- scheduled service site visits
If my service is licensed do I still need to complete annual performance reports with the department?
Yes if grant funded. Performance reporting for grant funding purposes remains unchanged.
- Last updated
- 28 March 2008