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Contractors going into schools or education and care/ child care centres

I have a contracting business and will be going into schools and education and care / child care centres. Will I need a blue card?

Generally contractors going into schools (excluding school cleaners and grounds people) will not be required to obtain blue cards. Examples of school contractors that do not require blue cards include electricians, builders and other tradespeople where the individual is providing services to the school and not the children.

However, if the contractor provides services to education and care / child care centres when children are present and the services are considered to be part of the contractor’s usual business activities, then the individual requires a blue card.

The distinction between the two divisions are as follows:

Individuals going into school environments can only be captured by the schools – employees other than teachers and parents category of regulated employment.

To be captured under the schools category, the individual is required to provide services or to conduct an activity at the school directed mainly toward children. For the purpose of the legislation, electricians, tradespeople and builders (etc) are not providing a service to children in schools and therefore are not required to hold a blue card.

Under the Education and care services and similar employment category and the Child care services and similar employment category, the legislation does not require the specific provision of a service directed mainly toward children but rather just a service to occur within the child care facility when children are present.

What if I am a paid employee of a contractor?

In order to be captured under the Education and care services and similar employment and Child care services and similar employment categories of regulated employment, the individual would need to meet the minimum frequency for regulated employment. That is the employee would need to be working within child care environments for at least

• eight consecutive days, or
• once a week, each week, over four weeks, or
• once a fortnight, each fortnight, over eight weeks, or
• once a month, each month, over six months

unless an exemption applies.

Employees of contractors who work within schools that do not provide an education and care service or child care service are not required to hold a blue card, with the exception of school cleaners and grounds people.

 

Last updated: 10 October, 2012

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