What's new
What's new
Recent Changes to Worker Screening
On 1 February 2021, new nationally consistent disability worker screening was introduced in Queensland to improve the safety and quality of services and supports delivered to people living with disability.
Key features include:
- A five year clearance card for eligible NDIS Workers and ongoing monitoring of a screened worker’s criminal history at a national level
- No Card, No Start rules
- An online application process with more stringent identity requirements.
- A strengthened framework to automatically disqualify people convicted of very concerning offences, including sexual offences and serious assault offences committed against children and vulnerable people.
- Greater powers to suspend a clearance if a card holder has a change in their assessable information.
Queensland will also continue its robust state screening for disability services provided outside the NDIS.
No Card, No Start
Queensland has passed legislation to support a no card, no start approach to disability worker screening. New employees of NDIS registered providers, including sole traders, and state funded providers will need to have a disability worker screening clearance before they start work.
The changes are consistent with the reforms in the blue card system and are designed to increase safeguards for people with disability who receive disability supports and services.
Changes for disability workers
From 1 February 2021, all newly engaged workers will need a disability worker screening check if they are engaged by an NDIS registered provider in a risk assessed role or engaged by a state-funded provider to provide disability supports and services.
Workers and volunteers will need to apply for a disability worker screening clearance by completing the online application. Paper-based application forms will also be available for those who do not have online access.
To apply for a disability worker screening clearance, you will need to register for the Worker Portal and complete the online identity check.
To verify your identity, you will need a Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) Customer Reference Number (CRN) which is the number found on your driver licence, photo identification card or adult proof of age card.
There are two types of clearances available to workers providing disability supports and services in Queensland:
- NDIS Worker Screening Clearance for worker delivering NDIS supports and services
- Queensland Disability Worker Screening Clearance for worker delivering state funded disability supports and services
If you already have a valid yellow card or yellow card exemption, you won’t need to get a disability worker screening check straight away. You can keep using your existing card until it expires, is suspended or is cancelled.
A detailed guide has been developed for workers to help them use the online registration, identity check and application process.
Changes for employers
Employers are no longer responsible for submitting applications on behalf of their workers or verifying their identity.
It is the responsibility of the employer to know whether their workers need to be screened based on the role they’re undertaking and whether it is considered a risk assessed role. Employers can also decide if they would like their workers undertaking non-risk assessed roles to be screened.
Employers delivering NDIS supports and services will access the NDIS Worker Screening Database (NWSD) to:
- verify that a worker is or will be engaged by them to provide NDIS supports and services
- link and delink workers
- check the clearance status of a worker
- monitor the clearance status of workers and when a clearance is about to expire
Self-managed NDIS participants can choose to have their workers screened.
State funded employers will access the Queensland Employer Portal to:
- verify that a worker is or will be engaged by them to provide state funded supports and services
- link and delink workers
People who need a blue card too
People who work with children with disability will need both an NDIS worker screening clearance and a blue card. People who need both checks will be able to apply for both at once for one fee. This is called a combined application process .
People who apply for and get an NDIS worker screening check and subsequently require a blue card to work with children with disability, will be able to apply for a blue card for a reduced fee.
Links and Resources
See also
- Last reviewed
- 28 January 2021
- Last modified
- 18 July 2022
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence