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QAGTC Online Safety Protocol

1. Purpose

QAGTC recognises that many of its activities, communications and programs occur in digital environments. This protocol establishes expectations and procedures to ensure that all online interactions involving children and young people are safe, respectful, inclusive and aligned with QAGTC's commitment to child safety.

Safe online environments are a specific requirement of the Queensland Child Safe Standards and support QAGTC's obligations to provide environments that prioritise children's safety and wellbeing.

2. Scope

This protocol applies to:

  • QAGTC Committee members
  • Branch executives
  • Volunteers
  • Presenters and facilitators
  • Contractors
  • Parents and carers
  • Child and youth participants
  • Conference attendees
  • Members of the public participating in QAGTC online activities

The protocol applies to all QAGTC-related online environments, including:

  • Email communications
  • Video conferencing platforms
  • Registration systems
  • Social media platforms
  • Messaging applications
  • Online forums or discussion groups
  • QAGTC websites and digital services
  • Shared electronic documents and cloud storage systems

3. Guiding Principles

QAGTC's online environments will be:

Safe

Protecting children from harm, exploitation, grooming, bullying and abuse.

Respectful

Promoting positive and inclusive interactions.

Transparent

Ensuring communications are observable and accountable.

Secure

Protecting personal information and digital systems.

Child-Focused

Supporting the wellbeing and rights of children and young people.

Inclusive

Providing culturally safe and accessible online experiences for all participants.

4. Acceptable Use of Technology

All users of QAGTC online systems must:

  • Use technology responsibly and respectfully.
  • Protect personal and confidential information.
  • Follow QAGTC's Code of Conduct.
  • Use language that is respectful and inclusive.
  • Report inappropriate content or behaviour.
  • Respect copyright and intellectual property rights.
  • Follow instructions provided by moderators and organisers.

Technology must never be used in ways that compromise the safety, dignity or wellbeing of children or others.

5. Online Communication Requirements

Approved Communication Channels

QAGTC personnel must use only approved communication channels when communicating with parents of children and young people.

Examples include:

  • Official QAGTC email accounts
  • Approved event platforms
  • QAGTC-managed learning or collaboration systems (website)
  • Organised webinar platforms

Where possible, communications should include parents/carers or occur in environments visible to other authorised adults.

Private Communications

Committee members, volunteers, presenters and facilitators must not:

  • Engage in private online relationships with children.
  • Communicate in secretive ways.
  • Use disappearing-message applications for QAGTC activities.
  • Request or accept personal social media connections with children participating in QAGTC activities unless a legitimate pre-existing relationship exists and has been disclosed.

Private communication between adults and child participants should be avoided unless operationally necessary and authorised by the Management Committee.

Professional Boundaries

Adults involved in QAGTC activities must:

  • Maintain professional language and conduct.
  • Avoid discussions of a personal or intimate nature.
  • Avoid favouritism.
  • Avoid excessive or unnecessary contact.
  • Recognise and respond appropriately to boundary concerns.

Professional boundaries apply equally in online and face-to-face environments.

6. Social Media Protocols

QAGTC social media platforms should:

  • Promote educational and community-building purposes.
  • Reflect QAGTC values.
  • Be monitored by authorised personnel.
  • Remove inappropriate content promptly.

Users must not post:

  • Bullying or harassing content.
  • Discriminatory comments.
  • Offensive or obscene material.
  • Personal information about children without consent.
  • Content that could damage the reputation or safety of individuals.

Posts involving children must comply with consent requirements.

7. Video Conferencing Safety

Any online meetings, webinars and activities must not be open to children:

Organisers will:

  • Use secure meeting links.
  • Enable waiting rooms where appropriate.
  • Control participant access.
  • Restrict screen-sharing capabilities where appropriate.
  • Monitor chat functions.
  • Remove participants who breach behavioural expectations.

Participants will:

  • Use respectful language and behaviour.
  • Follow moderator directions.
  • Refrain from inappropriate backgrounds or content.
  • Not record sessions without permission.

Where practical, at least two authorised adults should be associated with online sessions involving children.

8. Photography, Recording and Images

.QAGTC will:

  • Avoid posting content identifying any children
  • Obtain appropriate consent before sharing images or recordings of children.
  • Inform participants when sessions are being recorded.
  • Store recordings securely.
  • Limit access to authorised persons.
  • Remove images when consent is withdrawn where reasonably practicable.

Participants must not:

  • Screenshot sessions without permission.
  • Share recordings without authorisation.
  • Publish images of children without consent.

9. Cyberbullying and Inappropriate Conduct

QAGTC has zero tolerance for:

  • Cyberbullying
  • Harassment
  • Trolling
  • Intimidation
  • Exclusionary behaviour
  • Hate speech
  • Threats
  • Discriminatory conduct

Any person engaging in such behaviour may:

  • Receive a warning;
  • Be removed from the activity;
  • Have access restricted;
  • Be removed from future activities; or
  • Be reported to appropriate authorities.

10. Personal Information and Privacy

All QAGTC personnel must:

  • Only use specified communication channels
  • Protect participant information.
  • Access information only when required.
  • Store information securely.
  • Comply with privacy obligations.
  • Avoid sharing personal details without authorisation.

Examples of personal information include:

  • Addresses
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • School details
  • Medical information
  • Photographs and recordings

Personal information should only be collected where needed for legitimate organisational purposes.

11. Online Safety Risks

The following online risks should be actively monitored:

Child Safety Risks

  • Grooming
  • Exploitation
  • Inappropriate adult-child contact
  • Boundary violations

Behavioural Risks

  • Cyberbullying
  • Harassment
  • Discrimination
  • Exclusion

Technical Risks

  • Unauthorised access
  • Hacking
  • Data breaches
  • Identity theft

Content Risks

  • Exposure to harmful material
  • Inappropriate messaging
  • Unauthorised recordings

Online risks should be considered during event planning and risk assessments.

12. Reporting Online Safety Concerns

Any person who becomes aware of an online safety concern must report it immediately.

Examples include:

  • Inappropriate messages
  • Cyberbullying
  • Grooming concerns
  • Unauthorised contact with a child
  • Privacy breaches
  • Distribution of inappropriate material
  • Unauthorised recordings

Reports should be made through QAGTC's Incident Reporting Procedure or Complaints Management Procedure.

Child safety concerns must be escalated immediately.

13. Responding to Online Safety Incidents

QAGTC may:

  • Remove inappropriate content.
  • Restrict access to platforms.
  • Suspend users from activities.
  • Preserve evidence.
  • Notify parents or carers.
  • Notify platform providers.
  • Report concerns to external authorities where required.
  • Review and strengthen controls.

The safety and wellbeing of children will always take priority.

14. Online Behaviour Expectations for Children

Children and young people are not permitted to use online platforms to access any QAGTC activities.

Children should never feel pressured to share personal information, images or contact details online.

15. Training and Awareness

QAGTC will support online safety by providing information to:

  • Committee members
  • Branch executives
  • Volunteers
  • Presenters
  • Parents and carers
  • Children and young people

Training may include:

  • Digital citizenship
  • Professional boundaries
  • Online child safety risks
  • Cyberbullying prevention
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Incident reporting processes

16. Review and Continuous Improvement

QAGTC will regularly review:

  • Online safety incidents
  • Emerging technologies
  • Child safety risks
  • Feedback from participants and families
  • Policy effectiveness

Lessons learned from incidents and complaints will inform future improvements.

17. Breaches of this Protocol

Breaches of this protocol may result in:

  • Removal from an online activity
  • Suspension of participation rights
  • Restrictions on platform access
  • Removal from volunteer roles
  • Membership sanctions
  • Referral to external authorities

Where child safety is involved, QAGTC will prioritise protective actions.

18. Related Documents

Approved by: QAGTC State Committee
Effective Date: September 2026
Review Date: September 2028