Queensland College of Teachers

Queensland College of Teachers Service Charter

The Queensland College of Teachers constantly strives to improve its service and strengthen relationships with its stakeholders. This Service Charter not only explains who we are and what we do, it details our service commitments and offers advice on how you can assist us to meet these commitments.

All staff members share the responsibility to maintain high standards and we encourage you to provide feedback on our performance.

• Who we are
• What we do
• What you can expect from us
• How you can assist us to meet our standards
• Compliments and complaints
• Dealing with complaints
• Monitoring our performance

Who we are

The QCT is a statutory authority, funded by the teaching profession. It was established by the Queensland Government on 1 January 2006 under the Education (Queensland College of Teachers) Act 2005.

The QCT comprises the Board of the QCT and the Office of the QCT.

The purpose of the QCT, as outlined in our Strategic Plan, is to:

• promote the importance of teaching as a highly valued and ethical profession
• regulate entry to and ongoing membership of the profession
• develop and apply professional standards and codes of practice for teachers that reflect the values, needs and expectations of teachers, students, other educational stakeholders and society
• approve and monitor preservice teacher education programs.

What we do

The Office of the QCT contributes to the purpose of the QCT in a wide variety of ways, including:

• receiving and assessing applications for teacher registration or permission to teach
• approving and monitoring Queensland preservice teacher education programs
• ensuring ongoing eligibility for registration or permission to teach by approved teachers
• maintaining a register of approved teachers
• handling complaints against teachers where there is a ground for disciplinary action
• conducting investigations into the conduct of approved teachers
• managing disciplinary matters referred to disciplinary committees
• monitoring compliance with the Act and disciplinary orders
• identifying and undertaking research relevant to the work of the QCT and the profession
• promoting the teaching profession.

What you can expect from us

The QCT is committed to:

• Dealing with all stakeholders in a friendly, courteous, respectful and professional way
• Acknowledging that each enquiry is specific and individual
• Responding to all enquiries and complaints about our services courteously and efficiently
• Referring enquiries we cannot assist with to the appropriate service area within the Office of the QCT or to an external organisation where possible
• Respecting privacy and the confidentiality of information provided
• Having staff identify themselves and providing their contact details, where appropriate
• Answering phone calls promptly and ensuring that unattended phones in key service areas are redirected or provided with a voice mail service
• Communicating in plain English or by other means relevant to the needs and diversity of our stakeholders
• Establishing and defining standards for our most commonly occurring service situations
• Applying policies and procedures consistently and equitably, providing stakeholders with reasons for the QCT’s decision
• Monitoring and reviewing our services and performance
• Developing staff who are valued, skilled, motivated and knowledgeable about our functions, policies and procedures
• Adhering to natural justice principles
• Ensuring policies and procedures comply with all relevant statutes e.g. Privacy Act, Right to Information Act, Anti-discrimination Act.

How you can assist us to meet our standards

You can assist us in serving you more effectively by:

• Providing the information relevant to your enquiry, including identification or reference number, in an accurate and concise manner;
• Ensuring any changes to personal or professional circumstances are provided accurately and promptly;
• Treating staff courteously and with respect;
• Contacting the officer nominated on any correspondence;
• Making an appointment to discuss complex enquiries or to speak to a specific staff member;
• Advising of any special needs you may have;
• Providing accurate, complete and certified documentation and information, when requested, within the specified timeline;
• Acknowledging timeframes required to process applications and respond to your enquiries; and
• Providing constructive feedback on our services.

Compliments and Complaints

The Office of the QCT is committed to improving our performance and actively encourages all stakeholders to provide feedback, to ensure we are meeting the service commitments detailed in this Service Charter.
If you wish to make a suggestion about how to improve our service or compliment us on our service delivery, please do not hesitate to contact us. Feedback can be provided informally or formally.
For the purposes of the QCT’s Service Charter, a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with a decision (outside a structured process), level of service or behaviour of an employee of the Queensland College of Teachers.
The QCT also has a formal complaints process and review processes for issues related to professional standards, professional conduct and compliance specified by the Act regulating the teaching profession.

Dealing with complaints

The College will take all complaints seriously, treat all parties to a complaint with impartiality and confidentially and will respond promptly.
If you are dissatisfied with our service and believe that the issue cannot be resolved by the staff member you are dealing with, contact the manager responsible for the service. Should you still be dissatisfied please contact the Director, giving full details of the complaint.
At any time you may take your complaint to a body which is external to the QCT, such as the Queensland Ombudsman, a Member of the Legislative Assembly or the Minister for Education and Industrial Relations.

Monitoring our performance

We will regularly review our Service Charter, in conjunction with other key performance measures and ensure it remains relevant and accurate. Our performance in maintaining these service standards will be reported in the QCT’s Annual Report.
Clients, staff and other stakeholders will be invited to contribute to these reviews. Compliments and complaints received by the QCT will also be used in the review process.
Still seeking further information? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions or

Back to top