GENERAL FUNDING CONDITIONS

An eligible student hostel:

  • is located more than 50 km from:

Brisbane, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Gold/Sunshine Coasts, Nambour, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, or such centres as determined from time to time by the Minister for Education, Training and Employment.

  • is established and operated principally to accommodate geographically isolated students. At least 80 per cent of students enrolled should meet the residential distance criteria of the State Living Away From Home Allowances Scheme and the Australian Government Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme. The criteria are:
  • The student is considered to be remote from education facilities if the family home is at least 16 km (by the shortest trafficable route) from the nearest state school with the required year level and at least 4.5 km from the nearest approved school transport service, market entry restricted passenger bus or rail service to that school. If the home is less than 4.5 km from transport to another state school, the student needs to also satisfy condition (b) below.
  • If the family home is less than 4.5 km (by the shortest trafficable route) from transport to any state school with the required year level (whether or not this is the nearest such school) it is considered to be remote from education facilities only if it is:
  • at least 56 km from that school via the available transport service; or
  • at least 3 hours total travelling time per day to and from that school via the transport service.
  • is established and caters for primary and/or secondary school students.
  • is open to any child attending state or approved non-state schools. No recognition is given to hostels:
  • associated with a particular non-state school (e.g. as a boarding wing for a specific school).
  • established to cater exclusively for special groups (e.g. students with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students or students restricted on the basis of religion).

Hostels need regularly updated (every three years), widely circulated prospectuses which reflect a commitment to an open enrolment policy and include the policy in any advertising.

  • is able to demonstrate an ongoing regional need by having more than two families represented in its enrolment. New hostels need to:
  • provide projections of student numbers and supporting statements from:
  • principals of local schools; or
  • in the case of non-state schools, the sponsoring organisation (such as the relevant Catholic Education Office or church authority); and
  • demonstrate community support through written communication from prominent members of the community.
  • demonstrate economic viability by providing a proposed budget, including fees, number of resident students, other income (Australian Government funding, Queensland Government allowances etc.), major expenses (loan commitments etc.), and number of staff and associated salaries.
  • have a long term lease (at least 2 years), or at least 10 years if major capital assistance is required, if the hostel is operating from rented premises.
  • provide a special case if the hostel is to accommodate fewer than 10 students, (e.g. reasons for low enrolments and whether an increase is anticipated etc).

The department will verify student enrolment details with the relevant schools and officers could visit the hostel before approval.

  • ensures that all obligations are met under the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 for all employees and volunteers, and at least one employee holds a valid Senior First Aid Certificate at all times.
  • maintains acceptable processes to provide a safe and healthy environment for students and staff;

Hostels require written policies and processes about the appropriate conduct of its staff and students, consistent with legislation applying in Queensland about the care or protection of children.

The policies and processes are to cover the following areas:

Inappropriate behaviour

A process for the reporting by a student of behaviour of a staff member that the student considers is inappropriate and how this information will be dealt with.

Sexual abuse by an employee

A process for immediately reporting in writing, sexual abuse or suspected sexual abuse.

Reporting of harm

A process for the reporting by a staff member of harm that the staff member is aware of or reasonably suspects has been caused to a student (inside or outside of the hostel).

Implementation and accessibility

All of the policies are to be readily accessible by parents, staff and students. Hostels provide details of how the staff and students are to be made aware of the processes.

The hostel’s governing body needs to be able to demonstrate how the hostel is implementing the processes.

  • is operated by:
  • a local government authority;
  • Queensland Country Women’s Association; or
  • a non-profit group which has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director-General of Education, Training and Employment that it is a responsible organisation suitable to operate a student hostel.

Details of membership of the management committee and incorporation of the body will be requested.

  • is approved by relevant bodies which have responsibility for declaring accommodation and facilities as satisfactory for use as student hostels, and be available for inspection by officers of interested government departments.
  • triennial inspections are required from relevant authorities to verify fire and structural safety for continuing hostels. Structural inspections can be carried out by registered builders. Reports or certificates verifying these requirements should be available when requested.
  • new hostels (including a renovated building) applying for funding approval for the first time, need to be declared satisfactory by the relevant bodies for the purpose intended, and meet health, fire safety and workplace health and safety requirements in force at the time.
  • will be required to certify their compliance with the hostel General Funding Conditions on Student Hostel Support Scheme Recurrent Grant claim forms.

Departmental officers will visit each hostel every three years if possible. During visits, hostels will be asked to present documents to demonstrate continued compliance with funding conditions. An accountability checklist will be completed by the Department officer during the visit. If a visit cannot occur, hostels may be required to complete an accountability checklist and send copies of these documents to the Department.

While hostel management authorities are obliged to comply with all lawful requirements, e.g. fire safety, and to remedy all potentially hazardous situations immediately, there are some circumstances which could take a longer period to redress i.e. enrolments. For this reason departmental funding approval is not automatically withdrawn when non-compliance with funding conditions is identified.

Hostel management authorities can be asked to show cause why funding should not be withdrawn if hostels are not meeting funding conditions and accountability requirements, or if the safety of students is at risk. The Director-General of Education, Training and Employment reserves the right to withdraw funding approval.

Application for approval to receive funding

Hostel management authorities apply to School Financial Services Unit for funding approval.

Uncontrolled copy. Refer to the Department of Education, Training and Employment Policy and Procedure Register at http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the most current version of this document. Page 1 of 2