Our Policies

Visitor Procedure

Referring Policy:

Safeguarding Policy

Supportive Housing Policy

Sustaining Tenancies Policy

Visitor Policy

Purpose

  • To ensure the safety and security of visitors, tenants, employees, and the building.
  • To ensure tenants are supported in the management of visitors.

Definitions

“Child”:  a person under the age of 18 years.

“Responsible adult”: the parent, step-parent, guardian, a person who has parental rights and responsibilities (e.g., teacher, relative), if the child is in out-of-home care, the foster parent or a representative of the organisation caring for the child. 

NB: a friend of the child who is 18 or over is NOT considered a responsible adult.

“Visitor”: includes visitors of tenants, staff of visiting services, contractors, visitors of Common Ground Queensland (CGQ) and Micah Projects, building tour groups, visiting officials, members of the public attending functions in function rooms and volunteers.

“Visiting service”: an organisation delivering a service to a tenant.

“Volunteer”: an unpaid person engaged by CGQ or Micah Projects to undertake work or provide services in the building. Includes students and interns.

“CGQ Management”: the CEO and Operations Manager.  

Tenant’s Visitor Procedure

  • Visitor Registration and Sign-out
    1. All visitors must present to the Concierge desk each time they enter or leave the building for registration and/or identification in the Visitor Register (Passage Point).
    2. First-time visitors are required to show ID and be photographed, this includes:
      • Tenants’ visitors, and
      • Staff of visiting services who cannot provide photo identification from the organisation that they are representing.
    3. Visiting officials, corporate visitors, building tour groups and people attending functions do not need to provide identification or be photographed but must be signed-in via Passage Point or the Guest List provided by the organiser of the event. Refer to Functions, Events and Venue Tour Procedure. Exceptions are on the discretion of the CEO or delegated officer.
    4. Visitors’ pets are not permitted in the building.
    5. With the exception of contractors or service providers authorised by CGQ, all visitors must be accompanied by the tenant or building staff when they are in common areas of the building.
    6. Visitors of tenants will be required to know the full name and the unit number of the tenant they wish to visit. If they do not know this information, then Concierge will advise them to contact the tenant via other means.
    7. Concierge must NEVER give out the full name or unit number of a tenant even if visitors are persistent.
    8. Once a first-time visitor is authorised entry to the building, Concierge will create a new profile in Passage Point for signing the visitor into and out of the building.
    9. If a visitor does not have identification AND does not agree to being photographed or to the photograph being retained, they are not able to enter the building.
    10. Concierge will then contact the tenant/staff member being visited. Tenants’ intercoms can only be rung between 8am and 9pm.
    11. The tenant/staff member being visited must come to the Concierge desk to acknowledge and/or collect the visitor.
    12. If the tenant has a temporary or permanent disability that prevents them collecting their visitor/s from Concierge, then Concierge will be notified via the Standing Orders Register.
    13. The visitor must present to the Concierge desk on exit so the visitor can be signed out by Concierge staff.

Visitors Without Identification (Tenants’ visitors and visiting services)

      • Visitors without identification must allow a photograph to be taken and held as a record for identification. In such instances, the visitor will be advised that they will be required to show identification upon their next visit. Concierge will make a note of this in Passage Point (‘X’) and (Date signed in) in the ‘Has NOT shown ID (mark ‘X’)’ field which will flag the next time the visitor signs in. If the visitor presents on their second visit without ID, Concierge is required to:
        1. Refer to Management during business hours for entry permissions (this only needs to be done once). If Management allows the visitor to enter without ID, the ‘X’ can be replaced with a ‘No ID required’ comment, or
        2. Allow entry if there is no perceived increased safety risk (outside of business hours). Examples of increased safety risk may be signs of intoxication or anti-social behaviour). Note: in circumstances where a determination to allow entry has been made, the decision is to be logged in the Concierge Log to enable the CGQ Operations Team to follow up.
      • A visitor’s record of identification is held on file.

Restriction of Visitors

  • CGQ Management may restrict any visitor(s) at management’s discretion or at the request of tenants (refer Table 1)

 

Table 1: Visitor Restriction Protocols

Type of Visitor Restriction

Instructions

Tenant request

1.   A tenant requesting a visitor be refused entry to the building may make the request in writing or by lodging a Tenant Issues Form (electronically via the BCG App or hardcopy via the Tenant Forms Mailbox).

2.   If endorsed, a Tenancy Management Team member sends an email to Concierge advising of the restriction.

3.   Unless otherwise agreed, the period of restriction will be for three (3) months.

4.   The Property and Tenancy Officer updates Passage Point.

Management decision

1.   The CEO or Operations Manager may refuse a visitor entry to the building at their discretion.

2.   A Tenancy Management Team member will notify Concierge via email with instructions on what to advise the visitor when they present.

3.   The Property and Tenancy Officer updates Passage Point.

4.   Concierge staff needing to refuse entry to an excluded visitor should advise the visitor based on the email instructions received from the Tenancy Management Team. 

5.   As a fall-back position, Concierge may advise the visitor of the date of the next review and/or the method of appealing the decision (which must be made in writing from a tenant)

CGQ Concierge decision

1.   CGQ Concierge (at their discretion but with reasonable cause) may remove a visitor or temporarily refuse a visitor entry to the building.

2.   CGQ Concierge are required to recommend whether the visitor removal should continue as a restriction and categorise visitor removal or restriction events as minor, moderate, or major in the Concierge Log. This information will guide decisions made on visitor restrictions and reviews.

 

  1. Reasonable cause includes violent activity, criminal activity, non-compliance with the Visitor Policy, this procedure, and violations of the Brisbane Common Ground (BCG) Good Neighbour Charter (Attachment B).
  2. This restricted visitor list from Passage Point will be reviewed monthly by the BCG Tenancy Management Coordination Group for expired restrictions and will consider information from tenants and staff in determining if the restriction is to be lifted.
  3. The Tenancy Management Team will e-mail the Concierge Group the results of these reviews, with instructions on what to advise the visitor when they present.

Visiting Children (Refer to Safeguarding Policy)

  • Visiting children and young people (0 to 17 years) must be signed in at the Concierge desk by the parent or responsible adult.
  • Children visiting tenants must be identified by the tenant they are visiting or, if they are attending a function or tour or are volunteers, a responsible adult.
  • Prior to the child or young person being admitted to the building, a parent or responsible adult for the children must sign their agreement to the Child Supervision Guidelines.
  • All tenants receiving child visitors must follow the Child Supervision Guidelines.
  • Staff may adjust these guidelines based on individual cases.
  • Visiting children and young people are not permitted to stay overnight unless approved by CGQ Management by 6:00pm of the day of the visit. CGQ Concierge are required to inform CGQ Management of any overnight stay requests prior to completing the sign-in process.
  • Children visiting a tenant may not be left overnight with other tenants.
  • If CGQ Concierge becomes aware that a visiting child/young person without an overnight stay approval has not signed out before 6:00pm they must contact the relevant tenant to advise that the child is not permitted to stay overnight. If the tenant does not comply, CGQ Concierge will log the incident in the Concierge Log and advise the Micah Projects Tenant Service Worker (TSW) on duty and the CGQ On-call Person. The CGQ On-call Person will contact the on-call Micah Projects Team Leader to conduct a risk assessment and advise CGQ Concierge on the actions to be taken. CGQ Concierge will take direction from the CGQ On-call Person and log any advice received or action in the Concierge Log.
  • In individual cases, in the interests of the child, CGQ or Micah Projects may initiate a Child Visitor Management Plan to be developed collaboratively with the tenant and/or parent/responsible adult, CGQ and Micah Projects.
  • If the Child Supervision Guidelines are not followed, the child and the accompanying adult may be restricted from visiting the building.
  • No child may be left unsupervised at any time inside a unit or in common areas for any reason. Supervision must be by the parent or the responsible adult by agreement.
  • Children who visit the building as volunteers, to attend a function or as part of a tour group must be supervised at all times by a staff member of CGQ, Micah Projects or a responsible adult.

Visitor Access Throughout the Building

  • Tenants’ Visitors
    1. Tenants must be home for their visitors to be allowed to enter unless the tenant has provided a Consent to Enter form to CGQ.
    2. All tenants’ visitors, except those approved for an Extended Stay, must be escorted by the tenant at all times when in the building.
    3. Visitors approved for an Extended Stay may travel unaccompanied in the lifts to access and leave the building.
    4. Visitors are not to sleep in common areas.
    5. Tenants are responsible for the behaviour of their visitors.
    6. Unaccompanied visitors are not permitted to use the ground level art room or computer room.
  • Contractors
    1. Unless a contractor is approved by CGQ as an Authorised Visitor, he/she is required to be escorted by a CGQ staff member.
    2. Contractors approved as an Authorised Visitor may move unaccompanied around the building.
    3. Concierge will issue a swipe card if requested by CGQ Management who will advise Concierge of the level of access to the building, including date and time.
  • Volunteers
    1. Volunteers must register with Concierge.
    2. Volunteers are to be managed by either CGQ or Micah Projects, in line with the relevant organisational policies and procedures.
    3. Concierge will issue a swipe card if requested by CGQ Management, who will advise the level of access to the building, including date and time.
  • Tour Groups, People Attending Functions, Official Visitors
    1. Visitors who are members of tour groups, attending a function or official visitors may not enter a residential floor of the building, unless accompanied by a staff member of CGQ or Micah Projects.
    2. Groups above 10 will be pre-registered. The Administration Manager (or delegate) will email Concierge 24 hours before the group arrives with details (i.e., size of group and full names).

Visitor numbers per unit

  • During the day (up to 10:00pm), a tenant can have a maximum of four (4) visitors in their unit at one time.
  • Visitors cannot have guests.
  • Tenants may not have more visitors than allowed for their unit size. For overnight stays:
  • Accessible units that are 42m2 may have 2 visitors
    • One-bedroom units that are 40m2 may have 2 visitors; and
    • Studio units that are 28m2 may have 1 visitor.
    • The Tenancy Management Team will advise Concierge of any discretionary approval given to tenants outside of these rules.

Length of stay for visitors

  • A visitor who stays for longer than 4 weeks can be assessed as having joined the household. This means their income can be included in any calculation of rent (refer to Rent Calculation, Collection and Review Procedure).
  • For stays over 14 nights, tenants must submit an Extended Stay Visitor Approval Form to CGQ Management.
  • Visits of over 14 nights without approval will be reviewed at the Weekly Tenancy Co-ordination Meeting to assess if the visitor may require assistance with their accommodation, or if there are any concerns regarding the tenant being visited.
  • The Tenancy Management Team may decide to restrict a visitor who has stayed more than 14 nights in any given 28-day period without approval.

Monitoring tenant visitor stays

  • Every shift, CGQ Concierge will check Passage Point to ensure they are aware of who is in the building. They will:
    1. Sign out any contractors and function room attendees who have left the building.
    2. Check which tenants have visitors.
    3. Contact CGQ Management should there be any concerns.
  • If CGQ Concierge sees a tenant without their visitor during their shift, they will ask if the visitor is still in the building. If the visitor has left, they will update Passage Point and log the event in the Concierge Log.
  • The Tenancy Manager will review the Concierge Log each day and consult with relevant staff regarding any required follow up actions.
  • The Property and Tenancy Officer will run a report from Passage Point every week for the purposes of informing the weekly Tenancy Co-ordination Meeting.

Referenced Documents and Systems

  • Child Supervision Guidelines
  • Child Visitor Management Plan
  • Concierge Log
  • Extended Stay Visitor Approval Form
  • Functions, Events and Venue Tour Procedure
  • Good Neighbour Charter (Attachment B)
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Standing Orders Register
  • Visitor Policy
  • Visitor Register (Passage Point)

 

Version 8.0

Download Visitor Procedure

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Common Ground Queensland accepts the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and supports a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Owners and Custodians of the land on which we work. We recognise sovereignty was never ceded.