Chaperone Approvals
All children licensed by a local authority to perform must be supervised at all times by a licensed chaperone or matron or the child’s parent.
How to apply
Application for a chaperone must be made to the local authority in whose area the prospective chaperones lives.
The application process involves completing this application form and obtaining an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. The DBS checks all criminal records of all people working with children.
The Child Employment and Performance Licensing Officers also require references and invite candidates for interview to ensure that they are suitable to act as chaperones. As part of the approval process applicants must complete an online Child Safeguarding Course (unless they can provide evidence of another Safeguarding course being completed in the last 6 months) and attend a session for instruction and training on the many duties and responsibilities of a chaperone.
Our current dates for the final chaperone training session are;
- April 16th, 1:30pm-3:30pm (In person)
- May 22nd 5:30pm-7:30pm (Online)
- June 12th 10:30am-12:30pm (In person)
- July 17th 5:30pm-7:30pm (Online)
Due to the various checks that have to be made, the time between the local authority receiving an application and the issuing of a chaperone licence can take a while, so please allow 8-12 weeks to obtain your approval.
Cost for a licence or chaperone approval are as follows:
Professional DBS and Chaperone Licence – £67.00 inclusive of VAT and administration fees
Working professionally as a chaperone means receiving payment other than genuine out of pocket expenses? If you intend to work professionally as a chaperone, a Professional DBS check will be required.
Volunteer DBS and Chaperone Licence – £23.00 inclusive of VAT and administration fees
A volunteer chaperone can only receive reimbursement of genuine out of pocket expenses by the company they are acting as a chaperone for. To receive payment for acting as a chaperone will be in breach of the declaration made when applying for the Volunteer DBS.
Professional or Volunteer Chaperone Licence only – including replacement for lost licences – £15.00 inclusive of VAT and administration fees
If you already have a DBS that is registered on the Update service and this can be confirmed, the cost of a licence is reduced to £15.00
What are the roles of a Chaperone?
Chaperones are responsible for the welfare of children taking part in performances. They accompany the child, provide protection, guidance and support.
Chaperones have a duty to represent the child’s best interests and to help ensure that the law and licence conditions relating to the child’s participation are complied with.
- A chaperone’s first priority is always to the child
- A chaperone is the key person to whom the child looks to for guidance, protection, clarification and support.
- One of a chaperone’s greatest strengths is their ability to negotiate with the production company ‘on site’ and be able to say no when what is being requested of the child is contrary to the child’s licence conditions or detrimental to either the child’s health, well-being and/or education. For example, requesting a child to stay at a place of performance over and above the hours/times laid down in either the child’s licence or the regulations, lack of education time.
- At no time should a child perform if unwell.
- Chaperones keep a note of important contacts – for example: their licensing authority, the child’s licensing authority, the local authority in whose area the child is performing, the child’s agent and the child’s parent or legal guardian.
- The maximum number of children chaperones are allowed to have in their care at any one time is 12. But, in a lot of instances this will be too many (diverse mixture of ages requiring more concentrated supervision and so forth). We recommend eight children to be the maximum in many cases.
- The child should not perform if a licence has not been granted, unless they fall within the exemption period.
- Chaperones should not presume that a child is licensed. Always ask to see a child’s licence upon arrival at a place of performance.
- If the production company cannot prove that a child is licensed, chaperones should contact the Child Employment and Performance Licensing Officer. Otherwise, a contravention may have occurred. Production companies are required to log certain activities during a performance i.e. arrival and departure times at the place of the performance etc.
To apply for a Chaperone Licence, please complete this application form and our team will be in contact after your submission to speak with you about the process.
For more information about chaperone licences:
National Network for Child Employment and Entertainment (NNCEE)