Child licensing
Information for chaperones and tutors
Children and young people of compulsory school age who take part in entertainment and modelling are safeguarded by legislation which aims to secure their health, proper treatment and education.
This is achieved, in certain circumstances, by the legal requirement for the person or company who wishes to engage the child to apply for and obtain an Entertainment Licence from the child’s Local Authority (Education) (LA)
The LA may endorse the licence with the requirement that the applicant must employ a chaperone and/or tutor to look after, and/or teach the child, during the term of the licence. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find a suitable chaperone and/or tutor but in each case the chaperone and the tutoring must be approved by the child’s LA.
The chaperone
The chaperone is the key person who protects and supports the child and is responsible for the child’s welfare. They shall be in charge of the child at all times, including when the child is filming, recording or on stage, except while the child is in the charge of their parent or tutor. The chaperone is acting in place of the parents and their first duty is to the children in their care. Therefore, they must not be involved in any other activity, (i.e. dresser) which will interfere with their duties and responsibilities as a chaperone.
The child’s continued well-being overrides the needs of the producer or company and the chaperone is the person who, even though they may at times be under pressure from other quarters, must ensure the child’s well-being.
The maximum number of children that a chaperone can care for is 12 but this may be too many if, for example, the children are living away from home or they are very young.
- Ensuring the child gets proper medical treatment due to illness or injury, and for the child’s parents to be informed
- In the instance of any illness/injury, they must inform the child’s local authority of such an incident and of any concerns about the well-being or treatment of the child
- Keeping a record of the times the child is on set, being taught, and resting to ensure the regulations are complied with and the child gets not less than the required number of breaks for meals and rest
- Making sure that the child has suitable opportunities for recreational activities, and is protected from stress, strain, bad weather and any other conditions likely to harm the child
- If the child is living away from home, the chaperone is responsible for the child throughout and will need to exercise a greater amount of supervision than if the child was living at home
- If the child is living away from home, they must see that the lodgings are satisfactory in every way and that the child is occupied during any spare time
The precise duties while the child is at the place of performance will vary according to the nature and location of the performance. This will depend on whether the performance is in a theatre, in a film/television studio, outdoors, or if the child is required to live away from home.
In a theatre the times when the child is rehearsing or performing are known in advance and the chaperones routine is fairly straight forward. Whilst recording for a film or television the child may be in the studio or outdoors for much of the day and during this time is in the charge of the chaperone, except when having lessons with a tutor, and it is the duty of the chaperone to accompany the child to and from the dressing room, school room, or set, as well as remaining on set while the child is there.
Arrangements for handing over responsibility, e.g. between parent and chaperone, or chaperone and tutor, will vary according to the circumstances; it is important to ensure that there is never a time at which it is unclear who is responsible for the child.
A basic knowledge of health and safety issues at the place of the performance or rehearsal is required of the chaperone.
The chaperone must have an understanding of the regulations as it is them, (together with the licence holder), who ensures the regulations (and any additional requirements issued by the child’s LA) are upheld at all times. Help and advice can always be obtained from the child’s, or your Local Authority or even the Local Authority in whose area the performance is taking place.
The tutor
The child’s Local Authority (LA) must ensure that the child’s education will not suffer by reason of the child taking part in entertainment
Any tutor employed to teach the child must be suitably qualified to teach children of the age and standard in question. The maximum number of children that may be taught by the tutor at any one time is 12, if they are of the same standard, or, six, if they are of different standards.
The amount of tuition the child must receive is given in the regulations. The schoolroom must be approved by the child’s LA.
