If taking part in a performance, rehearsal, activity, or living away from home, a child must be accompanied by:
If a child's parent or carer is not able to attend, the production company is required to arrange an approved chaperone.
A chaperone is a person appointed to safeguard, support and promote the wellbeing of the child while working during the period of the licence.
They must be:
"The Chaperone is acting in loco parentis and should exercise the care which a good parent might be reasonably expected to give that child"
A child cannot be accompanied by any of the listed adults without first obtaining chaperone approval.
The maximum number of children a chaperone can look after at any one time is 12. However, this may change depending on:
To apply for a chaperone licence, you will need to submit an application form along with two references. One of the references must be your current or previous employer.
All applicants will need to pass a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
You will then be invited in for a mandatory interview and you will be required to complete training as part of the approval process.
Please see our chaperone vetting and approval checklist to see exactly what is required.
Approval for a chaperone licence can take up to 12 weeks.
Please submit your application well in advance of the time you will need the licence.
To speed up the process, please ensure:
A DBS check is a check of a person’s criminal convictions and cautions.
You can apply for a DBS check through the Disclosure and Barring Service website as part of your chaperone application.
This is part of our safer recruitment process to ensure that those working with children are suitable and safe to do so.
Mandatory training for chaperones includes:
We also offer a range of non-essential training that you might like to consider as part of your role in working with children.
The NSPCC has an online training course for chaperones called Protecting children in entertainment training for chaperones, advised by the NNCEE. This is an option for those unable to access any local authority training.
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