Welfare and safeguarding responsibilities
As a chaperone, you are the key person who the children in your care look to for guidance, protection, clarification and support.
Your first responsibility is always to the children in your care. You are acting “in loco parentis” (in place of the parent) and should take the same level of care that a good parent or guardian would.
Welfare and safeguarding
You are responsible for the welfare of the children in your care at all times, except when they are in the care of their own parent, legal guardian or approved tutor. This responsibility starts with the first performance and ends with the last performance to which the child performance licence relates.
While a child is under your supervision, you must:
- take proper care of them, including their health, comfort, kind treatment and moral welfare
- be aware of health and safety issues, fire safety and evacuation procedures
- ensure they have sufficient access to food and drink, and be aware of any allergies
- consider their age and experience, concentration span and exposure to adult conversation and expectations
- ensure they do not experience discrimination for their race, gender, colour, nationality, ethnicity or national origin
If taking part in a performance, children should not:
- be employed in any other job on the day of the performance or the following day
- take part in a performance without a child performance licence, unless the Secretary of State or licensing authority has granted as exemption
You need to be aware of and understand the conditions of the performance licence for each child in your care. Tell the child employment team if you have concerns or know about a contravention of the licence.
How many children you can have in your care
If you are acting as a chaperone, you must only have a maximum of 12 children in your care.
If you are acting as a private tutor as well as a chaperone, you must only have a maximum of 3 children in your care.
If you believe you cannot safely look after the number of young people in your care, advise the person in charge of the production to change the arrangement.
Dangerous performances
Only children aged 16 or over can take part in dangerous performances, such as acrobatics or contortion.
However, children aged 12 and over can be trained in dangerous performance skills, as long as the local authority grants a licence.
You are expected to maintain extra vigilance throughout any dangerous performances or rehearsals.
What to do if a parent or guardian does not turn up
If a parent or guardian does not turn up to collect a child, you should follow the employer or organisation's absent parent procedure.
If you are unsure of what to do, phone the Children's Advice and Support Service (CASS): 0121 303 1888.
The CASS phone line is open:
- Monday to Thursday: 8:45am to 5:15pm
- Friday: 8:45am to 4:15pm
Outside of these hours, phone the CASS emergency line: 0121 675 4806.
If you’re concerned about a child
If you’re concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, you should:
- Phone the Children's Advice and Support Service (CASS): 0121 303 1888 (out-of-hours emergency line: 0121 675 4806)
- Tell our child employment team within 48 hours by emailing childemployment@birmingham.gov.uk
The Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership website provides further safeguarding information and advice, including:
- details of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
- child protection and safeguarding procedures
- learning resources
Common situations and how to resolve them
| Situation | Possible response |
|---|---|
| A child does not understand your role as a chaperone and keeps going off with their parents or the production staff. | Ask the company to make children aware of your presence and role before you arrive. When you first meet the children, introduce yourself and explain your role to them and their parents or guardians. |
| An older child seems to resent being under your care and keeps trying to evade you during the production. | Try to get them to understand that you are there to keep them safe and that the production cannot carry on without chaperone support. To help engage with them, try giving the child a degree of responsibility or asking them questions about the show or performance. |
| Some of the children are not getting on well together and are misbehaving. | Children who work together do not necessarily get along. You should aim to find a resolution quickly, before tensions escalate. Do not single out a specific child. Instead, highlight the team nature of performances and encourage the children to work together. |
| A child wants you to take a photo of them and their friends in costume during the dress rehearsal. | Check that the parents or guardians have agreed to allow photos to be taken. Ensure any photos are taken outside of the toilets or changing rooms. |
Further information
See:
