Facilities, transport and accommodation
The organisation you're working for is responsible for carrying out risk assessments. However, as a chaperone you must be satisfied with the safety of the venue and facilities.
Check for hazards in any areas that children will have access to, including the:
- dressing rooms
- toilets
- school room, if children will be tutored
- stage, set or location where children will be performing or waiting
- 'quick change' areas, like the side of the stage
- green room or rest areas
- eating areas or canteens
Changing rooms, showers and toilets
Children must have appropriate supervision during changing, showering and toilet arrangements and should be given separate facilities to adults where possible.
Changing rooms must be:
- private
- separate for boys and girls over the age of 5 years
- the right temperature - not too hot or cold
- a suitable size for the number of children using them
If a child does not want to use the changing rooms, showers or toilets designated for their biological sex, you may want to consider offering them the use of an alternative facility that:
- can be secured from the inside
- is for use by 1 child at a time
- is not accessed through a changing room used by the other sex
Any alternative arrangements should not compromise the safety, comfort, privacy or dignity of the child.
Tell the child employment team if you have concerns about the safety of the venue or facilities, so we can carry out a venue check and share your concerns with other local authorities.
Arranging safe transport
Ensure that transport arrangements from a child’s home and back again are safe. They should be brought and collected by the pre-agreed person.
Do not allow young people under statutory school age (last Friday in June in the school year in which they are 16) to leave the performance or rehearsal venue unescorted.
If a parent or guardian does not turn up to collect a child, you should follow the employer or organisation's absent parent procedure. For further guidance, view our welfare and safeguarding advice.
Living away from home for work
If children are required to live away from home whilst working, such as whilst on a tour, you are responsible for them during the whole of that period.
Children living away from home require more supervision.
Make sure that:
- you accompany them at all times
- accommodation is suitable, comfortable and clean, and approved by the local authority
- you sleep in the same accommodation as the children, in a room close to theirs
- there are suitable meal arrangements and food is provided at the accommodation if possible
- there is transport to and from the place of entertainment, if necessary
- the journey to and from the place of entertainment is no more than 3 hours
- they have the opportunity for rest, recreation and exercise during their non-working time
Common situations and how to deal with them
| Situation | Possible response |
|---|---|
| The toilet facilities are not suitable or there are not enough toilets for the number of children. | Find an alternative toilet facility or let children use the disabled toilet. If multiple children want to use the toilets, ensure the number of children in the toilets at any one time does not exceed the number of available cubicles. |
| You arrive to find the company or production has no venue safety or systems in place. | Make sure the company understands the terms of the child performance licence or exemption. They must be familiar and compliant with the licence or the performance cannot go ahead. |
| A parent wants to supervise their child in the changing room but there are other children present. | They can help their own child but this should be in a separate room to where other children are changing, even if the parent or guardian has a valid DBS. Consider offering the parent and child a separate space to change in. |
