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Chaperone licence

Chaperones are people licensed to accompany and look after children who take part in events, such as television, theatre, film, amateur performances, modelling or sporting activities.

By law, school age children up to and including year 11 must be accompanied by their parent, legal guardian, or a licensed chaperone when they’re taking part in, or rehearsing for, a public performance. Relatives and childminders aren't legal guardians (unless they've been appointed as such by the courts), and parents can only supervise their own child. To supervise other children, they must be licensed as a chaperone.

A chaperone's first responsibility is to the child in their care, who will look to them for guidance, protection, clarification and support. A chaperone should give the same care that a good parent would be expected to give to the child. Read the responsibilities of a chaperone and chaperones code of conduct for more details.

"The Chaperone is acting in loco parentis and should exercise the care which a good parent might be reasonably expected to give that child"
Source: National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment (NNCEE)

Who can apply

Anyone 18 or over who lives in Barnsley can apply to become a chaperone.

Please check the find your local council service for the area in which you live to ensure your address falls under Barnsley Council before applying.

What you'll need

As a chaperone you'll need to have awareness and understanding of:

  • safeguarding children requirements
  • the child's age, experience, concentration span, and exposure to adult conversation and expectations (as they'll often be working in an adult environment)
  • health and safety on stage and set, such as emergency evacuation procedures and first aid
  • the need to take action when a child is tired, ill or upset
  • signs and symptoms of intimidation and bullying
  • the need for proof of the hours and times laid down in the child’s performance licence
  • the need for negotiation with the production company on the child's behalf about health, education and hours

Fees

The fee for a volunteer chaperone licence is £15. The fee for a professional chaperone licence is £50. These fees are non-refundable.

How to apply

To apply for a chaperone licence you need to fill in our chaperone licence application form.

What happens next

It can take up to 12 weeks to process your application and issue your chaperone licence. We can't guarantee that licences will be issued sooner than this, as the DBS system is separate to our service.

No reminders will be sent. Please submit all required documents in a timely manner to ensure we can move through the stages to process your application. Applications will close automatically after six weeks of inactivity and no refunds will be given. 

The licence will be issued once all mandatory stages have been completed.

Summary of each stage

Please also view our chaperones frequently asked questions for further details around each stage.

  • Application submission and safeguarding training
    Once you've submitted your application, your details will be sent on to our training department (POD) who will ensure you are enrolled on relevant safeguarding children training or details of any training already completed will be checked.
  • References
    If you haven't already provided the email addresses of two referees on your application form you'll need to do this as soon as possible as we can't issue a licence until both references are returned. Referees can't be accepted from a spouse, partner, family relation or someone you live with. They must have known you for two years or more and if you're employed, one reference must be your current or previous employer.
  • DBS check and payment
    You'll need to email us when requested, the valid ID documents and proof of National Insurance number so we can complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. You'll be sent an invoice to submit your payment for this. A DBS check is mandatory for this role and not transferrable. Barnsley Council are not signed up to the update service. You must declare any offences/charges that will appear on a DBS check to the company you're wanting to chaperone for. 
  • Code of conduct
    The chaperones code of conduct document must be read, signed, dated and returned to us before we can issue a chaperone licence (typed signature is acceptable)
  • DBS ID verification check of documents via Microsoft Teams meeting
  • Other requirements
    Submit, when requested, a clear, front facing colour photo that will be used on your issues licence.

Emails containing personal or sensitive information will be sent using our secure encryption service. This ensures your data is protected.

If you're approved as a chaperone

If you're approved as a chaperone your licence will be valid for three years. Approvals are granted subject to certain conditions and any breach of these could lead to your approval being withdrawn. You'll receive a certificate of approval which you need to keep in a safe place. You'll need to take this with you every time you chaperone a child, as you may be asked to produce it for inspection.

Contact us

You can contact us by emailing admin-educationwelfareservice@barnsley.gov.uk. 

If you have any questions, please check our chaperones frequently asked questions before emailing, as it may already contain the answer you need.

More information

Changes you need to tell us about

If you're licensed as a chaperone with us, you need to tell us within seven days of:

  • any change to your address or name
  • any arrest, offence or conviction
  • any serious or notifiable illness or debility

Renewing your licence

To renew your chaperone licence you must apply at least 8 weeks before its expiry date. You'll need to fill in our chaperone licence application form. Renewal applications follow the same steps as a new application.

Inspection of records

We can ask producers to give us access to the records of child performers. Chaperones are often designated to keep these. The records should include the times that the child is at the place of the performance, when they perform and rehearse, when they have their breaks and meals, and the waiting times between performances.

If you're not sure about the legalities of what producers may be asking of the child, ask us for advice.

You also need to tell us straight away if there is any contravention of the child's performance licence, or any incident that affects the child's wellbeing.

Looking after children on tour

Where children are on tour and living away from home, a chaperone will be responsible for them throughout the duration of the licence. You must take constant charge of the child and accompany them at all times, generally with a greater amount of supervision than if the child was living at home.

Your responsibilities for a child on tour include making sure of the following:

  • Lodgings are satisfactory, comfortable and clean. These must be approved by the council in whose area they are. If for any reason you think they're unsatisfactory you should insist on a change of accommodation.
  • Transport is arranged to and from the place of entertainment. No child should normally have more than a three hour journey time.
  • Children are properly occupied in their spare time and get plenty of exercise.
  • Meal arrangements are suitable. Food should normally be provided at the lodgings.
  • You sleep in the same accommodation as the child and close to where the child is sleeping.

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