Role and responsibilities of a chaperone
A chaperone will be in charge of the child at all times except when the child is with a tutor or parent. This will include on the set, in the dressing rooms, during recreation, meal and break times. You must not undertake any other duties that could separate you from the child. The object of this requirement is to ensure that there are at all times a suitable person responsible for the child’s welfare, and that it is always clear who that person is.
The Licence holder must keep certain records for each child; however it is normally the chaperone that will be expected to keep records of the children that they are chaperoning by completing a Daily Record sheet. The chaperone would be required to sign children in and then out once they have been collected by a parent (or nominated person). The producer of the show should always have the children’s licences to hand so that the chaperone can check that what the child is doing is in line with what has been approved on the licence.
The chaperone must record all the times that the child is on set, when they rehearse and when they perform, to ensure that they do not exceed the regulations in place. The chaperone must also ensure that the child has sufficient rest/meal breaks, in line with those regulations. All records can be inspected by local authority officers.
A chaperone may supervise up to twelve children. However the licence holder and/or Local Authority may consider that due to the demands of the performance, the ages or gender of the children, that the chaperone should supervise a smaller number of children.
Boys and girls from the age of five must have separate changing rooms with a chaperone for each.
It is the chaperones role to protect the health, safety, moral welfare and education, whilst ensuring the kind treatment of each child in their care. A child should not be allowed to perform if unwell and the chaperone must put the child’s needs first. If a child is taken ill then it is the chaperones responsibility to contact a first aider, Doctor and or child's parents if necessary. Chaperones must therefore hold emergency contact numbers and know who the designated first aiders are and how to contact them. Chaperones must also record any accident or illness and inform the parents and Local Authority.
The local authority officers are permitted to enter any premises, without prior notice, where a performance is taking place in which children are taking part to establish that the children are being properly supervised and cared for. The local authority has the authority to withdraw the children from the performance, to withdraw the chaperones approval, or both if necessary.