For the Young Company to be able to perform in our pantomimes, we are required to meet health and safety, safeguarding and NSPCC standard of care for children in entertainment. We ensure the performers safety by having licenced chaperones on stage who are familiar with these regulations. Any parent / guardian can apply to become a chaperone.

Chaperones are responsible for, amongst other things, first aid and the health and safety of the children. They liaise with the parents and act as loco parentis when in the theatre, as well as ensuring that the child is working within the legal guidelines under which they are licensed to perform.

Other responsibilities include:

• Keeping the private health forms safe and to record and report any injury in the accident book and with the Head chaperone.
• Familiarising themselves with the trained First Aider as well as the emergency procedures of the venue.
• Ensuring that all the performers are signed into the building on time and signed out before 10pm.
• The chaperones need to remain with the children at all times. It is only when the children are on stage or performing that chaperones are not required to be by their side. During the children’s time on stage, we would ask that the chaperones always have “eyes on” the children who are performing.
• Ensuring that the young company performers are collected from the building and signed out by someone who has been previously arranged by the family.

There is a course available on the NSPCC website that is recommended, as well a plenty of useful information to read on there. We also have our own policies that will be available to you as well.

Chaperone licences are issued by your local council, please check this information before you start applying. Whilst the production might be in one area it is your address and therefore your local council that will issue your licence. You can work in another area with your licence.

The best way of applying is to either google “chaperone licence (your) Local council” or go straight to your council’s website and search the site. If you are unsure of your local council, this helpful Gov.uk link will be able to advise.

Most councils have their own system and will guide you through it, but they will include applying for a DBS check. This can take at least 6 weeks, so we encourage people to apply as soon as possible. Once the DBS come through you will show this to the council and once happy all steps have been completed, they will issue a chaperone licence. The process does take some time so be prepared, you should start it as soon as you can.

You may be asked to sit through some questions about safeguarding children and the do and don’ts of chaperoning. This is all very helpful information and will come into practice whilst you are in the theatre.

We can not have DSB checked parents as helpers, they have to hold a volunteer chaperone licence.

There is a cost of roughly £25-45 to become a licenced chaperone (dependant on your local council). The licence last 3 years and can be used for many different events/theatre/schools where children are involved.

For more information about children in entertainment, the NSPCC have a helpful guide.

We kindly request that each parent/ guardian offers to do at least 3 session over the entire run of the production.

The number of chaperones needed does depend on the number of performers and where they need to be at any given time. However there will always be a minimum of at least 2 chaperones on per session, as this helps with entrances and exits on and off stage.

We must ensure the children’s safety at all times during the production, as is required by law. Although it is not something we’d ever want to do, if we can’t meet the requirements we will be forced to remove the Young Company from the show or production entirely.

When you know your availability for the run of the production, you’ll need to get in touch with the head chaperone and let them know your availability.

A schedule is handed out to the successful auditionees on the day of the auditions.
This schedule includes the rehearsal week, the tech week and the show weeks, this is broken down into three sessions per day with the Young Company times specified on it. Chaperones are only required when the Young Company are scheduled in.

This can be a new and exciting experience for many families. You will have access to the script and we will ensure that you know your way around the venue, so that you can determine where you are meant to be and when! There will be other chaperones on hand to ask for advice if you need and to help guide you through the show.