Essential skills for a TV production chaperone
A successful chaperone should have:
- Communication skills: Ability to interact effectively with minors and production staff.
- Patience and empathy: A caring approach to handle a child’s emotional needs.
- Organisational skills: Strong abilities to manage schedules and tasks.
There are different legal requirements and licence guidelines in different parts of the UK.
Scotland
You don't need a licence but you are required to have a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check.
England and Wales
Chaperones must be licensed by their Local Authority and have a current DBS. Cost and processing time will vary depending on the Local Authority.
The Local Authority will also specify the required training for obtaining a chaperone licence. Different employers may require additional training for particular jobs. For example, the BBC asks chaperones to complete the NSPCC Chaperone course.
Northern Ireland
Chaperones must be licensed by their Local Authority, have a current Access NI check and complete the NSPCC Chaperone course.
How to become a TV production chaperone
Contact local authorities
- Reach out to your Local Borough Council to ask for children’s services / children in employment team / child performance licensing. They will provide information on licensing requirements and fees.
Submit necessary documentation
- Complete any required forms, such as a chaperone application and background check paperwork.
- Provide proof of experience with children and references.
Complete required training
- Child protection course: Courses on safeguarding or child protection may be mandatory, like the NSPCC Protecting Children in Entertainment course.
Obtain a licence
- Many regions, including England, Wales and Northern Ireland, require a chaperone licence. Specific requirements vary by region (e.g. a DBS check in England or Access NI in Northern Ireland and no licence but a required check for Scotland).
Additional training
- If joining the BBC Chaperone Pool, additional training such as the Safeguarding Advanced Training for Chaperones course will be required. Find out more at the BBC Studios - Chaperone Talent Pool - BBC website.
FAQs
Hours can be long and irregular, based on production needs. Child labour laws set limits on minors’ working hours and chaperones help enforce these standards.
Chaperones ensure minors follow work-hour laws, supervise them off-camera, coordinate schedules with staff, attend to comfort and safety and manage educational needs if schooling is interrupted.
Daily rates vary by production company and location, with additional compensation for longer hours. Travel, food and accommodation expenses are typically covered if work is required away from home.
Licences may require renewal every few years, often including background checks and refresher safeguarding training.
Training courses like the NSPCC Chaperone Course (£30) and licensing (£60-£80 in England and Wales) are typically self-funded.
- BBC Studios: Chaperone Talent Pool - BBC.
- Networking: Connect with production companies, casting agencies, or unions.
- Job boards on social media: Check entertainment industry social media sites for chaperone listings.
Other resources
The National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment (NNCEE) is an association of mostly local authority officers who have responsibility for the licensing of children of compulsory school age who are working part-time or taking part in performances and entertainment.
Other organisations and individuals working in or with an interest in the field of child employment and performance are also welcome.
NNCEE offers a range of useful downloadable documents and guides for chaperones:
- Safeguarding: a basic awareness for the screen industries: A free module to help you spot harm and abuse on a production and to keep people safe.
- Getting into the screen industries: A suite of five modules designed to support people starting a career in the screen industries.
- Work Well: A series of three e-learning modules designed to give everyone working in the screen industries the tools to create a better, more inclusive place to work.