Those who involve children in performances (professional or amateur), or paid sport or modelling, have a legal obligation to apply for a child performance or activities licence when one is requires. The licensing system is designed to provide a check that suitable and sufficient arrangements have been made to safeguard the child involved.
Forms are needed to exchange information, to clarify the risks to the child and the actions to mitigate them, and to evidence child and parental consent, and local authorities need to have an audit trail for the decisions they make. The most important aspect of the licensing system, however, is the consideration of the child’s well-being and the steps taken to ensure it. The licensing process is a safeguarding measure and should not be viewed only as a paper exercise.
Responsibility for issuing licenses for children in performances lies with the Local Authority. In Wirral this sits with the Education Social Welfare (ESW) team and they should be contacted in the first instanced when an application is being made. The ESW team can be contacted on 0151 666 3486.
Useful government and local guidance documents are included below which should be referred to prior to an application being made. Also included is the LA license application form which should be completed and returned to: [email protected].