The last call has finished, the costume is back on its rail and a car is waiting outside. It is tempting to treat the journey home as the easy part of the day. In practice, this is often where a vague plan starts to show: nobody is quite sure who is collecting the child, the meeting point has moved, or the finish is later than expected.
This guide is for production teams, approved chaperones, parents and carers working under an individual child performance licence in England. It is general information, not legal advice. The child’s licence, the issuing local authority’s instructions and the production’s safeguarding procedure come first.
Start while the licence application is being prepared
Travel is part of the licence application, not a detail to settle on the day. Under regulation 4, the applicant is the person responsible for organising or engaging the child in the activity, or the person responsible for producing the performance. The application must contain the information set out in Schedule 2.
Schedule 2, paragraph 22 asks for the approximate time the child will spend travelling and the transport arrangements, if any, both to and from the performance, rehearsal or activity. That makes the return journey part of the plan from the outset.
While the application is being prepared, talk through the real destination, the likely journey time, who is expected to travel with or collect the child, and what will happen if the planned finish changes. Clear answers are more useful than a general note saying that transport will be arranged.
Keep the legal responsibility clear
Regulation 18 says the licence holder must ensure that suitable arrangements, having regard to the child’s age, are made to get the child home or to another destination after the last performance or rehearsal, or after the activity finishes for the day.
The duty sits with the licence holder. A chaperone may help check the plan, support the child at the end of the call or take part in an agreed handover. Those practical tasks do not transfer the licence holder’s responsibility.
Suitability is not defined by one transport method. The sensible plan depends on the child, the journey, the time of day, the destination and any conditions attached to the licence. If the plan is unclear or no longer matches the approved arrangements, raise it with the named production contact before the child leaves.
Plan the whole journey
A pickup time is only one part of the arrangement. Production teams can reduce confusion by recording:
- the address or agreed destination after the call;
- the adult expected to collect or accompany the child;
- the exact handover point, especially at a large venue or unit base;
- the expected journey time and any accessibility or welfare needs;
- a contact method for the collecting adult and the production;
- a backup plan for a delay, cancelled vehicle or changed destination.
These are practical planning controls, not a separate national legal checklist. Individual licence conditions and local authority instructions may require something more specific.
Make the handover unambiguous
The child should not have to work out which adult is now responsible for them. Before departure, the relevant adults can confirm that the collector has arrived, the destination is unchanged and any necessary information has been passed on without discussing private matters in a public space.
A tired child may remember only part of a hurried conversation. Keep the explanation simple: who they are leaving with, where they are going and what will happen next. Our guide to a calm end-of-day handover has more practical ideas for this moment.
If the child is staying away from home
Where a child is required to live somewhere else because of the licensed performance or activity, regulation 16 says the licensing authority must approve the accommodation as suitable for that child. The approval may include a condition that transport is provided between the accommodation and the place of performance, rehearsal or activity.
A hotel address and a vehicle booking are not enough on their own. Check the approved accommodation details, the transport conditions and the person responsible for each transfer. If any of those details change, the named production contact should check the next step against the licence and the issuing authority’s procedure.
Deal with changes before everyone disperses
Production days move. A scene runs late, a train is cancelled or a parent is delayed. Deal with the change openly before anyone leaves. Bring the licence holder or named production contact into the conversation while the child remains with the responsible adult under the agreed arrangements.
Record the revised destination, collector, transport and contact details that the production needs for a safe departure. Where the change affects a licence condition or an arrangement considered by the local authority, confirm the correct course with that authority rather than assuming a verbal agreement is enough.
One final check before the child leaves
Before the call ends, the team should be able to name the destination, the collecting or accompanying adult, the handover point and the backup contact. The child should know what is happening in words that suit their age and understanding.
For more country-specific licence guides and practical production resources, visit the Chaperone Collective resources page. Rules differ across the UK, so use the guidance for the country where the work takes place and confirm local requirements.