Employment
There are laws that cover employment of children under school leaving age. Children are of compulsory school age until the academic year in which they turn 16. Our guides can help children and young people, their parents, employers and producers.
- Our child employment guide for parents (PDF) explain the regulations covering your child whilst they are in part-time work
- Our child employment guide for young people (PDF) outlines the work they can do whilst in compulsory education. Children are of compulsory school age until the academic year in which they turn 16.
- Our employers guide (PDF) explains the laws you need to know and follow.
- Our resource pack for teachers (DOC) provides lesson plans and other resources to use in schools. See our presentation slides on child employment, child employment for pupils in year 11 and 'hazards and risks' (DOC).
Work permits
If you have a young person of compulsory school age working for you, you must make sure they have valid work permits (employment cards). The employer must apply for these and they are issued for specific employment. They cannot be transferred with the child if they change job or employer or transferred to another child or job by you. The work permits are issued by the local authority where the employer is based and not where the child lives (if that is different).
Work permits may also be necessary when children are volunteering for charities. Please take a look at this volunteer's guide (PDF) and the Working with Volunteers page for more information.
To apply please complete and follow the instructions on our work permit application form (DOC).
For more information on any aspect of child employment in Surrey, email our child employment team at childemployment@surreycc.gov.uk or call us on 01483 517838.
Entertainment
There are also specific rules covering children working in entertainment.
- Our parents guide (PDF) gives advice to parents with a child working in the entertainment industry
- If you are a producer of entertainment working with a child or young person our guide for producers (PDF) explains your responsibilities towards that individual, including the important role of the child's chaperone.
Licences
All children of compulsory school age require a performance licence (PDF) to take part in any performance. Applications for performance licences should be submitted at least 21 days before the date of the first performance. Although we will process applications received with less than 21 days notice whenever possible, we cannot guarantee to do so. We will charge a fee of £25 per licence for applications received five days or less before the date of the first performance. See our guidance to help you complete the performance licence application form (PDF).
We can allow exemption approvals to some organisations putting on non-professional or amateur performances that would normally have to licence individual children taking part, for example, amateur dramatics, operatic societies, dance schools and organisers of music/drama/dance festivals. These are issued per performance/festival or for 12 months and the performance/festival must still comply with the law around children in entertainment. We provide guidance (PDF) and have an exemptions application form (PDF) organisations need to complete.
Organisations that wish to involve children in their productions should have a child protection policy. We have produced guidance to help you write a child protection policy (PDF) for your organisation.
We provide guidance for all holders and operators of premises licences in a Surrey borough. All applicants for new premise licences or variations to existing premise licences should familiarise themselves with this guidance when completing section M (measure to promote the licensing objective ‘Protection of Children from Harm’).
For more information, including details of performance licences, email our child employment team at: childemployment@surreycc.gov.uk or call on 01483 517838.