Child work permits
In England and Wales it is illegal for a child of compulsory school age to do paid (or unpaid, profit-making) work without a work permit issued by the local authority. In Lambeth, that's the Child Employment Team. Second Corner applies for the permit on behalf of every placement.
The legal basis
The conditions for employing a child are set by:
Who needs a permit
- Children under 13 cannot be employed, full stop.
- Children 13+ who are still of statutory school age (until the last Friday in June of the school year in which they turn 16) require a permit for any paid or profit-making work, including unpaid and voluntary work outside school time.
- The employer must notify Lambeth's Child Employment Team within one week of the start of employment.
How we apply
- The workplace completes a risk assessment covering layout, equipment, processes, chemical/biological agents, supervision and required health-and-safety training.
- Second Corner reviews and signs off the risk assessment before any application is submitted.
- We apply to the local authority where the work will take place (in our pilot, Lambeth) at lambeth.gov.uk/childlicence or by phone on 020 7926 9503.
- The permit is issued for one year. There is no charge.
- The young person's school is informed and asked to confirm the work won't impact their education.
Working without a permit is an offence
An employer found to be employing a child without a valid permit can be fined up to £1,000 per child. The local authority is not required to issue a warning before prosecuting. A child without a permit is also not legally insured at work.