The chaperone licensing process - Find a freedom of information request

I am writing to request information regarding the chaperone licensing process at Lincolnshire County Council.

From your website (https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/keeping-children-safe/apply-chaperone-licence), I understand that applicants must complete a mandatory online chaperone training course, and that the council does not charge a fee for volunteer chaperone licences.

I would be grateful if you could provide information on the following:

1. Application Numbers

a) How many chaperone licence applications did the council receive in the most recent full year available?

Please provide a breakdown by:

i. Professional chaperones

ii. Volunteer chaperones

b) How many of these applications were:

i. Approved

ii. Refused

iii. Revoked (after initial approval)

2. Safeguarding and Chaperone Training

a) Is safeguarding training mandatory for:

i. Volunteer chaperones?

ii. Professional chaperones?

b) Is chaperone-specific training (covering legal duties, supervision, responsibilities etc.) mandatory for:

i. Volunteer chaperones?

ii. Professional chaperones?

c) Is any formal assessment or test required as part of the training?

(e.g., do you receive information on the applicant's quiz results, or simply confirmation of course completion via a certificate?)

3. Application Process & Interviews

a) Is a live interview or meeting part of the application process?

If yes, please describe:

i. The format (e.g., in person, via Teams/Zoom)

ii. The purpose (e.g., ID check, reference verification, safeguarding/chaperone briefing)

iii. Approximate length of time per applicant

b) Are there any other formal assessments conducted outside of the training or briefing?

4. Monitoring and Safeguarding Concerns

a) How many safeguarding complaints, concerns, or breaches have been reported to the council in relation to licensed chaperones in the past three years?

b) Does the council monitor or track learning outcomes or ongoing compliance (e.g., completion certificates, spot checks)?

5. Application Fees and Charging Structure

a) Does the council charge a fee for chaperone licence applications?

If yes, please specify amounts for:

i. Professional chaperones

ii. Volunteer chaperones

b) Does this fee cover DBS checks, training, administrative costs, or any combination thereof?

c) If no fee is charged, please clarify whether the council absorbs the cost of DBS checks, training, and administration, and the rationale for this.

6. Digital Training Innovation

Has the council considered implementing digital or asynchronous e-learning solutions for safeguarding and/or chaperone-specific training?

If yes: What was the outcome?

If no: Would the council be open to exploring this option?

Please indicate whether the council would see value in any of the following potential benefits:

Generating income from training provision

Reducing direct training costs

Reducing internal staff time (e.g., interviews, admin, delivery)

Improving accessibility and flexibility for learners

Creating a more consistent training experience across applicants

Collecting better data on learner outcomes and completions

If not open to exploring this, please indicate main reasons:

Budget/resource constraints

Preference for current method

Existing commitments or partnerships

Other (please specify)
 

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1a). 723

i.37

ii. 686

b) i. Approved – 558 Issued

ii. . Refused - 19 invalid – applied to wrong county, or applied to early in terms of expiry of current licence

iii. Revoked (After initial approval) – None

2. a) i.Yes

ii. Yes

b) i. Yes

ii. Yes

c) Mandatory test as part of the training. no information on the applicant quiz results, certificate as proof of completion

3. a) Yes

i. Teams

ii. DBS ID check

iii. 10-30 mins

b) No

4. a) 3

b) No

5. a) Professionals working with children as part of their day to day job, regardless if in a voluntary capacity (dance teachers, drama teachers, theatre or production companies’ staff and others) and professional chaperones that don't already have a current child workforce Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) that meets council criteria will have to provide their own DBS certificate or we can request a check at a cost.

i. Professional chaperones £102 DBS check as per above

ii. Volunteer chaperones £18 DBS check as per above

b) DBS Check only

c) The council covers this cost and there are no plans at this stage to review this

6. The FOI ACT is for recorded information only