Lancashire focus on child safety during Child Employment Fortnight

by Jonathan McGregor. Published Tue 29 Mar 2011 11:28, Last updated: 2011-03-29

Child Employment Fortnight, which aimes to ensure that children are not working in illegal or dangerous situations, is under way in Lancashire.

Officers from Lancashire County Council will travel the county from 28th March to 8th April, focusing on ensuring that children who are doing work do so in safety.

The county say officers will also look closely at paper rounds, the most popular job done by 43 per cent of young workers and also one not without dangers, since children are sent-out on dark winter roads.

Sandra Rothwell, Senior Child Employment Officer at Lancashire County Council, said: "This year we're concentrating on safety. Many young people benefit from part-time working, and child employment laws are there to safeguard school age employees.

"After all, it's a good experience for young people to become economically active, and learn about earning and managing their own money.”

She added: "This isn't about putting obstacles in their way, but rather making sure that they're employed in the right sort of jobs for reasonable hours and at the right time of day, so that their education and health do not suffer.

"There are concerns that a lack of awareness and understanding of the law is leaving young people vulnerable to exploitation and injury. We want to use this fortnight to make sure that more employers in Lancashire know what they have to do to comply with the law.

"These campaigns definitely work, because each year, the number of children employed illegally is slowly but steadily going down."

During Child Employment Fortnight last year, councils across the country sent letters and information to employers about youth employment. More than 3,300 employers were also visited by members of the council, with 374 children seen as employed illegally out of the 1,092 children found working, mostly due to lacking the necessary work permit.

Employers must obtain a work permit from the county council when they employ a child/young person of compulsory school-age. The work permit is one way in which a local authority can be aware of employed children, while also monitoring the hours that they work and the occupation in which they are employed.

Child Employment Fortnight is part of a national initiative by the National Network for Child Employment and Entertainment, which supports local councils in regulating the area.

The fortnight highlights the potential lack of awareness and understanding of the law among employers, which could leave young people vulnerable to exploitation and injury, as well as being too tired to concentrate at school.

Anyone wanting further information can contact Sandra Rothwell at Lancashire County Council on 01772 532666.

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