The visits were part of a campaign running across the South East to make sure that children working during the summer holidays were doing so safely and within the law.
During the campaign week, which started on Monday 6 August, members of the Education Welfare Service made visits to employers to make sure they were aware of the legislation regarding employing young people and to check for any illegal employment. Areas visited included Eastbourne, Pevensey, Pevensey Bay, Westham, Hailsham, Polegate, Bexhill, Battle and Rye.
A total of 44 children were found to be working illegally – in most cases without the necessary work permit. In these cases the employers were informed of the need in law for a child to have the necessary employment card.
The work permits are one way in which the local authority can be aware that a child is being employed and therefore able to monitor the hours they work and that the work they do is not prohibited because the government have declared it unacceptably dangerous.
During the campaign the team also staged information events in the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne and at the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre in Hastings, where information was given out to young people and parents and officers were on hand to answer general questions regarding the employment of school children.
The team leading the sweep in East Sussex reported that the campaign had been highly successful in raising awareness – amongst young people, the public and employers in particular – of the legal obligations surrounding child employment.
Cllr Rupert Simmons, the County Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Learning and School Effectiveness said: “The results of this child employment week campaign clearly show the need for this type of operation in order to further educate ill-informed employers, and at the same time provide a strong reminder to companies of the need for strict compliance.”
Child employment officers across the region will continue to make regular spot checks on employers & follow up any cases of illegal employment, in order to protect the safety and well being of the children employed.
Notes to editors
For more information on the law as laid out in the Children and Young Persons Act, including guides from the County Council for employers and for young people, visit our section on child employment.
The visits and information displays in East Sussex were part of a wider regional week-long campaign mounted by the South East Region of the National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment. In addition to East Sussex, the other participating authorities included Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Wokingham and Brighton & Hove. For more information the NNCEE visit www.bucksinfo.net/nncee
Reference:
1583
Contact the press team
