Public Liability for Children's Entertainer

don9999

I'm just starting out as a Children's Entertainer - specifically as a Magician, aiming my act at Children's parties, aged 4-8.

I have already given several performances, some paid and some un-paid (basically for marketing purposes).

I suspect that I need Public Liability Insurance, but am having difficulty getting someone to quote. Have tried many companies including Norwich Union, Towergate, Assure UK etc. etc. None of these will quote for an Entertainer, or for a business dealing with children under 16. From about 15 companies I have called, I have only found one so far that WILL quote - they are FML and quoted £161 for one year.

An alternative I have though about is to join Equity. I'm not sure if this is feasible, but I believe that such membership includes Public Liability Insurance.

Finally, I think I need a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. However, I'm led to believe that you cannot take it out on yourself! An employer has to do it on you. But for me that doesn't make sense - I need to get a check/certificate that I can present to perspective hirers in the future. Anyone got any knowledge/advice on this area?

Cheers,
Don

bud-miser

don9999 wrote:

Finally, I think I need a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. However, I'm led to believe that you cannot take it out on yourself! An employer has to do it on you. But for me that doesn't make sense - I need to get a check/certificate that I can present to perspective hirers in the future. Anyone got any knowledge/advice on this area?

Don

Yes Don. You're absolutely correct. There is no way the CRB will accept self-employed people sending in their own applications. I discovered this recently when I rang them on behalf of my wife who is a self-employed nurse.

You have to make the approach through an 'umbrella organisation' - the person I spoke to kept mouthing the word 'agency' and when I challenged him that this effectively barred the self-employed from gaining a CRB check there was a kind of embarrassed shuffling of feet heard from the other end. It was as if the idea of a nurse working on her own behalf was something from Mars.

Basically this is a glaring hole in the set-up and they have no reasonable explanation for it. Luckily, my wife's document (obtained when she DID work for an agency) is only a year old and there is no requirement for any particular renewal period i.e. there is no 'expiry' as such.

Good luck, friend.

don9999

Regarding the CRB check.......perhaps I'll get the first person to hire me to request a CRB check - for which 'I' will pay. Presumably, I will then get to keep the letter/certificate, which I can proceed to show to future prospective hirers.

Cheers,
Don