I have added a new bit to my terms and conditions regarding child safety after a grim party experience recently.
I absolutely love 99.9% of my clients. I work with wonderful families every week. But this experience was deeply unpleasant.
I have performed at over 2,000 birthday parties in all sorts of venues over the last 15 years, but I am always learning. A family had me for a birthday party in their garden. For no extra cost, I took the time to visit their house in advance of the party to help them find the best spot for the show and noticed a dangerous sheer drop off the garden onto a concrete patio. Similar to this (AI pic).
This was to be a party for 17 children with many toddlers and other children under 5. I told the client that there must be some padding put on the concrete where the drops are. A few big cushions/duvets would have done the job. TADA!
On the day, I assumed they would have put down the padding done but had not. I politely asked the client again if we could put something there to make it safe, but she repeatedly and angrily told me “we have had loads of parties and nothing has ever happened!” I’m sure that people have ran across the motorway before and “nothing happened”. I persuaded the client to cut down the entertainment (at a £100 loss to me) eliminating the games part and having a static show but was very uneasy about the experience and the opposition to my concerns from this client so I have now added this to my T and Cs page to make it more clear.
🧒 Child Safety
The safety and wellbeing of children is of the utmost importance at all times.
The client is responsible for ensuring that the performance area is safe, secure, and suitable for children. This includes (but is not limited to) removing or adequately safeguarding any potential hazards such as drops, sharp objects, or unsafe garden features.
The entertainer reserves the right to pause or stop the performance if, in their professional judgement, the environment poses a risk to the safety of any child. No liability will be accepted for incidents arising from unsafe conditions that were not disclosed or addressed prior to the performance.
