BBC - Commissioning - Compliance and Policy

Print this page

Compliance and Policy

It's vital that all programmes comply with the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions.

Editorial guidelines and Safeguarding Trust

The new BBC Editorial Guidelines are online, as is the Safeguarding Trust radio module.

• Editorial Guidelines (including detailed Advice Notes and a list of the mandatory referrals)
• All those making programmes for us are expected to have completed the Safeguarding Trust radio module. Please select one of the panels below to go to the relevant websites and find out more.

   

   

•  When the programme is produced by a company where the on-air talent is a director or shareholder of the company or holds a senior management role within the company or in-house department the programme must comply with the Talent as Executive Producer Policy.
• The compliance form (see the downloads section) is part of the programme production agreement (see Business Affairs).
• The Compliance Form Guidance Notes (also in download section) should be read before completing the form.
• In order to include any competitions or voting in a BBC programme, the Safeguarding Trust competitions modules must have been completed and the relevant approval forms authorised.

Health & Safety

• Health & Safety - General Guidance for Independents on the Safety of their Productions (see download documents on this page).
• The Health & Safety Executive's Five Steps to Risk Assessment [PDF, external link]
• An example of the type of form to be used to record risk management of programme activity, please see the Risk Assessment form in the downloads section on this page. 
• Training courses on health and safety, new media and radio production are available from BBC Training
• Staging and covering live events raise separate H&S considerations and should be discussed early with your Commissioning Editor and Business Affairs contacts.

Working With Children

The BBC is committed to best practice in child protection. Any independent production company making a programme for BBC Radio involving children must comply with the principles set out in the BBC's Child Protection Policy.

Please read our guide for independent production companies working with children on a BBC project (see downloads).

You will be asked to provide a nominated person in charge of child protection and a copy of your child protection policy and guidance. Self-disclosure statements (see example in downloads section) will be required from all involved in the programme before production begins, and some may need a full Criminal Records Bureau check.

If you would like to discuss any of this further, please contact BBC Radio's Head of Editorial Standards Paul Smith or the Commissioning Editor on the station you are working with. See the Radio contacts section.