‘Child alcohol guide’ for parents

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Title – ‘Child alcohol guide’ for parents
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 31st December 2008

Whenever we ask a group attending one of our courses aimed at the Licensed Retail Sector ‘what is the legal age for a person to drink in England and Wales’, we generally get a cacophony of answers. Most say 18, those who completed their open-learning diligently and read their handbooks say 16 under certain conditions. The answer is as we can tell from this article altogether different; it is perfectly legal for a child aged 5 to drink alcohol.

This is just one of the common misconceptions of the Licensing Act 2003 and licensing of alcohol generally. The act does not cover the consumption of alcohol except where that takes place on licensed premises, but is concerned with the sale and supply of alcohol and there the answer to the original question is clear; alcohol can only be SOLD to people over the age of 18 and that is without exception.

Myths surround the sale and supply of alcohol, even many working within the sector fall foul to these half-truths and un-truths. Some have perpetuated over decades staunchly defended by publicans who have failed to keep up with changes in the law or customers who have no reason to know better and whose only qualification is that they have been going to the pub for 20 years. The fact is much has changed in 20 years and much more is set to change in the next few years.

During our courses such as the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) and the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) we dispel all these common myths and present candidates with the facts as they stand now, as well as the changes we expect to occur and how they can stay on top of new developments both in the law and in good practice. Responsible Alcohol Retailing is going to play a key role in the future of the licensed retail sector and the most profitable businesses and those that survive the various economic and statutory challenges, are going to be those that aim high at every level.
Beyond The Blue run a number of BIIAB approved training courses for the licensed retail sector as well as a Consultancy Service to help businesses meet their statutory requirements, prepare for the future and succeed.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Managing work-related violence in licensed and retail premises

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Title – Managing work-related violence in licensed and retail premises
Source – HSE
Date – 10th December 2008

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have released this very useful leaflet aimed at helping people reduce

Workplace Violence, especially within the Licensed Retail Sector and the retail sector generally. We have made a pdf of this leaflet available through our website and recommend it to all our clients. If you are unable to access it, please Contact Us and we will be happy to arrange to provide you with a copy.

This document helps you to assess, through a risk assessment, any risk your staff face through violence in their workplace, what level of risk they face and what you can do to reduce it. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 defines employers legal obligation to protect employees welfare, including protecting them from workplace violence. Workplace violence is defined by the HSE as:

‘Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work’.

This definition is one that many employees who work in any way with the general public will recognise.

Too many employees are made to think that workplace violence is just ‘part of the job’ and too many employers are prepared to accept this view and turn a blind eye to the problem. It is not until the underlying consequences of workplace violence are really understood and the business case made for identifying it and putting measures into place to resolve it, that many employers stand up and take note. Workplace violence results in absenteeism, high staff turn-over, low productivity, customer dissatisfaction, poor customer service, unnecessary cost to business and in the worst cases prosecution.

The HSE document provides a straight forward method of assessing the level of risk faced by employees and some of the solutions. Summarised these solutions include; Work environment (eg. premises design and layout); Working practises; Training; Legal options; Partnerships working and special schemes.

Beyond The Blue can help you in all of these areas, through our training programmes and Consultancy Service. Assessing risk is the first step in this process and it can be that to gain a clear view of the risks faced it is more effective to get opinion from people who understand workplace violence and who are unfamiliar with your business. Many employers and employees are too close to their business to gain an impartial and all inclusive perspective on the problems faced by their employees; assumptions can cloud the potential for clear risk assessment. We can provide you with this assessment, as well as providing you with the solutions. Our Conflict Management & Resolution courses (CMR) are tailored to meet your specific needs, those of your business and your employees. By performing a Training Needs Analysis we design courses aimed at providing you with conflict resolution techniques as well as specific solution to your particular challenges.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Adverts tell teenagers of cocaine peril

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Title – Adverts tell teenagers of cocaine peril
Source – The Times
Date – 4th December 2008

This latest advertising campaign attacks many of the common myths about cocaine use. Cocaine is a drug that has gained an alarming acceptance amongst users and the public generally. Although there is some debate about the angle of the dog used in this campaign, the messages are clear.

It paints cocaine as the unsavoury drug it really is. The myths that it is a drug whose control people can regulate are exposed. Many users claim they can give up cocaine at any time, this is not exactly the honest truth.

Cocaine users do on the whole develop a physiological addiction to the drug, they ‘look forward’ to its use and rationalise it. The perception that it is not addictive or dangerous is challenged by the statistic of 196 death certificates last year stating cocaine as a mitigating factor. This doesn’t even touch on the long term damage to health that many medical professionals predict. The chemicals and other agents ‘cut’ into cocaine (see ‘

Drawing the line’) are a serious risk to users.

For the Licensed Retail Sector and for workplaces generally cocaine users present a constant headache. Dealing with the users, the dealers and the after effects of cocaine use should be taken seriously; ignoring it not only presents issues of potential prosecution; but also security and personal safety issues. Cocaine users present a unique set of challenges to employees.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of specific courses directed at providing the knowledge not just on how to recognise drug use and drug dealing but how to prevent it and how to deal with users. The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA) and our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses look at illegal drugs, the effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) courses help staff deal with drug related conflict and Violence in the Workplace and the National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) provides successful candidates with the qualification required to allow them to apply for their SIA Door Supervisor Licence.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.

Alcohol abuse curbs will end ‘get-one-free’ wine deals

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Title – Alcohol abuse curbs will end ‘get-one-free’ wine deals
Source – The Times
Date – 4th December 2008

It seems that the government has finally decided that banning ‘happy hours’ was effectively unworkable and are rather turning their attention to specific types of promotions and specific products; in this latest article wine is under the spotlight.

It doesn’t make a great deal of sense for me to go over the problems associated with this type of approach again as I have done so many times before in this blog, but it does once again seem that at a time when pubs and bars are struggling that such crude methods of ‘control’ are the only option being considered.

Even the government admit that the problem is with a minority of people and a minority of retailers. If only their response would be proportionate and focus on those people rather than punishing the responsible majority. The old analogy still works; if a few people regularly exceed the speed limit is it a proportionate response to restrict all drivers to vastly reduced and controlled speed limits?

We call once again for a positive and proactive response from government, a response that is a little more creative then ‘prohibition’ and punishment.

Responsible Alcohol Retailing should be at the heart of any business working within the Licensed Retail Sector, but it should be there because it provides those who embrace it with an inherent and tangible advantage to their business.

It is very well established that the corner-stone of responsible alcohol retailing is in effective training. At Beyond The Blue our portfolio of courses include BIIAB courses such as the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) and the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR). For premises with particular requirements we also offer courses in First Aid (FA), National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) and Drugs Awareness (DA).

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

For more information on any of our services, please call us on 0845 602 55 95 or Contact Us.