Beyond The Blue MD's Blog

Rebalancing the Licensing Act – Home Office Consultation

2010-09-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Home Office has announced the biggest reform to alcohol licensing since the 2003 Act came into force; possibly the biggest reform in a generation.

They carried out a consultation process in relation to their proposals, however the period during which people had the opportunity to respond to this was relatively short considering the complex nature of the consultation. I think it could also be argued that the consultation document was not designed in a way which made it particularly easy for individuals within the licensed retail sector to respond; it would be interesting to see the balance of opinion they receive, I would guess that a significant proportion of responses will come from the public sector.

The consultation document and an outline of the proposed changes can be read on the Home office website or Click Here.

I responded to the consultation from the point of view of Managing Director of Beyond The Blue Training and Consultancy and as an individual in my role as an assessor for the Purple Flag Award scheme on behalf of the Association of Town Centre Managers (ATCM).

As a training company we often feel we sit squarely on the middle ground between the local authorities / government and the business interests of our private sector clients. We find a balanced position between the interests of both parties and encourage closer working relationships between them.

For the purpose of this news blog entry, I have provided a selection of the responses we gave to the consultation document, rather than the full response; for the purpose of clarity I have copied all the questions in the consultation document below.

6th September 2010

Dear Sir,

Please find below my response to your consultation document ‘Rebalancing the Licensing Act’.

I write my responses in an individual capacity as Managing Director of Beyond The Blue Training & Consultancy and as an independent assessor for the Association of Town Centre Managers Purple Flag Scheme.

Beyond The Blue is a training company providing training and consultancy in a number of different areas including the Licensed Retail Sector, Hospitality Industry, Conflict Management & Resolution (providing solution to workplace violence) and in the Private Security Industry.

As a long, detailed and important consultation document we believe that the period of time made available for responses to be insufficient, especially considering the time of year. I have not had the opportunity to discuss the issues raised with colleagues as I would have liked.

We were disappointed to see that no mention is made in the consultation in regard to training provision, as one of the solutions to alcohol related disorder would undoubtedly be the standardisation of training throughout the industry and more emphasis being placed on effective training and CPD.

We have already noticed a trend for the training for such qualifications as the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (fundamental to the success of the Licensing Act) deteriorate the way that Security Industry training has. The effect of more stringent training requirements in Scotland has certainly had a positive effect on those employed in the sector.

In England and Wales obtaining the qualification for a Personal Licence can now be done by sitting in front of a screen without any training being given and answering multiple-choice questions. If the candidate fails the exam, without any additional cost (and hence incentive to learn) candidates can re-sit; this process can be carried out repeatedly until the exam is passed. Probability means that eventually anyone can pass the associated exam. They can then apply for a personal licence without having any understanding of the Licensing Act, let alone their responsibilities in retailing alcohol.

On the CPD front there would be a great advantage in making sure that those tasked with selling alcohol and maintaining order in licensed premises be encouraged to receive additional training.

Under the current system a Personal Licence Holder is not required to undertake any training, but merely pass a multiple-choice exam. They are expected to keep up-to-date with legislative changes proactively, but in reality this is very difficult to achieve, especially for smaller operators.

With changes in the Licensing Act and associated legislation occurring on a regular basis, those people who took their qualification in 2005 are already very out of date; this means that a significant number of licensed premises across the country are being run under false assumption.

This situation is made much worse by the tens of thousands of personal licence holders out there who received their personal licences through the ‘grandfathering’ system in 2005. A significant number of these people have no clear understanding of the 2003 Licensing Act let alone the amendments.

Our experience shows that it is these people who actually struggle most when they sit new exams, as their assumption regarding the old 1964 Act are now completely invalid. That they will be eligible to renew their Personal Licences without any further training in 2015, when the sweeping changes being proposed may once again change the dynamics of the Act, seems counterintuitive.

When we are providing Personal Licence training, we always explain that the Personal Licence is effectively allows them to sell a licensed drug. We try and instil this in them using the comparative that, much like a pharmacist who is licensed to sell prescribed drugs, they are licensed to sell the controlled drug alcohol; pharmacists have to dispense prescribed drugs responsibly. Where the pharmacist tells the customer the safe dosage, the safe method of taking the prescribed drug, what they can and can’t do when taking the drug and ensures that the person obtaining the drug is the appointed person; the Personal Licence holder must advise of safe dosage, the safe ways of consuming alcohol, provides a safety net against behaviour under the influence, ensure the person is old enough to drink and that they are capable of making an informed judgement (ie. not drunk).

The Pharmacist and the Personal Licence Holders role are not significantly different in many ways; the Pharmacist obviously needs a lot more education because of the complicated nature of their subject. This approach is effective in making candidates on our courses pay attention to their responsibilities. Where the pharmacist is required to complete regular CPD every year, the Personal Licence Holder is allowed to carry out their activities ad infinitum without any form of training.

I have provided responses to those questions which I feel most qualified to respond to. Some of my points will naturally be pertinent to more than one of your consultation questions.

Kind regards
Peter Mayhew - Managing Director

Consultation Question 1
What do you think the impact would be of making licensing authorities responsible authorities?

This seems to be an unnecessary addition and has the potential to add a conflict of interest. If a responsible authority makes a representation this is heard by the licensing committee in the first instance. If the licensing authority is a responsible authority and thus hearing their own representation, even if this in practice does not cause conflict, it will alienate licence holders who already often have the impression of being smothered by legislators and legislations.

Consultation Question 2
What impact do you think reducing the burden of proof on licensing authorities will have?

Changing the burden of proof from ‘necessary’ to ‘beneficial’ would in my opinion be a change which would make life potentially very difficult. The understanding of ‘beneficial’ could be very loosely interpreted, it sets no boundaries as to how little ‘benefit’ may be required to deserve a change, adoption of policy or conditions set for licensed premises.

The burden of proof being ‘necessary’ is well understood and provides a balance between the industry, authority and local community. The partnership which the Licensing Act and local authorities talk so much about has to engage with the trade in order to ensure success. It would be very difficult for anyone to defend themselves against a claim that it would be ‘beneficial’ for a significant change to promote the licensing objectives and as such the balance would be distorted further away from the licence holders.

Consultation Question 3
Do you have any suggestions about how the licence application process could be amended to ensure applicants consider the impact of their licence application on the local area?

Consultation Question 4
What would the effect be of requiring licensing authorities to accept all representations, notices and recommendations from the police unless there is clear evidence that these are not relevant?

I don’t feel this is the role of the police, it makes them ‘judge a jury’ over licensing matters and effectively removes much of the role of the licensing authority and potentially the local community as well.

The police should, as they currently do, have every opportunity to raise concerns and deal with immediate problems and concerns, but the elected representative should be making the determination on the evidence they provide.

This change would also remove the requirement for the police to truly consider the burden of evidence they require and we have learnt from previous experience that this is not a positive step and that the approach to licensing varies considerably from force to force.

Consultation Question 5
How can licensing authorities encourage greater community and local resident involvement?

Consultation Question 6
What would be the effect of removing the requirement for interested parties to show vicinity when making relevant representations?

There has to be some demonstration of ‘vicinity’ when representations are made. There can be no benefit in allowing representations from people, organisations or responsible authorities where there is no direct correlation between their representation and the effect it has on them.

This would open the prospect of organisations or people with a particular ‘interests’ making representations which affect premises which local communities value without the need to provide any local interest being required.

Possibly ‘vicinity’ should be removed and replaced with a definition of ‘affected’ parties as the vicinity which a representation can be made from denotes that somehow there should be a measured distance. Depending on the nature of the licence involved and the geographic areas there can be significant variation on what might be considered ‘vicinity’

Consultation Question 7
Are there any unintended consequences of designating health bodies as a responsible authority?

Designating health bodies as a responsible authority open the flood gates to potential representation being made against licensed premises over which they have little or no control. Please see also the answer to question 8 below.

Consultation Question 8
What are the implications in including the prevention of health harm as a licensing objective?

I am not convinced that including a ‘health harm’ objective is a workable objective. Some very credible medical research demonstrates that any level of alcohol consumption causes harm; this is not news.

Adding a ‘harm to health’ licensing objective raises the possibility that every application could potentially face representation based on this simple fact.

I also see it as a very difficult objective to promote for operators of licensed premises, presumably they would need to determine the harm which the alcohol they were selling was causing; I’m not sure how many of them would be suitably qualified to do this.

Ultimately the enforcement of the Licensing Act should be balanced against the requirements for the nation’s health. Those senior advisors to the government on health issues should continue their good work and the central government should continue to address this through the Licensing Act and associated legislation as they and the electorate deem appropriate.

Consultation Question 9
What would be the effect of making community groups interested parties under the Licensing Act, and which groups should be included?

I see no reason for this additional legislation. Community groups already have the right to representation through the right that every individual has; that they use this right as an individual to represent their organisation is their prerogative.

In regard to applications and the notification there of, many licensing authorities already consult with representative groups and notify local residents, businesses and services. Through the existing notice in the local paper and the notices placed outside the premises, there is ample (possibly expensive and excessive) opportunity for interested parties to be made aware of applications.

Consultation Question 10
What would be the effect of making the default position for the magistrates’ court to remit the appeal back to the licensing authority to hear?

Consultation Question 11
What would be the effect of amending the legislation so that the decision of the licensing authority applies as soon as the premises licence holder receives the determination?

I do not agree with this change. Unfortunately I have run out of time to provide a detailed explanation of my reasons, but this would I believe prejudice the process and knowing the often ‘delicate’ financial balance which alcohol related businesses find themselves in. I believe there would be a significant number of businesses which would not be able survive financially and would therefore effectively be forfeited the right of appeal.

Consultation Question 12
What is the likely impact of extending the flexibility of Early Morning Restriction Orders to reflect the needs of the local areas?

I am very much against changes which restrict the opportunity to all based on the behaviour of some.

The determination on what time licensed premises can operate to should be linked to their performance. Rather than simply closing all premises in a local area at a specified time, we would like to see a more comprehensive scheme where the opportunity is afforded to licensed premises when they demonstrate good practice.

Much like the current licensing officers risk rating systems, a scheme where premises are awarded ‘points’ based on the good practice they can demonstrate could be implemented and then linked to the opening hours they are awarded; training, BBN, purple flag areas, results of test purchase, a premises history and other such criteria could all then be included into this process.

The problem with proposals such as EMRO’s is that they ‘punish’ good operators as well as bad. Those good operators need to be offered a ‘carrot’ rather than just the ‘stick’, otherwise there is no encouragement for them to continue. If the playing field is levelled without consideration of those demonstrating excellence, then everyone ends up cutting corners to compete.

Consultation Question 13
Do you have any concerns about repealing Alcohol Disorder Zones?

No, this is a complicated unenforceable piece of legislation which should be committed to the history books at the earliest opportunity.

Consultation Question 14
What are the consequences of removing the evidential requirement for Cumulative Impact Policies?

Consultation Question 15
Do you agree that the late night levy should be limited to recovery of these additional costs? Do you think that the local authority should be given some discretion on how much they can charge under the levy?

Consultation Question 16
Do you think it would be advantageous to offer such reductions for the late night levy?

Please see my response to question 12

Consultation Question 17
Do you agree that additional costs of these services should be funded by the late night levy?

Consultation Question 18
Do you believe that giving more autonomy to local authorities regarding closing times would be advantageous to cutting alcohol-related crime?

Consultation Question 19
What would be the consequences of amending the legislation relating to TENs so that:

a. All the responsible authorities can object to a TEN on all of the licensing objectives?

This seems contrary to the objective of removing unnecessary legislation and simplifying the Licensing Act.

b. The Police (and other responsible authorities) have five working days to object to a TEN?

Increasing the time frame (from the two working days) will only reduce the opportunity to use the appeal process to the Magistrates Court. Premises licence holders need to be able to react to opportunity and community requirements as they arise and significantly increasing the notice times is going to reduce the opportunities.

c. The notification period for a TEN is increased, and is longer for those venues already holding a premises licence?

If anything the reverse should be the case. How can it be right that a premises licence where they already have all the systems and training in place (incl. Personal Licence Holders) to retail alcohol responsibly, provide regulated entertainment and late night refreshment have to give more notification. They potentially have less work to do in reducing risk and promoting the licensing objectives in relation to the TEN then an individual running an event with no training on a ‘premises’ which is not designed for licensable activities where often everything has to be done from scratch.

This seems to make no sense and if anyone were to require an increase in the notification time it should be those events where more attention is required in order to ensure that the plans include measures to promote the licensing objectives.

d. Licensing authorities have the discretion to apply existing license conditions to a TEN?

Again the emphasis on TEN seems exaggerated in comparison to the degree of problems relating to them.

I don’t believe that existing conditions need to be apply to the TEN. It does not seem to be in the spirit of removing unnecessary legislation.

If this were to be implemented it could be balanced with the TEN providing the opportunity for the holder to use it not only to carry on licensable activities where they are not covered by an existing premises licence, but also to allow them to remove conditions for the specific TEN. For example a premises which has a condition not allowing under 18’s onto the premises which wants to run a ‘private party’ for an 18th Birthday (where there may naturally be under 18’s invited) could give a TEN and include the specific condition be removed based on the additional measures the TEN holder would be imposing on the day in question, to ‘protect children from harm’.

Consultation Question 20
What would be the consequences of:

a. Reducing the number of TENs that can be applied for by a personal licence holder to 12 per year?

I don’t believe there is any need to reduce the number of TENs which can be applied for by a personal licence holder. It does not strike me as a particular concern which undermines the licensing objective or requires any change.

b. Restricting the number of TENs that could be applied for in the same vicinity (e.g. a field)

As above

Consultation Question 21
Do you think 168 hours (7 days) is a suitable minimum for the period of voluntary closure that can be flexibly applied by police for persistent underage selling?

I believe that if this were to be implemented, the key would be to ensure that there was an element of flexibility in the length of any closure. Suggesting that the 7 days minimum closure would add flexibility makes no sense; making the maximum closure 7 days gives the police the flexibility that this change would require.

However there are two key areas I think which should be considered before any such change is implemented. The first and most important is that some semblance of consistency be brought to the test-purchasing process.

Currently Trading Standards and the Police in different area carry out this process in different ways, which means that premises licence operators are sceptical of the motivation rather than embracing the purpose.

Test purchasing should be a proactive process to inform premises licence holders of any problems, but also to encourage responsible alcohol retailing. Some of the changes we would recommend:

• Standardisation of Process – Children involved in test purchasing should not be encouraged to try and ‘succeed’ but rather be encouraged to behave in a ‘normal’ way. If when they are asked their age they ‘lie’ and claim to be over 18, if they are subsequently asked to provide a proof of age, the document they present should be real or they should claim not to have an identity document. If this process is followed those premises with an effective under age sales policy will pass and those without will struggle.
• Notification of Failure – If a test purchase is successful (in other words if an underage sale is successful by the child involved in the Test Purchase) the Designated Premises Supervisor (or their nominated representative on duty) should be approached at the time of the test purchase by the police or trading standards officers carrying out the test purchase and notified. This will allow them more opportunity to identify the deficiency in their system and rectify it. The failure must also be documented in writing and sent to the DPS / premises Licence Holder.
• Notification of Success– When a test purchase fails the DPS / Premises Licence Holder should be notified of their success. This provides a strong motivational tool for staff and if this was accompanied by a certificate which could be displayed it would also send a strong message to other potential under-age customers. Previous success of test purchases could then also feature in any future licensing inspections and form part of any due diligence defence should it ever be required. These could also become part of a wider points scheme to demonstrate good practice or be part of BBN type schemes.
• Training – We would like to see some lateral thinking coming into the test purchasing process. Training has proven to be a strong element of the success in other areas such as drink driving and other driving related offences, where offenders can reduce the length of a ban by undergoing training on the subject. A short course similar to the BIIAB Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (possibly with a little more emphasis on under age sales) may be a good way to deliver a positive slant to the ‘punishment’ for persistently selling to young persons.

We do not feel that any extension in the current voluntary closure should be considered without standardisation of the process so everyone knows where they stand and can work towards test purchasing becoming a positive process. With a proactive approach to test purchasing there would be a stronger argument for longer closures for failure.

Consultation Question 22
What do you think would be an appropriate upper limit for the period of voluntary closure that can be flexibly applied for persistent underage selling?

Please see our answer to question 21. I think until the discrepancies surrounding the test purchasing process are addressed these should not be changed.

In some cases premises licence holders are not informed about failed test purchases and have then not been able to rectify the problems which led to the failure. When they then subsequently failed another test purchase within 3 months they then commit the offence of ‘persistently selling to a person under the age of 18’. This makes a bit of a mockery of the process and undermines trust in all the relevant authorities.

We preach about one of the principles of licensing during our training, that being that the concept behind the Licensing Act is that it should be a ‘partnership approach’ rather than an ‘us against them situation’; this is difficult to justify when premises licence holders feel that they are being spied upon and not part of the partnership.

Consultation Question 23
What do you think the impact will be of making licence reviews automatic for those found to be persistently selling alcohol to children?

I refer you to the points I made in my responses to questions 21 & 22.

I don’t believe there is an additional requirement to make provision for automatic review for persistently selling alcohol to children, the current measures and proposed increase in voluntary closure should be sufficient.

If there is to be an additional sanction of automatic review associated with persistently selling alcohol to young people, I think this should be linked to a standardised test purchasing process as mentioned above as well as being linked to a staggered process of sanctions.

If the current definition of ‘persistently selling’ means twice in three months for which one of the sanctions available in the voluntary closure, then if an automatic review is to be an alternative sanction it should be linked to a greater number of failed test purchases in the prescribed time frame.

The desired outcome would therefore be that on being informed of the first failure premises licence holders would be able to address the problems, if they didn’t there is the sanction of voluntary closure and after additional failed test purchases there would be the option to go to review.

Consultation Question 24
For the purpose of this consultation we are interested in expert views on the following:

a. Simple and effective ways to define the ‘cost’ of alcohol

b. Effective ways to enforce a ban on below cost selling and their costs

c. The feasibility of using the Mandatory Code of Practice to set a licence condition that no sale can be below cost, without defining cost.

Consultation Question 25
Would you be in favour of increasing licence fees based on full cost recovery and what impact would this have?

Consultation Question 26
Are you in favour of automatically revoking the premises licence if the annual fees have not been paid?

This would seem a sensible implementation, although we would urge that any such introduction be counter-balanced by implementation of a system to ensure each and every premises licence holder be notified of the payment date.

We would also suggest that this be done other than just in writing to the premises itself as in many such premises the premises licence holder correspondence address is different and direct mail to the premises is not secure.

There should also be a system for genuine errors not to be penalised by automatic revocation but be given the opportunity to correct an error. It may even be a consideration that prior to revocation a period of suspension of the premises licence be included.

Consultation Question 27
Have the first set of mandatory conditions that came into force in April 2010 had a positive impact on preventing alcohol-related crime?

The requirement for free drinking water would seem to be a positive step, many operators already felt they had an obligation to do this. We have heard of one or two premises who are not following the spirit of this condition and provide warm water when requested, which seems rather senseless and short-sighted.

The condition of not pouring alcohol into the mouth of another is again relatively straight forward to adopt. However the apparent paranoia surrounding the ‘dentist chair’ phenomenon which presumably led to this condition was over-hyped and as such it is a big solution for a very minor problem. I would not think it has had a particular impact on alcohol-related crime.

It is the last of the new conditions which focuses on irresponsible promotions which is so ill defined as to be generally very badly understood. The guidance is badly worded and vague, so although it gives specific examples of what promotions are no longer allowed these examples are not representative of the industry as a whole. This condition because of the misunderstandings is not having a positive effect on alcohol related crime, it may have eradicated the ‘£10 on the door / all you can drink’ promotions, but what should corporate events companies make of this; can they no longer offer clients an ‘all-in’ price for corporate events?

Consultation Question 28
Would you support the repeal of any or all the mandatory conditions?

Please see the response to question 27 for further guidance.

The irresponsible promotions condition should be repealed or reviewed to make it manageable and a positive contribution to the act.

Consideration should be given to the upcoming condition of enforcing an age verification policy as this is already covered within existing legislation and does not look like it will add any positive benefit to the act. Specific conditions can already be added to licences where a specific risk is identified.

Consultation Question 29
Would you support measures to deregulate the Licensing Act, and what sections of the Act in your view could be removed or simplified?

End

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Source – Beyond The Blue
To view this commentary on the Beyond The Blue website Click Here
Date – 6th September 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Ministers propose Scottish minimum drink price of 45p

2010-09-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

The arguments and discussions surrounding minimum pricing have recently been stepped up on all sides, with everyone trying to have their opinion heard; especially at this time when the government is in the middle of a consultation process on overhauling the Licensing Act.

Here are just three such stories we have come across in the last few weeks:

• Raise liquor prices by 150% to beat binge-drinking, says Alcohol Concern (The Observer – 8th August 2010)
• Fairer beer tax ‘would create win-win situation’ - British Beer & Pub Association – BBPA (The Independent - 1st September 2010)
• Ministers propose Scottish minimum drink price of 45p (www.bbc.co.uk – 2nd September 2010)

We have noticed a distinct shift in the arguments for minimum pricing from some quarters as this ‘battle-lines’ are drawn.

The Scottish government is now the first government body to officially propose a price on a unit of alcohol; at 45p per unit. Retailers in the rest of the UK should not think this does not affect them, as there is a call within Scotland for Westminster to legislate UK-wide on this subject.

After all if alcohol has a minimum price in Scotland but not in England, the border regions especially will undoubtedly see a large increase in cross-border activity and a boom in ‘smuggled’ alcohol being sold in an unlicensed capacity.

It should come as no surprise that Alcohol Concern and the British Medical Association are standing firm with their demands. However at a suggested 50p a unit their demands are no longer a million miles away from the Scottish proposal.

It is in the drinks industry and licensed retail sector where there seems to be a slight softening of the stance, although not across the whole industry. With the BBPA responding to the governments consultation on the licensing act with a proposal to link alcohol tax to alcohol strength, it seems to me to be an acceptance that some form of minimum pricing is inevitable; therefore this lobby has turned to protect as far as is possible its core market, beer sales.

The other thing which seems to me to be turning is the realisation by government that a minimum price per unit is likely to face significant legal challenge and be very difficult to achieve without breaching EU competition law.

A hike in taxation would be an easier route and has the added advantage that it puts the additional income generated into the treasuries coffers, rather than the retailers; especially the big supermarkets.

The argument which is still used by those opponents to the proposals, is that minimum pricing hits the poor most and is thus unfair. Any price increase hits the poor most and so this is not exactly a new argument, but it is one which must be considered. However the assumption that the poorer elements of society all have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is one to be wary of.

I also urge caution with the examples which the different sides use to demonstrate their arguments. Talk is always of the 2ltr bottle of cider and the phenomenal rise in price these products would face under minimum pricing; I think everyone is going to have a struggle to defend the pricing of some of these products and the reason for consumption. I may be wrong but are there many people out there drinking from 2ltr / £2.50 bottles of cider in moderation to relax and enjoy the social enhancement responsible drinking creates?

Equally Alcohol Concern should be honest with the truth. A bottle of whisky does not contain 40 units. A bottle is generally considered to be 75ml which would normally mean that a bottle of whiskey would contain 28 units and hence at their suggested minimum price comes in at £14. The 40 units they refer to is a 1ltr bottle.

With the battle-lines firmly set, all eyes will be on the debate in the Scottish Parliament to see how the arguments progress. Watch this space…

To view this commentary on the Beyond The Blue website Click Here
Date – 2nd September 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses and services, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Consultancy Service – helps clients develop or re-focus their business and guide them towards success.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Police call time on alcohol shots

2010-08-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

Portsmouth is certainly not alone in introducing these types of ‘voluntary’ restrictions in order to curb alcohol related violence.

Effectively banning the sale of shots and asking premises to invest in personal head or shoulder mounted cameras for Door Supervisors is a methodology, I think, we should all start getting used to.

The proposed government reforms will make this sort of action much easier and make the potential punishments for non-compliance more significant.

That individual premises conduct a thorough risk assessment in relation to their activities is nothing new and should be encouraged. We would like to see more responsibility falling to individual alcohol retailers, rather then blanket bans / conditions being imposed.

It is perfectly possible to sell shots without significant consequence if alcohol retailers take sensible responsible measures in their day-to-day activities. Those premises which don’t control the quantity they sell to individuals should face sanction available under the current Licensing Act.

One question I ask is what would be classified as a shot?

Tequila is after all traditional drunk as a shot and has been since inception, is tequila effectively being banned?

What about whiskey? A significant of whiskey is drunk without mixer, many claim that adding a mixer to Whiskey is sinful… Is this a shot, or because most people sip it would it be viewed differently? Is it really possible for licence holders to make sure people sip their whiskey and don’t drink it as a shot?

Other countries where legislators have banned the sale of shots have defined them as ‘single measures without addition’. In parts of Australia where this is the case, people wishing to drink shots buy them as singles with ice fish out and discard the ice and drink the remaining ‘shot’… does the discarded ice on the floor constitute a ‘Public Safety’ issue and undermine the licensing objective… I am as you can imagine playing devil’s advocate here…

I imagine the reason why this is being encouraged rather than enforced is just for these reasons, it is currently unenforceable; hence why the threat of the police coming down on them ‘like a ton of bricks’ is the threat used to enforce the unenforceable.

There are other potential problems. If such a policy is to be expanded will it not just encourage pre-loading; buying cheap supermarket alcohol and drinking heavily in and uncontrolled environment prior to going out to the pubs and clubs.

If there can be an assumption that pre-loading will increase, then this policy goes against the concept that minimum pricing will have a positive effect on the levels people consume alcohol in.

It is generally accepted that when people drink at home the size of drink they pour will be at least twice the standard size they will buy in a pub or club.

If people drink shots to get drunk (there is the cultural problem), will they not just do this at home before they come out? If they would usually have 2 or 3 shots once out, will they not effectively be having the equivalent of 4 – 6 shots at home before they go out.

This squeezes the income of licensed premises and yet potentially increases their costs in additional security costs in order to deal with the consequences of pre-loading.

As I said, I am playing devil’s advocate here, local problems require local solutions. My point is that solutions which ‘squeeze the balloon’ (squeeze one area and another expands) are not a comprehensive solution.

I understand the individual frustrations, especially those of the police and local authorities, but I also see the problems these solutions cause licensed retailers, the constraint it puts on their business and the strains it puts on them. The less income they are able to make the more corners they have to cut; it can be a real catch 22.

We always emphasise on our courses that licensing is a partnership approach, not an ‘us against them’ situation. The partnership is between all the authorities and the licensed retailers, they have to work together to find the solutions which promote the licensing objectives, protect the public interest and protect and encourage responsible alcohol retailers.

If the authorities want the licensed retailers to become partners in responsible retailing they also have to realise that there has to be give and take. Prohibition never worked in the past and I doubt it will work in the future. Retailers need the opportunity to make a reasonable income and in return need to demonstrate they can act responsibly and deserve the privilege of holding a licence to sell alcohol.

To view the original article Click Here
To view the article on the Beyond The Blue website Click Here
Source – www.portsmouth.co.uk
Date – 10th August 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses and services, which include;

• Consultancy Service – helps clients develop or re-focus their business and guide them towards success.
• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Stampede at German Love Parade festival kills 19

2010-07-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

The dangers surrounding free to attend events has been highlighted again by this tragedy in Duisburg; the need for meticulous planning and risk reduction measures to be effective in dealing with crowds of any size, must be better recognised.

It shouldn’t mean the end of large or free events, after all ‘events’ the Hajj in Saudi Arabia attracts the largest crowd in the world and this important religious ceremony must go on.

Recriminations about what happened and who was to blame for what happened at the ‘love parade’ will go on and if culpability is found to be attributable to individuals or organisations, no doubt appropriate action will be taken.

This due process has to happen and we are not in a position to pre-empt the outcome; what we can discuss however is the need for effective crowd dynamics to be put into place where a crowd of any size is anticipated.

Free-to-attend events are becoming more and more difficult to marshal as the marketing for such events changes. The era of social networking and viral marketing means that even small events can suddenly turn large on the back of a successful campaign; often without the organisers ever realising the scale.

We all strive to be successful with this type of campaign, they are cost effective and cannot be matched by traditional marketing strategies; however in certain circumstances we have seen how they can be too successful.

Planning for an event where an audience could be any size from 400 to 4000 is a difficult task. The costs involved in preparing for the worst / best case scenario can be prohibitive if only the lower end numbers show up; the fact is the possible complications when the potential variance is 400,000 to 1,400,000 is not that different, with the exception of scale.

No one should be fooled into thinking that small crowds are any less dangerous than big ones. Even in crowds of a few hundred a sudden panic can be devastating; crush injuries can seem minor on the surface, yet the internal injuries can easily be fatal.

I remember one incident at an event I was running where a can of CS-spray was released on a dance floor. There were no more that 300 people at the event, but the dance floor was busy. This type of unseen danger means that people quickly panic, their brains cannot compute what is happening and the ‘fight or flight’ instinct kicks in. In this scenario the instinct is flight, to get away from the in-comprehendible effects of the CS-spray; the fight instinct would have kicked-in if any of those inside were unable to escape.

Fortunately in our case the staff were extremely well trained and drilled in emergency evacuation procedures and their training kicked-in on command.

How effective are commands given to a panicking the public in an emergency?

‘Fight or Flight’ is not a rational response it is an emotional one, this means that instinct takes over the rational thought process and that the way people respond and interpret instructions changes as well.

In the scenario we had with the CS-spray there was little immediate sense in trying to calm people down or to explain to them that they should not panic because the effects would dissipate as quickly as it arrived; they would not have responded to this. They had already reacted with the flight reaction and the only viable thing was to assist them in achieving their instinctive objective.

Our natural instinctive reaction when we need to escape a building is to go out the way we came in. Studies have shown clearly that in the case of real emergencies people instinctively head for the entrance to leave; I have carried out hundreds of fire drills and watched as people standing right next to a fire exit, on hearing a fire alarm, head for the front door.

Fortunately in the UK many people have the knowledge ingrained in them to look for and head for an exit; but to achieve this they have to fight the natural instinct to head for the entrance and go out the way they came in. Even under pressure we can recognise the signs; the exit lights, the green ‘running-man’ signs, the difference between darker interiors and well lit exteriors and yet the vast majority of people will in a panic, look for and follow the crowd.

This knowledge should determine our strategy for training staff in how to deal with people who are panicking (even mildly) and therefore reacting rather than responding.

One of the key solutions is to get staff to provide very simple messages and for their actions to speak much loader than words (which when people are in ‘fight or flight’ mode are almost useless). The first thing our staff did when the CS-spray went off and the command was given to initiate and evacuation, was to open all the fire doors; this action removes the mental barrier about which way to go out and is a very visual sign that this is an alternative way out.

Staff should be easily identifiable (even when under stress we naturally recognise and respond to the authority we associate with for example high-visibility jackets or distinct uniforms) and get into a position where they are at eye level with customers and in a suitable lit area. Directional hand signals can be easily identified and will help move some people in the direction where the least crowded exit.

This is naturally a simplified version of all the strategies used in a successful evacuation, but emergency evacuation strategies must be simple and straight forward for customers and staff alike.

Never forget the pressure your employees are under during an evacuation and how their brains will suffer a similar change from rational to emotional; this can only be addressed by effective training and suitable practice, preferably drilled into them on a regular basis so that actions become partly instinctive.

In our scenario once people were outside they quickly calmed down naturally, as the rational part of the brain re-engages; it is at this point where a crowd becomes more controllable through more traditional communication.

What took place at the ‘love parade’ will not emerge until after a lengthy investigation, yet it seems clear from some of the pictures that a few of the channels which people took to get into the event did not provide the possibility of escape if anything sparked even a mild panic; and panic we must remember is catching and spreads like wild-fire.

This will not be the last such tragedy and we must learn from each of these events. We must teach others about what we learn; for those of us who work in event management and security it could make the difference at our next job.

Our condolences go to the family of those who tragically lost their lives in Germany.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses and services, which include;

• Consultancy Service (Event Management) – assists clients with the planning and execution of successful events.
• Consultancy Service (Event Security) – provides the specific skills and knowledge required to deliver safe and secure events through effective security planning.
• The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training provides the knowledge to help employees understand and deal proactively with Workplace Violence.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article Click Here
To view the article on the Safe Gap Year website Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 25th July 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Are you prepared for the two new Mandatory Conditions?

2010-07-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

On the 1st October 2010 a further two mandatory conditions will come into force under the Licensing Act 2003 in England & Wales through an amendment by the Police and Crime Act 2009.

These come in after the three New Mandatory Conditions which came into force in April 2010.

A Mandatory Condition is one which applies to any premises licence or club premises certificate in England or Wales. The condition will not necessarily appear on your licence, but it will still apply.

Age Verification Policy - Every premises licence holder must ensure that an ‘age verification policy’ applies to the premises in relation to the sale or supply of alcohol.

The ‘age verification policy’ will dictate the minimum age at which a person can purchase alcohol (this must be 18 years of age or above) and requires any person who appears to be under the specified age to produce a valid identification document which shows their date of birth.

The validity of identification documents should also highlighted in your policy, which should determine the nature of acceptable documents; our advice is to stick with Drivers Licence, Passport or Proof of Age Card with a PASS hologram.

We would recommend that premises continue to use either the Challenge 21 or Challenge 25 policy they already have in place and absorb this into their new ‘age verification policy’. As a general rule we have long recommended Challenge 21 for the on-trade and Challenge 25 for the off-trade.

An ‘age verification policy’ does not need to be overly complicated to be effective, the simpler the better. Our 4 step process is the cornerstone of our existing Underage Sales Policy (21) and Underage Sales Policy (25)

Smaller Measures – The last of the mandatory conditions concerns the provision of smaller measures being offered and providing notice of their availability.

In its simplest terms this means that all alcoholic drinks must be available for purchase in single /small sizes:

• Still Wine 125ml
• Spirits (Gin, Whisky, Vodka, Rum) either 25ml or 35ml
• Beer & Cider in half pints

You not only have a duty to make these drinks available in these sizes, but to give notice that they are. This can reasonably be done through your price lists and other existing marketing tools. It is also a good idea to make sure you staff are trained and aware of all mandatory conditions so they can act within the guidelines and make customers aware of the measures in which drink are available.

A slightly extended version of the old Weights & Measures Act sign indicating what size drink are served in might also be a good idea.

Smaller sizes do not apply to sealed containers.

As with all new conditions we are still waiting for further clarification from the Home Office & DCMS as well as test cases from the courts, which will undoubtedly follow; for now we are able to offer you our guidance based on our experience and advice from other sector experts.

We expect (hope) that common sense will apply and for example wine will only need to be served in smaller sizes where it is served by the glass; i.e. if you have an extensive wine list and serve five different wines by the glass and the rest only by the bottle, it is these five which will have to be available in 125ml glasses.

However I would expect that if you only sell wine by the bottle for consumption on the premises, you will have to start making wine available by the 125ml glass.

Although these smaller measures apply you can still sell in larger measures as well, the smaller ones just have to be available; make sure you go out before the 1st October and buy suitable glassware.

We will keep you updated with further details on both these mandatory conditions as further guidance is published.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Source – Beyond The Blue
Date – 20th July 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Lights go out at clubs

2010-07-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

It has been a bad few years for nightclubs, who have been struggling on many different fronts and this latest report which suggests that 13% of late night clubs have closed in the last year should come as little surprise.

The recession, smoking ban, higher costs, cheap supermarket alcohol, pre-loading and late night pubs are just some of the reasons given.

That 355 nightclubs closed in a year (13 a week) alongside the well reported higher number of pub closures, paints a sad picture for the industry.

The fact is, the late-night economy is struggling with even some big names closing their doors. It is not about to get any easier, with a renewed assault on the late-night economy by the government’s latest proposals (more information will be published shortly on this blog) to reform the Licensing Act.

But it is not all doom and gloom, there have been a number of very high profile openings this year in the hospitality sector and it is still very possible to launch and run a very successful business. However the days of complacency are well and truly behind us and only those businesses which can adapt, provide the very best service and reach out to their target market will succeed.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses and services, which include;

• Consultancy Service – helps clients develop or re-focus their business and guide them towards success.
• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article Click Here
To view the article on the Safe Gap Year website Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 18th July 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

NRG-1 'legal high' drug is banned

2010-07-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Naphyrone commonly sold under the ‘brand name’ NRG-1 has been added to a growing list of substances under the drugs misuse act and is now a Class B controlled drug alongside Cannabis and Mephedrone.

Class B drugs carry a maximum sentence for possession of 5 years imprisonment and 14 years imprisonment for supply.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• Drug Awareness – designed specifically for each individual client to help them address the problems of controlled drug use and drug dealing in their workplace.
• The National Certificate for Licensees (Drug Awareness) – designed specifically for the licensed retail sector
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 12th July 2010

Diageo gives ‘icing’ fad the cold shoulder

2010-06-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Branding is key to business success, from the world biggest companies to the individual business owner running a pub, restaurant, club… or a training & consultancy company.

We all want a strong brand and one which people automatically associate with our core business values. At Beyond The Blue we work tirelessly to associate our brand with the quality we provide, excellence in customer service we deliver and the effectiveness of our training and consultancy for our clients.

What companies like Diageo have to do is balance the quality and strength of their brands with responsible alcohol consumption messages; an uneasy balance.

In an ideal world where the individual was responsible for their own level of consumption this would be simple, Diageo could simply concentrate on promoting the strength of brand such as Smirnoff against the other brands in the market; unfortunately we don’t live in an ideal world…

Every brand manager’s dream in 2010 is to have a marketing campaign which goes viral, it’s very effective (especially with the younger generations) and costs associated are minimal. Even better is when such a campaign is generated by user content rather than by the company itself, it affirms the value of the brand as it is in effect a customer recommendation rather than a marketing campaign; a message from a much more believable source.

The problem with these campaigns is that you have no control over them and what starts out as a positive message can quickly be hijacked into a very detrimental one. Stopping viral campaigns can be even harder than starting them; they are after all successful partly because they don’t seem to be the work of the corporation itself, so often if the corporation is seen to be trying to stop them they effectively promote them…

With this particular campaign of ‘Icing’ in the USA (something we would probably refer to as ‘Strawpedo’ in the UK) it does rather promote ‘binge drinking’, irresponsible alcohol consumption and an element of drinking which a corporation such as Diageo must dissociate itself.

The rules surrounding alcohol advertising in the US and UK are very different. Certainly in the UK with the introduction of the New Mandatory Conditions in April 2010 any link between an alcohol retailer and the promotion of such an activity, could land them in very hot water.

We are still awaiting the first test cases on the new conditions, but as a hypothetical example, a student night with a ‘strawpedo’ promotion would certainly qualify as a contender to be the first…

We should point out that Diageo has distanced itself from the ‘icing’ phenomenon and taken steps to stop the misuse of it Smirnoff Ice brand; individual alcohol retailers should make sure they follow suit.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.ft.com
Date – 21st June 2010

London pub ‘refused gay group drinks’

2010-06-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

The Licensing Act 2003 contains provision for an authorised person (someone with the authority of the Premises Licence holder), to refuse entry to any person or ask them to leave without giving a reason.

Failure to leave a licensed premises when asked to do so is a criminal offence under the Act.

However it is very clear that you cannot refuse service, refuse entry or ask someone to leave based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality or any other form of discrimination.

The provision to refuse entry is there to deal with people who are being disruptive, aggressive, drunk or who are involved in criminal activity, etc.

It is amazing that in 2010 there are still people running businesses which not only discriminate against sections of our communities, but have not realised the commercial advantage of going out of their way to make them feel welcome.

Whatever happened in this particular case I think any suggestion that Punch Taverns would do anything but condemn such behaviour is farfetched. However where discrimination rears its ugly head, nothing short of a full investigation and swift corrective action would be acceptable.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 6th June 2010

Woman trapped after 30ft nightclub sign falls on her

2010-06-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

During our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course we examine all the licensing objectives; we spend time examining the ‘Public Safety’ objective and all the various issues that fall under this category.

I always tell the candidates attending that the full list of potential public safety issues is almost endless; here is another hazard to add to the list.

A nightclub sign falling on someone adds to the case of a Mirror Ball falling from the rigging in another case we are aware of. When mentioned during a course they tend to draw a giggle, yet have the potential to cause serious injury or death as well as providing an almost impossible case to defend and costly financial compensation.

As much as the licensing objective clearly not being met, I would imagine the first people on the scene would be the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) with their significant powers to prosecute.

You have been warned, if you see anything in your business which has the potential to undermine public safety (or for that matter the safety of employees) deal with it there and then or make it safe (exclude people from the area) until it can be dealt with.

In this case the victim getting away with a few stitches seems to be more through good fortune than safe working practices, but this makes it no less serious.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Times
Date – 1st June 2010

Prescriptions to treat alcohol dependency reach record level

2010-05-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

What we read into this increase in the numbers of prescriptions written for medication linked to alcohol dependency can vary; either more people are becoming alcohol dependent or more people are trying to address their alcohol dependency.

Undoubtedly with 6769 deaths linked to alcohol in 2008, there are still serious problems with alcohol abuse which we need to continue to fight against.

However it is not all doom and gloom, figures for alcohol related deaths are far too high, but these figures do not reflect what is happening now. Many of the deaths related to alcohol come after long term consumption, so the deaths we are seeing today are actually related to alcohol consumption over the last five, ten or twenty years.

To identify today’s alcohol related issues and those of tomorrow we have to look at a different set of figures and examine the source of the problem more closely.

For example I think many people would be surprised to know that manual workers (men - 64%; women - 46%) were less likely to have consumed alcohol in the previous week than ‘middle class professionals’ (men – 79%; women - 67%).

It is also great news that the percentage of young people (11 - 15 years of age) who have tried alcohol has decreased; 39% in 2003 compared with 48% in this latest survey. The fact that many more young people in the North-east have tired alcohol as opposed to London, I would suspect has as much to do with the ethnic break-down of the two regions, as the so-called North-South divide.

Binge drinking is still a problem with the definition of 3 times or more the recommended daily allowance in a single day (i.e. 9 units for men; 6 units for women) meaning that 1 in 5 men binge at least once a week and 1 in 10 women do the same.

Damaging levels of alcohol consumption are still a problem, everyone involved in the sale of alcohol and the regulation of the sale of alcohol have to continue to work together to combat. The way forward is education and training; education of our young people in particular so that the next generation don’t fall into the traps of this generation and training for alcohol retailers so they play their part and Retail Alcohol Responsibly.

Sometimes the messages we send out should be positive ones, there is progress being made. As much as we have to warn people of the dangers of alcohol, we also have to shout about the successes from the rooftops. People don’t want to be preached at 24/7 it is not always effective, sometimes they want to be part of a success story.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Independent
Date – 27th May 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Met: England shirt pub ban is just a myth

2010-05-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Some licensing authorities and the police have imposed restriction in the face of possible disorder surrounding the World Cup, with restrictions on capacity and curbs on tournament linked promotion. However these have largely been a response to local issues with crime and disorder rather than national policies.

The licensed trade has been looking forward to this injection of business for 2 years since the sudden down-turn devastated parts of the industry.

Many pubs and clubs will be promoting the games which are all on terrestrial television, advertising which are being shown at their premises. You can rest easy that the reports that a ban on England shirts, flags etc. in pubs and clubs was going to put into place are just a myth; spread in a social networking world where false information sometimes seems to travel at a speed, which we all wish our marketing could follow.

Remember that the new mandatory conditions which came into place in April ban the linking of alcohol promotions to the outcome of sports activities. So no promotions linked to goals scored, individual players achievements or any match related activity please.

Enjoy the world cup, enjoy the ‘bounty’ it should bring, be sensible with your promotions, but don’t hold back from promoting the country; adorn your premises with flags, bunting, posters, chalkboards and make it well known that the world cup can be watched in a safe and friendly environment; and in your countries national team shirt.

Let’s hope the team do well and go a long way in the competition. Come on England!… and Brazil, Spain, North Korea, South Africa, Australia etc… (remember there is valuable income to be made from the many different communities throughout the UK, don’t let your allegiance limit your business)

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 25th May 2010

Parents in pubs ‘must drink’

2010-05-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Signs, signs, signs… in some places there are so many signs telling you what you can’t do you start to wonder how you ever managed on your own.

There are a number of signs you need to display, the law ensures that licences, health & safety, smoke-free law, cctv, security, price-lists and other signage must be displayed. What you add to this already crowded field, can make the difference between your sales message getting through and patronising your customers.

Think about the wording on your signs, the best and most effective signs I have ever seen tend to use humour to get their message across. If a smile comes to your face when you are being told not to do something, you are likely to abide by the sign and take it in good humour.

Above all make sure the message cannot be misinterpreted. We have written about Wetherspoon’s policy (click here) regarding adults who are accompanied by minors not consuming more than 2 alcoholic drinks before. It is now pretty well known, but the sign at the Prince of Wales in Cardiff reads ‘We welcome you and your children in our pub as long as you have one or two alcoholic drinks’… the sort of sign you would expect to see in a foreign country where they have used an on-line translation to write a sign in English…

Patronising can be even more destructive to your business; it amazes me the number of places I go and see signs saying ‘Please do not stand in front of the fire exit. Keep Clear!!’; as if somehow when the alarm goes off you are going to stop people leaving… I like being stood in front of the fire exit, it means I am the first one out.

‘Please do not place furniture in front of this exit’ at least makes sense, but is it really necessary?

If your staff training in Fire Safety is up to scratch a member of your team will notice if the exit is blocked and go over and politely explain the situation. This is a double whammy it makes the customer realise that you take their safety seriously and allows your staff to give a quick explanation of the reason rather than ‘barking’ at your customers from a sign (usually with a tacky clip art symbol included…).

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.walesonline.co.uk
Date – 21st May 2010

Coalition policy: Alcohol loss leaders ban proposed / Tesco backs minimum price for alcohol sales

2010-05-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

So we are in a new era of consensus politics… maybe, maybe not, but that is not the point here, I try and avoid political comment in this blog, but politics and licensing are intrinsically linked and with any new government comes new ideas and a new mandate to govern; this tends to mean ‘change’.

We await the ‘big ideas’ on licensing, but even within a couple of weeks we can already see the start of this process. The new government has promised to ‘overhaul the licensing act to give police and local authorities more powers to deal with premises which are causing problems’.

Dealing with problem premises will be welcome in most quarters; they do the sector irreparable harm and are the ones who bring on restrictive expensive legislation to the vast majority of responsible retailers. I take some comfort from the statement that they will “review pricing to tackle binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and local industries”.

They have also promised to target supermarkets selling alcohol as a ‘loss-leader’.

Tesco have leapt on this statement with the speed of a leopard pouncing on its pray; or in this case a large retailer desperate to secure price fixing by the front door.

There is a common misconception that minimum pricing is linked to taxation, this has never been the case; taxation, as obscenely high on alcohol as it is, would not be affected. The minimum price would only increase the profits of the retailers and Tesco with its vast and very successful business would reap the rewards of increased profitability without loss of its competitive edge.

How significant the sale of alcohol as a ‘loss-leader’ is, we will never quite know. Tesco, Waitrose, Asda etc. are never going to reveal their competitive pricing structures with suppliers, who would? But that is not really the important aspect of this story; I just went into my local Tesco and there was a buy-one-get-one-free on cases of brand name beer for £16.

The importance alcohol has in attracting customers is significant, the very fact that the beer is sold in cases of 18 bottles should tell us something about the importance of the perception that a case of beer can cost £8 (and yes you will find it cheaper elsewhere). If you go to any supermarket, where are the alcohol deals on display? Pride of place in the entrance where you can’t possibly miss them.

So who are the winners and losers?

Supermarkets – stand to increase profit margins considerably, even with lower volumes, I would guess that their net profit on alcohol will be higher.

Off-licences / small licensed shops – They may see an increase in sales as a result of a slightly more level playing field, but they will still find it difficult to compete. Many small retailers buy their stock directly from the supermarket promotions, because they can’t get these competitive prices from their own suppliers, they will lose out; so a mixed bag for them.

Pub / clubs – This is an area where these developments should be welcomed. Any minimum price is unlikely to affect them. If ‘pre-loading’ is reduced in the longer term, it should lead to more alcohol being consumed in these controlled establishments and less trouble (and therefore cost) to deal with as a result of customers arriving drunk.

The drinks industry – The big losers will be the drinks manufacturers. Any dip in consumption naturally affects them.

The government – They have a duty to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder and we have always said this is not a one solution problem. Minimum pricing will have an effect, but excessive alcohol consumption is a cultural problem and price is just one part of that culture. The impact of licensing act proves that there is no magic wand. Don’t get me wrong I think the act was a good step and properly enforced could work; but it is not going to happen over 5 years, cultural changes take a generation. In the 20 years I have been in the industry there has been massive change and in another 20 year there will again have been massive change, you need to stick with things and see them through to effect cultural change.

Oh… and the government will lose tax revenue…

The consumer - At the lowest end of the alcohol market minimum pricing will mean more cost, I don’t however think the responsible drinker will feel too much difference. Those who primarily drink out will not be hit and if you look at the proposed minimum pricing, it is low end high alcohol volume products which will be affected. There must be an issue when a can of beer and a can of coke cost the same….

I’m not saying that I am an advocate of minimum pricing. In an ideal world, I would like to think that responsible drinkers can continue to drink responsibly and those who misuse alcohol and commit alcohol related crime can be dealt with effectively within existing laws. But alcohol misuse is a problem and it is a problem which costs the tax payer billions of pounds. I would love to think that we could reduce the impact of alcohol and pass on a little of that tax money back to tax-payers to afford the slightly more expensive alcohol… in an ideal world…

I could write a 20 page essay about the pros and cons. The lobbies for each group will argue in a one dimensional format. With everything that has gone on in the last few years you would have thought that it was time for people to wake up to consensus and compromise. It has not yet worked when one side or the other can’t see past their own specific interest. Everyone has to acknowledge the problems and give a little so we can reach a compromise which deals with the problem without anyone claiming victory; if we maintain the status quo, everyone will end up losing.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original articles please Click Here and Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 20th May 2010

Boy, 17, dies at Rooney club do

2010-04-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

It is a sad reflection on our society and the press that the headline and substance of this story is the presence of Wayne Rooney at the club rather than the tragic death of a young man.

If we look past the flippant headline it provides us with an example of the challenges faced by the licensed trade and the importance of doing everything in our power as alcohol retailers to ensure that we uphold the licensing objectives.

This is no reflection on the club in question, as we are unaware at this stage of all the pertinent fact in this case; but promoting objectives of ‘the protection of children from harm’ and ‘prevention of crime and disorder’ should feature heavily in this case.

Under licensing law children are considered to be persons under the age of 18 years. Providing there is no specific condition on the licence of this particular club, then they are permitted to allow 17 year olds onto their premises, but they should have adequate measures in place to protect them from harm.

At any time you allow anyone under the age of 18 entry to your premises, you must put additional measures into place and go that step further to make sure they do not come to harm; through alcohol consumption or any other means.

Then there is the issue of illegal drugs being on the premises, there is however no indication that the drugs were being dealt on the premises. As well as the Licensing Act 2003 (and the licensing objective of ‘the prevention of crime and disorder’), the 1971 Drugs Misuse Act clearly sets out the heavy penalties for allowing the use or dealing of controlled drugs on licensed premises.

Above all these regulations and laws there is the duty of care we have towards our customers. Licensed premises should be places of fun, frivolity and friendliness, everyone working within the sector needs to continue to work hard towards eliminating these tragic cases from our industry.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

1. The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 27th April 2010

Booze ban girl back in court

2010-04-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

If ever evidence were needed to demonstrate that prohibition, minimum pricing or further restriction on licensing hours were not the solution to alcohol related crime and disorder then here it is.

This is truly an indictment on our society as a whole and demonstrates the significant cultural hurdles which need to be overcome when a criminal record is a badge of honour, alcoholism is viewed flippantly and our criminal justice system fails the victims of crime; as well as in this case the victim of society who needs help to overcome the failings which if not resolved quickly will end up killing her.

Sadly this is exactly the kind of story which will be pounced upon to increase regulation in the Licensed Retail Sector rather than realising that it demonstrates the need to take a much more comprehensive approach, through education, legislation and cyclical cultural change.

It will not give those who think that there is an instant solution any satisfaction, but you have to ask the question; what approach would have saved Laura from her fate? Minimum pricing? Shorter licensing hours? Further legislation on licensed premises?

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 21st April 2010
Submitted by – Peter Mayhew

Mephedrone ban comes into force in UK

2010-04-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Mephedrone a.k.a. ‘meow meow’ or ‘plant food’ has been reclassified as a class B drug alongside cannabis and now, under the drugs misuse act 1971, carries a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment for possession and 14 years for the sale or supply.

The reclassification came into force on 16th April 2010.

A further blog entry will examine the merits of the ban in more detail soon.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• Drug Awareness – designed specifically for each individual client to help them address the problems of controlled drug use and drug dealing in their workplace.
• The National Certificate for Licenses (Drug Awareness) – designed specifically for the licensed retail sector
• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 16th April 2010

New Mandatory Conditions – Licensing Act 2003

2010-04-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Three new mandatory conditions came into force on the 6th April 2010. These mandatory conditions apply to every premises licence in England and Wales; and although they will not appear physically on each individual licence they still apply.

These are the first three of a total of five new mandatory conditions being introduced in 2010; the last two are due to be introduced in October.

As with any new legislation, the government has published guidance to help people interpret the meaning and give some insight into enforcement. However guidance is not legally binding and until such time and test cases start to occur and rulings are given, we can only provide opinion on the new conditions.

The first two conditions are relatively straight forward:

1. The responsible person must ensure that free potable tap water is provided on request to customers where it is reasonably available on the premises.

The guidance suggests that by ‘reasonably available’ it means at almost all times; the example they give for water not being ‘reasonably available’ is when the mains supply is temporarily unavailable due to a broken mains supply.

What might be more contentious is what constitutes a ‘customer’? Presumably a customer is someone who pays for a service or product. If someone walks in off the street sits down and asks for a drink of water are you obliged to provide them with potable drinking water? I would suggest they are not a customer, but unless it is causing a real problem it may be just as well to allow it rather then becoming a ‘test case’…

2. The responsible person must ensure that no alcohol is dispensed directly into the mouth of another person.

This condition has been added to prevent the mythical ‘dentist chair’, but also prevents such activities as free pouring from bottles directly into the mouth or the use of water pistols filled with cocktails being squirted into the mouth of another person.

As much as it is the responsibility of the Designated Premises Supervisor to prevent staff taking part in these activities, they must also prevent customers taking part in activities which contravene these regulations.

There is one sensible exception to this condition and that is when an individual is unable to drink without assistance due to disability.

The final condition is the most ‘controversial’ because of the potential for ‘interpretation’ and the one which requires further clarification to take place before we can definitively say what will and what will not be permitted.

3. The ‘Responsible Person’ should be able to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that staff do not carry out, arrange or participate in any irresponsible promotions.

An irresponsible promotion is one which undermines any of the licensing objectives and encourages people to drink more (on the premises) than they might ordinarily do and in a manner which does not promote the licensing objectives.

So what sort of promotions might be considered ‘irresponsible?

The guidance sets out a number of examples, but this is far from a prescribed list and it specifically mentions that ‘substantially similar’ promotions would also fall under this condition:

• Drinking Games – which require or encourage individuals to drink a quantity of alcohol (or as much as possible) within a time limit.

• Large quantities of Alcohol for Free or a Fixed Price – this prevents promotions such as a fixed entry price allowing ‘all you can drink’. However this also covers unlimited or unspecified quantities of alcohol free or for a fixed price being offered to a particular group of people defined by a particular characteristic (which makes them more vulnerable or more likely to be involved in crime and disorder as a result of the consumption of alcohol).

• Prizes and Rewards – The sale or supply or provision of free or discounted alcohol or any other item as a prize to encourage or reward the purchase and consumption of alcohol over a period of 24 hours or less.

• Sporting Events – providing free or discounted alcohol in relation to a sporting event shown on the premises which depended on the outcome of a race, match or other event.

• Posters & Flyers – sale of alcohol in connection with posters or flyers which are considered to condone, encourage or glamorise anti social behaviour or refer to the effects of drunkenness in any favourable manner.

The definition of an ‘irresponsible promotion’ is still one which undermines the licensing objectives and as such these activities are still theoretically permitted if they do not undermine the licensing objectives. It is not until we see the outcome of some test cases which will allow us to give a clearer idea of the interpretation of when the licensing objectives are undermined.

We always advise our clients to try and not become the ‘test case’ but rather wait it out. My feeling is that it will be relatively easy to demonstrate that those promotions mentioned above will undermine one of the licensing objectives and the guidance suggests that this is certainly going to be the case where promotions target more ‘vulnerable’ sections of the community. These sections of the community have already been identified to include students, women and under 25’s amongst others.

As with all the mandatory conditions they apply to all premises licences and club premises certificates but not to temporary event notices.

The interpretation of the guidance is going to be all important and individual licensing authorities are likely to have very varied interpretations. If you think any of your activities are stepping close to the line then I would suggest a quick call to a licensing officer to test their interpretation might be a sensible approach and permit you to move forward with a little more confidence.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements.

• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence.

• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.

• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Source – Beyond The Blue
Date – 7th April 2010

Don’t ban ‘meow meow’

2010-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

The relative harm of drugs is an argument which got Professor Nutt into trouble and I am not about to wage a scientific argument with him on this particular subject; however I will argue the point on the principle of government scientists dictating policy and on the proposal that some drugs should effectively sold under licence.

It is the constant comparisons with controlled drugs and alcohol which I find difficult to stomach. We know alcohol is a drug and a dangerous one at that, but you don’t solve a problem by undermining one danger because a greater one exists.

To use his famous equestrian reference it would be like saying we should ban horse riding but allow pony trekking…

The classification system is there to deal with controlled drugs at this time alcohol and tobacco fall outside of this classification. If there is an argument to include these then make that argument, do not confuse it with an argument surrounding the harm from Methedrone.

The solution to the drug problem (if there could ever be one) lies in more than scientific data and opinion and it is here where I take issue with Professor Nutt. I would never question his integrity, his qualification or experience, however the issue with drugs is a political one. I should clarify that when I say it is a political problem it is not a problem to play politics with…

If the argument goes that the harm from alcohol is so great that it should be controlled, how could decriminalising other harmful drugs (even if they are less harmful than alcohol) help the situation in the UK, surely it can only make things worse?

One thing I wholeheartedly agree with is the formation of a new category of drugs; the Class X drugs if you like. It is a classification into which new drugs which appear on the market can quickly and easily be put, in order to avoid the uncontrolled legal ‘dealing’ of drugs.

What always surprises me is the difference between the vigorous, lengthy and expensive development and testing which pharmaceutical drugs undergo before they are allowed to be sold, which is in complete contrast to the back-street labs producing chemical compounds which are ‘developed’ by amateur chemists to fulfil this grey market for ‘legal’ drugs. It strikes me these go through less testing then even our foodstuffs which are subject to tough hygiene regulation.

The law in this grey area is very haphazard and a Class X would place some controls on the ‘legal’ drug trade and allow government scientists to test them properly; avoiding the current backward methodology of ‘see the harm they cause’ and then test and classify. This antiquated methodology provides no protection to young people attracted to these cheap and readily available drugs.

Professor Nutt’s drug chart is a reflection of his expert opinion in this area and with his experience he cannot be ignored. But the consequences of drug use are more than medical and scientific; the social, criminal and psychological consequences of drug use and drug dealing will always be a choice for politicians. Scientific grading alone is never going to be the only concern, the harm from drugs comes in too many forms.

At Beyond The Blue we deliver a number of different courses, which include;

• Drug Awareness – designed specifically for each individual client to help them address the problems of controlled drug use and drug dealing in their workplace.
• The National Certificate for Licensees (Drug Awareness) – designed specifically for the licensed retail sector
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments personal development and helps employees deal proactively with Workplace Violence.
• Our Personal Safety for Lone Workers course teaches the core skills to help employees deal effectively with alcohol and drug related personal safety issues.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/ .

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Evening Standard
Date – 23rd March 2010

Minor Variations – Licensing Act 2003

2010-03-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

In July 2009 a change was introduced to the Licensing Act 2003 which affected the process of ‘variation of a premises licence’.

Previously any variation attracted the same formal application and notification processes no matter how insignificant they were.

The introduction of Minor Variations is a ‘common sense’ approach to dealing with those less significant alterations to a premises licence which have little or no effect on the terms of use or the impact of the premises.

In its simplest form this change means that if the proposed variation does not have any material impact on the licensing objectives it may be deemed to be a ‘minor variation’. In these cases you submit an application to the licensing authority who consult the relevant ‘responsible authorities’ as they feel is appropriate and consider any representations received within 15 working days.

You must still post a notice outside the premises for 10 days after the application is made for any ‘interested party’ to make a representation to the licensing authority. There can however be no hearing into the representation, but rather it will be considered by the authority who will determine the merits and either insist on an application for a full variation being submitted or grant the minor variation.

An example

If you wanted to knock through an interior wall in your premises in order to ease the flow of customers or for aesthetical reasons, this would require a variation as the plans submitted for your premises would no longer reflect the structure.

On the assumption that this did not increase your capacity (and thus affect conditions attached to your licence) or significantly alter the Fire Evacuation routes (and thus undermining the licensing objective of Public Safety), then it really has no impact on any of the licensing objectives.

Common sense says; why complete a full variation for something which has no impact on the licensing objectives and it is exactly this approach which has been taken with the introduction of ‘minor variations’.

This example should qualify for a minor variation, but it may be useful to seek the informal agreement of the licensing officer prior to submitting your application.

All our relevant training courses reflect these changes and for candidates who have already taken our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course, an update for their NCPLH handbook is available; please contact us for a copy.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Source – Beyond The Blue
Date – 15th January 2010

Electronic Applications

2010-03-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

On the 28th December 2009 while most people were recovering from Christmas and preparing for New Year a change occurred in the way applications can be made for Premises Licence Applications, Minor Variations, Variations, Designated Premises Supervisor Applications, Temporary Event Notices and for the Review of a Premises Licence.

These applications and notices can now be made in writing as they were previously or electronically.

There are significant advantages in many cases to making these applications electronically;

• For Premises Licence Applications the licensing authority will assume the responsibility for forwarding on a copy of your application to the seven ‘Responsible Authorities’ if you send the application electronically. If you make this application as a written (hard copy) application then you are still responsible for sending each authority a copy of your application and ensuring they are all sent on the same day.

• Temporary Event Notices (TENs) may also be given electronically; in which case only the licensing authority needs to be notified and they have the responsibility of forwarding the notice on to the police.

These changes are courtesy of an European Union Directive and make these application processes less daunting for applicants in most cases, but for technophobes all applications can still be made in writing in the ‘traditional’ way.

All our relevant training courses reflect these changes and for candidates who have already taken our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course an update for their NCPLH handbook is available; please contact us.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

Source – Beyond The Blue
Date – 15th January 2010

Ban on new pubs opening to curb alcohol-fuelled violence

2010-03-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

We always tell our clients of the importance of a partnership approach to their business, an approach which makes them ‘part of the solution rather than part of the problem’.

Licensing is not an ‘us against them’ situation it is all about compromise and being part of the community you serve. This is especially difficult in urban areas where much of the trade is ‘passing trade’ or the ‘after work crowd’. These customers do not have a vested interest in the problems faced by residents and as such licence holders have to make an extra effort to keep local residents on-side.

Setting up a local pubwatch or townwatch is a great way to achieve this and to include the local residents, police and licensing authorities in this process can be very effective.

The consequence of failure is for all to suffer the same fate. In this case a ‘saturations zone’ being declared on The Cut right next to London Waterloo station looks likely.

As always it is the responsible retailers who suffer most for the sins of irresponsible retailers. Most responsible alcohol retailers welcome strong enforcement of the current legislation which should be adequate to deal with those premises causing many of the problems. When you run a professional business these regulations don’t worry you and licensing inspectors will not trouble you.

It is important to know what your local authority’s licensing policy is and how it will affect your business; The Cut is important to us as it lies within a few hundred feet of one of our London training bases located on the other side of London Waterloo mainline train station.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

1. The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Evening Standard
Date – 16th March 2010

Booze Britain? No, we’re drinking less

2010-02-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

Give a journalist a set of statistics and they will choose those which best suit the slant of their story, this is particularly true when it comes to ‘24 hours drinking’ and drinking trends in England and Wales.

I’m not underestimating the effect of alcohol on certain parts of society or the harm it can cause when misused and I am not trying to ignore the impact of alcohol related crime and disorder. As an operator of late night venues in the past, a trainer / consultant for the sector and a Purple Flag Assessor, I see all these problems first hand.

But statistics don’t lie and the actual consumption of alcohol has not dramatically increased overall, even if there have been some changes in drinking habits.

In my opinion there is a more destructive element in what and how people drink on a ‘big night out’; certainly ‘Binge Drinking’ has had a negative impact on town centres. But the concept of ‘Binge Drinking’ is still more of a tabloid headline, than a concept recognised in law; however it can’t be denied.

So if it is the case that it is the nature of drinking and the associated behaviour which has changed rather than the overall quantity consumed, why are we so focussed on putting measures into place to reduce consumption?

It is an argument I seem to be making over and over and the more information we get the more my point of view seems to be confirmed. The strategy to reduce the problems related to alcohol must be more considered than simple prohibition.

I am actually in favour of the Licensing Act; has it been perfect? Certainly not; but I feel that has more to do with enforcement than the Act itself. We must realise that the problems associated with alcohol which concern so many have been developing over a generation. This makes them a cultural problem and anything which has become engrained in our ‘culture’, takes a generation to change.

If any government thinks they can make a fundamental change with a few tweaks of the Licensing Act, minimum pricing etc, then they are going to be disappointed. The problem with politicians is they have to make an impact within 5 years, even just the most recent problems with alcohol have been developing for a 100 years…

The solution is education, responsible alcohol retailing being enforced and allowing people to make sensible choices based on sensible regulation.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;

• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;

• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.

• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Independent
Date – 27th February 2010

Dear Heroin

2010-02-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

This article does not fit our usual approach to the topic of controlled drugs. However sometimes it is worth sharing articles if only to re-emphasise the terrible effect of these drugs. They go some way to highlighting how out of control true addicts really are and explains (it does not excuse) their behaviour and why they take some of the drastic actions they do.

This is a terribly sad and very powerful story and one I feel is worth sharing.

Hannah Meredith wrote this note just three weeks before she died from a heroin overdose. It is her parents who released the letter in the hope that it may deter other potential users.

The Drug Awareness training we run is not drug counselling or targeted at drug users. We aim to help businesses and organisations deal with problems related to controlled drugs and help young people become more aware of the effects of these illegal drugs.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of different courses, which include;

• Drug Awareness – designed specifically for each individual client to help them address the problems of controlled drug use and drug dealing in their workplace.
• The National Certificate for Licenses (Drug Awareness) – designed specifically for the licensed retail sector
• The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements;
• The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence;
• The National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS) which provides relevant information for anyone assuming the position of DPS in licensed premises.
• Conflict Management and Resolution training compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 25th February 2010

999! I’ve fallen off a car park

2010-02-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

With people like this guy around, those people working in the licensed retail sector who face ever increasing regulation and pressure from local authorities to restrict their business activities because of the effects of binge drinking, are fighting a losing battle.

If ever there was an argument for releasing some of the shackles of licensing legislation on retailers and developing a licence for consumers this is it. Is the problem really the alcohol retailer or the guy whose excessive consumption leads him to waste so much of the emergency services time through sheer stupidity.

Wouldn’t it be great if the vast majority of alcohol consumers who do so responsibly, were not subject to the restrictions of the irresponsible minority. You need a licence to drive a car, imagine if you had to have a licence to drink alcohol, one which could be suspended if you behaved in this way?

I’m not seriously advocating the issuing of alcohol licences which allow individuals to consume alcohol, but sometimes the balanced needs to be redressed. The problems associated with alcohol related crime and disorder should not all be laid at the feet of the alcohol retailer, the solutions need to be more wide ranging.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Metro
Date – 23rd February 2010

Parents who let children drink ‘fuel binge drinking’

2009-12-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Does it really take the chief medical officer to tell us that children who are exposed to heavy drinking and ‘drink-fuelled events’ at an early age are more likely to become binge drinkers?

The other revelation that seems to me to be relatively obvious, is that children of parents who drink sensibly and who talk to their children about alcohol, are more likely to grow up drinking sensibly…

I don’t mean to sound flippant and realise that there are significant problems in our society in relation to alcohol consumption; but it does raise the question, what is the actual source of the problem?

In fact maybe the only interesting point in this report, is that the children of parents who abstain completely from drinking are also in the ‘high risk’ group; presumably yet another demonstration the prohibition doesn’t work. I am not suggesting that parents who choose to abstain suddenly take up drinking, but rather that they need to be informed that it is even more important for them to talk to their children and not only preach abstention at them.

But it is certainly not for me in this forum to discuss parenting; that will start a whole argument I don’t want to get into.

Rather this article is of interest because of the renewed call for a minimum price per unit and the emphasis that much of the solution to the problems of alcohol related crime, binge drinking and underage drinking lies with parents and not just retailers.

I have a feeling that ‘minimum pricing’ will once again come to the fore after the general election, there seems to be clear political will which is only currently suppressed because of the votes which would be lost by anyone advocating it prior to an election. It is however just the kind of policy which would be introduced at the start of a new term in order for it to be accepted before any subsequent election.

One of the points the drinks industry might like to consider is that there are two ways this can be introduced; the first is as a simple minimum price per unit, where volumes would fall but some compensation would come through the increase in margins; the second is that the price per unit is introduced as taxation, which would be a hammer-blow for the sector and would undoubtedly lead to another spike in closures and job losses.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 17th December 2009

Wine-tasting club is the toast of top independent girls’ school

2009-12-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

I realise that a wine-tasting club is very much the exception in schools rather than the rule and requires the ‘right environment’ to be effective. However no effort which is made to educate young people about alcohol should be dismissed; after all any scheme which has a positive impact on consumption of alcohol by young people must be a positive step.

The question is how do you take this example and make it available to a wider audience in a format which makes sense to them?

This is a question for government and schools, but there can be no doubt that education at an early age is one element in the fight to prevent binge drinking in young people; delivering a positive non condescending message is critical.

If we ignore the detail of the approach which this girls’ school can take and look at the principle behind it, this is what will ultimately help develop ‘similar’ educational programmes.

The message of this programme is not a negative one that everything associated with alcohol is bad, but rather a sensible drinking message. Alcohol is an interregnal part of the adult social scene and young people cannot be protected from exposure to it until their 18th birthday.

It is rightly illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase alcohol but parents and teachers must educate young people with a positive message so that the attraction of turning 18 is the prospect of ‘enjoying a drink’ and not of ‘getting drunk’.

We run a number of courses for young people including the Award in Alcohol Awareness (AAA) designed to educate young people about alcohol.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for people working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at http://www.btbl.co.uk/.

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

To view the original article please Click Here
Source – Independent
Date – 8th December 2009

Student unions turn to gyms and juice bars in today’s sobering times

2009-11-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Student unions turn to gyms and juice bars in today’s sobering times
Source – The Times
Date – 23rd November 2009

That students habits and spending power are changing will come as no surprise to anyone working in this sector. As this article points out, the reasons are a combination of tuition fees, student debt, increased competition, heavier workloads and more focus on an exit strategy; ie. what they will be able to show for their three / four year to potential employers.

What it fails to point out is the growing sophistication of students as consumers. Where once convenience and price were the only significant factors in decision making (at a time when a degree used to all but guarantee employers would welcome graduates), now students demand more for their money.

They already make these demands from the University itself, which they are now paying up-front for. It used to be the exclusive right of ‘foreign student’ to make demands of the University as their high tuition fees were of such significance to University finances; now every student can demand that same level of service and they do. Universities are competing for students (for the funding they attract) and to do this they have to be more than academically excellent.

This new breed of student demands as much academically as they do from the ‘lifestyle’ they can expect. The University with a diverse and proactive students’ union has an additional selling point and the length of the bar is no longer a sign of prestige, if anything in many cases it has the opposite effect.

What we must not however do is underestimate the importance of a good ‘night life’, good bars, clubs and other social activities will always remain part of the student experience and an important part. It is one of the areas where people can meet new friends, explore different interests and relax after what is an ever more stressful environment. The key is that it is only one element and it has it’s place; generally late night entertainment.

Even 20 years ago when I started working in this sector the image of students sitting round at midday drinking all afternoon was not realistic and not the mainstay of the business of Student Unions. That they have continued to evolve is simply a reflection of society generally. The internet generation are never satisfied and are always looking for the latest thing, exchanging information and trying to set the trend rather than follow it; now it is harder than ever to get ahead of the game and not be seen as playing catch-up. ‘Catch-up’ is not the place to be, because today as soon as you do catch up they have already moved on.

So how do you approach this environment to ensure success?

The solutions involves real engagement. We regularly preach to business that they need to engage with their customers; nowhere is this more important that with students’ unions. The key is to realise that this is not a simple process, it is not something you can set up a committee for because many of the people whose opinions you need, are those not already involved. The age old problem of managers being blinded by familiarity is a real one, it exists in every business and is one of the least recognised problem in business and the most difficult to rectify.

Another area where we find our clients fall down is in not making the most of all the assets they already have at their disposal; engaging with employees at every level provides a real opinions of your business. Just having a staff meeting does not facilitate this resource, it is something which takes time and trust to be effective; you have to be seen to act on suggestions and ideas whatever your personal impressions.

But above all as with every business quality and service standards will define you. The number of University outlets I visit and am served coffee which is fit only for the 1980’s or where the choice of soft drinks varies between J2O and draught coke is striking.

The description in this article of the student who is a member of the debating society and socialises in Starbucks, is probably never going to overwhelmingly attracted by ‘drinks promotions’ and ‘pub crawls’. Universities often overlook their best assets, they have access to a ‘cheap’, educated and enthusiastic labour force. The mistake they make is to limit the training they provide on the assumption that they are ‘transient workforce’ and will only be employed for a short period of time.

How many employers in the hospitality sector would welcome staff loyalty and a guarantee of employees staying for 3 years?

We know training can be expensive in the short term, the pay back is difficult to quantify, but the rewards coupled with effective management of employees will always payback handsomely. A student can easily be trained to make a coffee or fresh juice as well as Starbucks? Provide the right environment, the right product and exceptional service and Students’ Unions will flourish; stand still and you’ll stand alone.

At Beyond The Blue we offer a Consultancy Service and run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence and the Award in Customer Drinks Service – Licensed Hospitality (ACDS-LH); Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Boozy Britons drink the most alcohol in Europe

2009-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Boozy Britons drink the most alcohol in Europe
Source – Metro
Date – 23rd November 2009

This should please the comedy circuit ‘Britain retains its place at the top of the European league table’, but it is rightly pointed out that this is an area of concern for the UK.

That we are compared with our European neighbours is not the important thing, that we deal with the ‘problem’ drinkers and the binge drinking culture in the UK is.

I have often talked in this blog about binge drinking and the relationship between the ‘drinks industry’, the licensed retail sector, the authorities and the general public, as well as the need for a co-ordinated approach to alcohol consumption. I don’t think there is a need for me to re-emphasis these points, but rather to let these figures speak for themselves.

If you actually look at the figures the big difference between the UK and other European countries is not in those who drink daily (certainly a concern at 6%), but really those who drink several times a week (29%) and the number of units drunk per week. If we consider the recommended daily allowance, according to these figures we can assume over 25% of people exceed these limits.

These excesses occur and define the UK’s ‘binge drinking culture’, or rather the binge drinking culture amongst an element of our communities. ‘Binge drinking’ is loosely defined as 3 times or more the recommended daily allowance and binge drinkers tend to drink several times a week (typically the heavy Friday & Saturday night drinkers).

Additional legislation will not tackle binge drinking, it may curb the excesses and change the nature of the problem, but only education, awareness and a cultural shift will start to change these activities. Cultural change does not happen in a short space of time, it takes a generation; education and awareness needs to start now to help initiate the cultural shift; in that everyone has their role to play.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Concert-goers condemn crush chaos

2009-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Concert-goers condemn crush chaos
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th November 2009

What seems remarkable about this story is the fact that the organisers of this event were very lucky to get away with as few injuries as they did. The simple fact is that the result could have been much much worse and could easily have resulted in fatalities.

Now my comments which will follow are based on assumption, we were not involved in this event or witness to it and I comment from the news coverage and information which has so far been made available; it is for the inquiry to look at the detail.

There seem to be a few key errors from the information we have so far.

The first and possibly the worst is the estimation of the numbers who would attend. With the line up of artistes playing appealing to a range of the demographic (including JLS currently appearing top of the charts with a large fan base of young people and Natalie Imbruglia appealing to a older section of the population), the concert would attract not just one section of the community but the whole community. This may be good as far as variety of the event goes, but will naturally attract more people in total. In addition the concert was free which removes another barrier for young people, especially those who may not be able to afford the usual concert ticket price.

The only real surprise with the numbers is that only 20,000 turned out and here is the first place where the organisers had some luck, had the weather been better they may well have had many more attend. JLS alone could sell out an arena tour at the moment, with 10,000 – 15,000 attendees each and at £30+ a ticket… who didn’t envisage that a free concert may attract twice this number?

Now we are not privy to the police plan or the risk assessments that must have been carried out by the organisers and the security companies involved. However the other questions which we must ask from what is seen in the cctv footage is how entry to the event was protected.

Presumably the cctv footage which is out there is of the holding area outside the event itself. It should have been predicted that thousands of people would be in this area. One of the main questions for us is what type of barrier was used, because from the evidence an unsuitable choice was made and led to collapse without too much pressure being exerted on it. This is probably the second area where the organisers got very lucky, although many of the injuries occurred during the barrier collapse, had the barriers been slightly stronger (not the correct barrier choice which would have withstood the pressure but something in-between) the effect of the collapse could have been catastrophic.

By collapsing when they did, this failure actually relieved the pressure in the crowd (what occurred in the event itself where those people moved to we are unaware, but could have caused further problems). Here again we feel that the organisers got a little lucky.

The way the barriers were set up in this area meant that as the crowd built up there was no way for people at the front to leave. There is a distinct ‘V’ shape and ‘right angle’ at the focal point of this crowd towards which the entire crowd is pushing, thus trapping those at the front. Even with a much smaller crowd this would have caused significant problems; especially without suitable crowd management behind the barriers and first aid facilities to deal with crush injuries.

Crush injuries can be very serious and a few broken bones are far from the worst consequence. Crush injuries often lead to breathing difficulties and death over very short time scales. Without experienced crowd management and paramedic support who understand crowd dynamics, these are the inevitable outcomes.

The questions here should not be about the numbers of police or private sector security nor should any blame be put on ‘people being determined to get in…’ as there is no indication that those in the crowds were behaving in any other way than would be expected for such an event. This was not a riot, civil disturbance or protest, it was enthusiastic (mainly young) people trying to get into a free event. Initially at least the cause does seem to be poor planning and execution.

Beyond The Blue provide training and Consultancy in a number of different areas including Event Security Planning and Event Management.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

How the middle classes still treat themselves to the best – by stealing

2009-11-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the Times On-line has started charging, so we can not link to this article. The Daily Mail covered the same story Click Here to view)

Title – How the middle classes still treat themselves to the best – by stealing
Source – The Times
Date – 10th November 2009

The recession / the credit-crunch (call it what you will), has affected almost everyone to one degree or another; some have however decided that making cuts is not acceptable to them and they are going to maintain their lifestyle by whatever means they need to.

Shop-lifting has increased by 20% to £5 billion; another European league table we can be proud to top…

Shop owners beware the traditional profile of a shop-lifter has changed and high value items which may not be ‘traditional’ shop-lifter bounty are now firmly on the ‘shopping list’ of people trying to maintain their pre-credit-crunch lifestyle.

Alcohol however remains a firm favourite of traditional thieves and this new breed; alcohol stocks need to be protected more than ever.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

For larger retail outlets we also run the BIIAB National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) which allows candidates to apply for their SIA Door Supervisor Licence. This licence allows them to operate in the capacity of Door Supervisor or in Security Guarding.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Pubs fall very short in National Customer Satisfaction Survey

2009-10-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Title – Pubs fall very short in National Customer Satisfaction Survey
Source – BIIAB & Retail Eyes
Date – 30th October 2009

The BIIAB recently released figures from the National Customer Satisfaction Survey carried out by market research company Retail Eyes into customer satisfaction in various sectors.

The figures make for disturbing (if not unexpected) reading for the pub sector.

The figures suggest that only 6% of respondents said pubs offer good standards of customer service.

The hotel industry fared better with 52% (of 6523 respondents) ranking the industry as the best for customer service. Restaurants scored only 23% with supermarkets at 11%.

Tim Ogle, chief executive of Retail Eyes said: “Some of the things we found that turn off customers the most about drinking in pubs and bars are tables with empty glasses or dirty plates left out, having to wait at the bar and bar staff that aren’t interested in engaging.”

The UK is not synonymous with great customer service, walk down any high street and the number of outlets offering excellent customer service are heavily outnumbered by those offering indifferent or poor service to customers. We have developed an attitude in many sectors where businesses operate to meet employees needs rather than focussing on customers. Employees are often only trained to understand their particular role rather than the customers expectation.

The pub sector is clearly struggling in these more challenging times, I am often asked by people who are starting new businesses if it a sensible time to come into such a depressed industry? My answer in always unequivocally yes, now is a perfect time. The price of ‘entry’ is depressed and there are some bargain properties out there worth purchasing / leasing for anyone looking to buy into the industry.

It’s true that competition is fierce; some parts of the industry are discounting heavily offering price sensitive customers a glut of choices, but the one area where there is still plenty of room for new businesses to flourish is a business providing excellence in customer service.

I write this as if it is the easiest thing in the world, because I believe providing excellence in customer service is not difficult, but only if you are prepared to develop your business round your customers rather than round yourself or your employees.

Key decisions in this process will be who you employ, how you train them and developing an effective management style. All three have to be in place to be successful in this area.

I have always also adopted the policy that employees have to have ownership of the business, in other words they have to have a vested interest in the success of the business rather than simply be salaried. This can be achieved in a number of ways; share schemes develop loyalty; pay and bonuses can work but such schemes must be proactively managed to ensure they are linked to service standards rather than just turnover; but the most effective does not require any additional costs and is achieved by employing and training employees with integrity whose reward is doing the best job they can and meeting agreed targets, this is the hardest to achieve and is wholly reliant on an excellent management style.

I think we have become complacent in this country, we expect certain things to be given to us on a plate (including pay and employment), success is defined by the financial reward rather than pride in the work you do and all too often we don’t value other opinions in a positive manner but rather see it as a criticism; in other words we are closed to change and new ideas, rather than embracing them.

I am not going to be telling anyone anything new when I say it is very important to regularly look at your business from a completely new angle, to see what your customers see; effectively from ‘outside the business’. This is one of the most difficult things to achieve as a manager and while most think they are doing this, the majority will be unwittingly ‘blinded’ by familiarity.

There are various ways to achieve this; you can employ consultants like us to come and look at your business and advise you on how to progress it; you can talk to your customers and ask for feedback (make sure you are asking ‘open’ questions, not yes / no questions and consider asking only for criticism not compliments as that will tell you how and in which areas you need to improve); or if you are the one in 1,000,000 who can be entirely impartial and detached you can do this yourself.

The point is, this is one of the most difficult aspects of management; successful managers are those who recognise this as a problem and find the solution. Asking for another opinion is not a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength.

Think about it this way. There are no businesses where every customer is entirely satisfied. So what about the customer who ‘is never happy’? They are the one you have to work hardest to please and then treat everyone the same way. Meeting the most difficult customer’s expectations will set standards high, improve overall customer service and set your business apart from others and on the road to success.

If only 6% of pubs offer good standards of customer service, just think of the potential of 94% of customers to pubs in your area who will consider your pub first, if you can get the service standards right…

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them improve customer service standards. These include; BIIAB Award in Customer & Drinks Service (Licensed Hospitality) (ACDS) and the Award in Customer Service Excellence (Licensed Hospitality) (ACSE).

We also run statutory qualifications such as The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

NHS Assault ‘not taken seriously’

2009-10-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – NHS Assault ‘not taken seriously’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 29th October 2009

The statistics are shocking by any standard; an NHS employee is physically assaulted every nine and a half minutes or to put it another way every 570 seconds; or to put it yet another way over 150 NHS workers are physically assaulted every day!

Even when you work in this sector these types of statistic seem unbelievable, we know it is a big organisation (the third biggest employer in the world), but our country should really be ashamed that this takes place.

There are undoubtedly risks presented by some of the people that healthcare workers have to deal with, but there are also too many excuses made for the perpetrators of these crimes and why those who are criminally culpable not held criminally responsible, where it can the whole weight of the law must be brought against them?

It is of coarse much easier to write this then to enforce it and it requires more than simply the will of those involved in enforcement to follow through, but rather a fundamental shift in the attitude of our society to those who perpetrate such crimes.

It is difficult to see what it will take for such change in mentality to take place nationwide, if the thought of 150 physical assaults taking place every day against healthcare employees is not already enough to shock us.

For our part we support those who seek to push on with prosecutions by highlighting the problems where ever we can. We very much support the NHS and its employees and understand the limitations faced through budgets and sheer size which can stifle even the best intentions. However we also support the continued efforts which are being made by the NHS and the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) in providing assistance to the NHS workforce; it is work that despite any set backs must be ongoing.

For our part we provide Conflict Resolution training to the sector and believe strongly in the benefits this training can bring, both to the prevention of Violence in the Workplace and in the confidence imparted in the workforce.

Training in the sector does vary considerably and our approach is to provide comprehensive courses which incorporate the ten learning objectives set out by the CFSMS and go beyond them.

We understand that time is often a limiting factor in Conflict Resolution training, but believe that taking the time to provide effective training is a valuable longer term strategy. On a financial basis the time lost when staff are assaulted through reduced productivity, absenteeism and high staff turnover is significant. On a human level, providing the skills to reduce the effects of conflict in the workplace from harassment, aggression, threats and physical assault, allows employees to be more confident and effective in dealing with the more ‘difficult’ people they meet.

We are aware that every NHS employee has to attend Conflict Resolution training, we believe this to be a very proactive step, however that training must be effective. A couple of hours skimming the surface can simply not meet the training needs of those working in this environment; yes it may tick the box but does it really meet the learning objectives?

Our one day course in conflict resolution is designed to help candidates really get to grips with the techniques and skills required to resolve conflict. All our instructors have attended the CFSMS familiarisation seminar and are highly experienced professionals. Our working practices ensure effective learning is delivered every time to every candidate. We train only in small groups and use classroom based teaching, interactive discussion, group work and scenario based learning to ensure we meet the preferred learning style of all candidates attending.

Each candidate is provided with a unique individually numbered certificate of attendance from Beyond The Blue and the employer is provided with comprehensive training records for each candidate including feedback forms.

We also run Physical Intervention courses, these provide effective disengagement and break-away techniques as well as restraint and escorting techniques where required. All techniques use low-impact skills which do not require strength, force or pain-compliance to be effective.
Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs / Women 'duped' by spiking myth

2009-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Title – Lip gloss test that spots if your drink is spiked with rape drugs (Evening Standard 16-10-09)
Title – Women 'duped' by spiking myth (Metro 27-10-09)

‘Date Rape’ or ‘Drug Assisted Rape / Sexual Assault’ is a serious issue, unfortunately the press have done victims and potential victims of this depraved crime no favours. If ever there was a need for a sensible approach then this subject is it.

Of coarse we welcome any device which helps reduce the risks faced from Drug Assisted Rape and this lip gloss / testing strip can be one line of defence. There are problems; how many strips are provided in comparison with the number of drink that might be consumed? How co-ordinated will an alcohol consumer be after a few drinks to remember or even be able to complete the fiddly test? But I don’t want to take anything away; something is always better than nothing.

What is much more important is education, alcohol retailers and consumers alike need to take proactive measures to prevent ‘drink spiking’ in the first place.

The first step is understanding the nature of the problem. When I ask a group I am teaching what substances are used in ‘drink spiking’, they generally refer to Rohypnol, GHB, Liquid Ecstasy, the more enlightened ones mention Ketamine, GBL, but strangely I almost always have to drag the most common drug out of them…. Alcohol.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly used in Drug Assisted Rape; fact.

I have yet to see any accurate numbers in relation to ‘drink spiking’. There are horror stories written in the press, but in reality that we may never see accurate figures, for the reasons highlighted in this second article. Sadly I would agree from experience that in many cases people now scream ‘drink spiking’ because they are embarrassed or unsure of how they got so drunk. The fact is those working in the Licensed Retail Sector have to take every potential case seriously and can never dismiss the potential consequences of a real drink spiking as exaggeration or an excuse.

If we consider that because of excess alcohol consumption many people have had nights they can’t remember (or part of the night); that alcohol is the most frequently used ‘date rape’ drug; that Ketamine now being used ‘recreationally’ as a drug of choice by 125,000 people in the UK; and that ‘date rape’ drugs they tend not to be traceable within relatively short period of time, it makes the prospect of ever finding out the true numbers of people spiked very low.

For those in danger of having their drink spiked, education into the risks and how to protect yourself from them is the most important step. Just understanding that alcohol is the most prevalent drug used in drink spiking, should go some way to helping people understand the real dangers. Protecting your drinks, being cautious of strangers behaviour or accepting drinks from them and in some cases the use of testing kits is a start. Having friends you trust to look after you, who are loyal, unlikely to disappear half way through the night and who will ensure you get home safely is the best ways of protecting yourself.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

For young people we run the Certificate in Alcohol Awareness (CAA) which provides real honest advice on the effects of alcohol and sensible measures which can be taken to ensure that the harm that can occur as a result of excessive consumption are reduced.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Drink trader’s luck runs dry

2009-10-23T14:04:00.001-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Drink trader’s luck runs dry
Source – Staines Informer
Date – 23rd October 2009

I’m not about to write another blog entry on the virtues of Responsible Alcohol Retailing and the short term business model that involves selling alcohol to children; these are areas I have touched on many times in the past.

Why I think this article is interesting is that it highlights one of the virtues we discuss in a number of our courses; people working in the Licensed Retail Sector need to work with the authorities in a partnership approach, rather than seeing them as ‘the enemy’.

We urge people to consider the following mantra which we are often heard quoting: ‘if you are viewed as seen of the solution, then you are less likely to be treated as part of the problem’.

It seems from this article (and I emphasise that I am unfamiliar with the case itself) that this alcohol retailer was looking for ways round the Licensing Act and the appeals process; through the constant delays they were able to continue to sell alcohol despite the offences committed. That the act provides for traders to continue to trade pending appeal is very important and must be maintained, any other course of action (where licensed premises were forced to close) would in many cases mean businesses become insolvent while they wait for an appeal hearing.

However the law must not be toyed with or abused otherwise the industry as a whole will undoubtedly suffer as a result.

What always strikes me as odd in these cases is the short sightedness of the business owner. A premises without a license to transfer, has a distinctly lower re-sale value then one with a licence with relatively few restrictive conditions.

What I don’t like to see is this type of prejudice by licensing officers who suggest that somehow it is the premises history which determines future ‘trouble’ and use this to make future premises licence applications more restrictive through the addition of conditions based on history rather than the content of the application, the integrity of the applicant or the nature of the new business.

We see this regularly; a ‘troubled’ premises has been closed and the licence revoked and new proactive responsible business owners are punished for the inability of previous owners. Surely it is obvious to see that although there may initially be a ‘history’ associated with a premises, a new professional designated premises supervisor will soon change this. Our experience shows that long term trouble is almost always due to poor management rather than simply the premises. Every licensing officer will know of an area on their ‘patch’ which has good and bad premises on it. What is the real difference between these two; almost always the DPS / manager.

This approach that the history of this premises should determine that future applications should ‘…not be easy in light of the unit’s troubled history.’ punish the new owners, customers and the community generally rather than the person who should be punished; the original owner.

The Licensing Act and subsequent guidance issued, provides for each and every premises licence to be considered on its own merits and without prejudice; for me this should include poor behaviour of previous owners who are no longer associated in any way with the premises.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

War memorial defiled

2009-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – War memorial defiled
Source – Metro
Date – 16th October 2009

You can present every argument under the sun in defence of the Licensed Retail Sector, but if a picture speaks a thousand words, this one speaks several million.

This type of behaviour is deplorable, there is no way or desire to defend it. This man (you can call him a student, but at 19 he is a man not a child) is going to pay very heavily indeed for his actions, not just in the immediate consequence of his actions, but in his name and this image being on the internet forever.. a punishment which even he probably does not yet understand the severity of.

But we can and should not concentrate on this individual, but on a society which breeds such behaviour. Is alcohol to blame?

Certainly alcohol is not innocent in all of this, it plays a part in our society and not always in a positive role; but equally not always in a negative role. Alcohol is present in almost every civilisation in history, every country on the planet and has been around for longer than humans have ‘ruled’ the planet. Ever since plants bore fruit, fruit has fermented producing alcohol; the infamous images of drunk elephants are a David Attenborough special.

We have to learn to live with alcohol and we have to learn to sell and consume it responsibly; something sadly sections of society have forgotten. Prohibition does not work and neither does deregulation; tackling alcohol consumption alone is not the answer.

This behaviour can only be prevented by a much wider co-ordinated approach and in partnership with the many authorities involved in regulation, the Licensed Retail Sector itself and consumers, parents, teachers and other key figures in communities. We need to work together to create a society which doesn’t accept that drunkenness can be an excuse for vile behaviour, but which honours the heroes our country produces and the sacrifices some of them make and doesn’t stand idly by while those who abuse alcohol ruin it for the majority who enjoy alcohol responsibly

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

My Wife is too young to drink – at 22 / Supermarkets reject calls for ‘alcohol kills’ warning signs

2009-10-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Title – My Wife is too young to drink – at 22 (Metro 16-10-09)
Title – Booze plan ‘will not work’ (Metro 16-10-09)
Title – Supermarkets reject calls for ‘alcohol kills’ warning signs (Evening Standard15-10-09)

The argument about the Responsible Sale of Alcohol by supermarkets runs on and on, both sides (the supermarkets and the government) seem to be getting further and further apart; this makes the prospect of further legislation for the whole of the Licensed Retail Sector more likely.

The first two articles here are from the same paper on the same day and demonstrates the ‘no-win’ position the supermarkets are in. On the one hand berated for selling alcohol as a loss-leader and for high profile promotions and chastised when they enforce their policy towards the sale of alcohol to ‘children’.

Many of the arguments simply don’t work and seem to be as a result of the desire to grab a headline rather than a sensible argument. The current proposal for minimum pricing is not a ‘stealth tax’ as it is not an additional tax, it is money that will go to the drinks manufacturers and retailers (welcome I would think, unless the analysts believe that overall sales will fall, which they must if they are so worried about it). That it will lead to some kind of explosion in illicit production is a farfetched suggestion, as if we will all set up stills in our front room… Equally going down the route that ‘alcohol kills’ signs be displayed under the shelf displaying Moet Chandon is a slippery slope to warning that chocolate, salt, chips, petrol, cars etc. kill (I know my argument is a little extreme). Why not give the general public some credit and provide information and ‘education’ which allows them to choose for themselves without lowering ourselves to scaremongering and patronising.

That in the same edition there is an article effectively mocking a supermarket for it’s very responsible approach to underage sale of alcohol seems a little strange. In this case I am 100% on the side of Sainsbury’s. Yes it is frustrating for the couple involved, but they should be able to see the sensible side (and for that matter the funny side) of this situation. Hundreds of times a day up and down the country people selling alcohol are faced with adults trying to buy alcohol for youngsters and making up all sorts of stories to justify it. If they are caught they face personal sanction, fines and the threat of loosing their licence. Most of the big supermarket chains have now adopted a challenge 25 policy (if you look under 25 you’ll be asked to prove you are 18) to make life easier for employees and to meet their responsibility of not selling alcohol to children (and if we are honest to meet the requirements of licensing officers). This lady not only looks under 25, she is under 25, so the member of staff followed their required procedure.

People who look or are under 25 need to get used to being asked to provide ID, that is the way local authorities and government are leaning and many outlets are now forced as part of their licensing conditions to enforce a ‘challenge 21’ or ‘challenge 25’ policy. Imagine this lady had been under 18 and this man had been buying alcohol for her and they had been caught, the story would be all about the irresponsible retailing of alcohol; sometimes the industry just can’t seem to get it right. As for the argument that they should have used ‘common sense’, well ‘common sense’ is much easier when you know all the facts and less easy when on a daily basis you are lied to by people trying to purchase alcohol, battered by the press & government for being irresponsible and all on close to minimum wage… A sense of humour and a little perspective rather than a newspaper article would seem a more logical an approach…

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

16-year-old student died during party drink binge

2009-10-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – 16-year-old student died during party drink binge
Source – Metro
Date – 15th October 2009

I don’t think that there is much need for comment on this story, it speaks for itself.

It is terribly sad that someone of such promise should die in this way and this story should act as a warning not only to others who are tempted to drink similar amounts (20 shots is a figure that far too many will associate with a ‘big night’ rather than a ‘lethal dose’) but to alcohol retailers who may encourage excessive consumption of alcohol, turn a ‘blind-eye’ to excessive consumption or sell alcohol to young people.

The only thing I must emphasise is that this is not an isolated incident; it is not unique to underage people and can happen to anyone regardless of their previous experience, size, sex or the amount they normally consume.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Cocaine abuse doubles in 4 years

2009-10-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

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Title – Cocaine abuse doubles in 4 years
Source – Independent
Date – 9th October 2009

I have often commented on the number of cocaine users in the UK, the addictive nature of cocaine and the fact that cocaine use has become ‘accepted’ in certain parts of our society.

This article is of interest for two reasons, firstly it highlights the concept that cocaine is (or more accurately ‘has’) taken over from heroin as the drug of choice for those parts of society which ‘glamorise’ the use of drugs like this as an acceptable even desired aspect of ‘a active social life’. The description of cocaine as London’s middle-class dirty secret’ by a former addict and the very fact that the number of addicts seeking help has doubled is a good sign that a few people are seeing cocaine for what it is an addictive illegal drug; we should however note that 2000 out of 1 million users is still a very small percentage of users seeking help with their addiction and sadly a very small number of addicts realising that their desire to include cocaine use as part of their ‘social life’ is an addiction.

The second part of this article which I liked as it dispels another myth is Paul Hayes’s (National Treatment Agency – Chief Executive) comment that in ‘…early-20s night-clubbing, pub-going, cocaine use is becoming more normal among that population. It’s become an adjunct to alcohol or cannabis use.’ This is a statement which should worry those charged with enforcement of drug policy and treatment of drug users. When drug use becomes part of every-day activities, it becomes socially acceptable and almost decriminalised in the minds of users. By being glamorised in the eyes of users, the rhetoric of the dealers is believed rather than information provided by health-care workers, scientist and doctors who really understand the chemistry, social and medical consequences of drug use.

The other group of people who should be worried about this association between ‘normal’ social activities and cocaine use, is the business owners in whose premises drug use inevitably takes place. The consequences to them personally, to their business and premises licence where drugs are used can be severe; where there are drug users there are inevitably drug dealers.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA). For other sectors our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses, which examine illegal drugs, their effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use, are specifically designed to reflect the nature of our clients working environment. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course complements these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and drug related behaviour.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

50p-a-unit booze ‘to cut food bills’

2009-09-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

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Title – 50p-a-unit booze ‘to cut food bills’
Source – Metro
Date – 29th September 2009

This is a nice thought and it would be great if supermarkets were that focussed that they were the ones to lead the country out of the ‘perils’ of alcohol abuse or the obesity ‘crisis’ it is facing. I would say this is probably not realistic…

I’m not suggesting that the minimum unit price for alcohol does not have its merits, but arguing that it will turn us towards eating more vegetables is probably taking it a step too far.

Supermarkets do not promote alcohol because they are somehow inherently evil, they do so because that’s is one of the commercial tactics which attracts people to their stores; I’m not sure cheap carrots have the same effect.

A simplistic way of looking at the promotions which attract people into the stores are those on ‘luxury’ products, which may not form part of our ‘stable’ diet, but which if we think we can get cheap will drive us to a particular store to buy our ‘stable’ diet at the same time.

I am not defending this tactic, but already we see other non-alcoholic brands being pushed, I went into a local supermarket this week and alongside the cheap alcohol which confronts you on entry was the largest stack of the largest tins of sweets I have ever seen; ‘buy one get one free’ was the message. Now you can price alcohol out of supermarket promotions and I have made an argument for levelling the playing field between the supermarkets and the on-trade before, but how far do you take pricing everything which is bad for you? Do we set a minimum price of sugar, calories, salt, additives, fat, fizzy drinks…

The very bottom end of the alcohol market is certainly difficult to defend when alcohol is cheaper than water and the argument that a minimum unit price on a 1.5l bottle of cheap cider currently priced at less than £1 will somehow affect the lowest earners in society is one I wouldn’t want to make. Some of these products and prices are there purely to allow people to get drunk and that is not a way to Responsibly Retail Alcohol.

The problem once again is finding a sensible position between the most aggressive marketing of ‘drinks industry’ and the ‘prohibitionists’. There are areas where the availability of alcohol at rock bottom prices is an issue, but the vast majority of the population drink responsibly and should be allowed to enjoy alcohol without being demonised or priced out.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

The unacceptable face of alcohol promotion

2009-09-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Title – The unacceptable face of alcohol promotion
Source – The Times
Date – 28th September 2009

The Portman Group is the ‘drinks sector’s’ industry body which set the standards for alcohol marketing, labelling, packaging, promotion and branded merchandising.

The code of conduct they have created should be adopted not only by drinks manufacturers, but by the Licensed Retail Sector as a whole; this includes bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, licensed cafes, off-licences, shops, supermarkets, the events industry and any outlet where alcohol is available for purchase.

The fact is that the sector is going to come under sustained fire in a run up to the general election early next year and Gordon Brown has already indicated that further regulation will be among the key election pledges; we all know this really means it will be one of the areas where unrealistic pledges will be made…

There are two ways that the arguments are going to be settled, the first is that the sector is going to ‘police’ itself and rigorously enforce sensible guidelines or government (Conservative or Labour) will enforce their own guidelines through further restrictive legislation. The time has passed for complaining about current legislation and for everyone in the industry to be proactive in their approach to their own businesses and put their own house in order.

During our courses we continuously emphasise that licensed premises need to realise that Responsible Alcohol Retailing is the long term strategy to a successful business model and we emphasise that your business will be much easier to manage if you are ‘seen as part of the solution, rather than part of the problem’. The only way to achieve this is to be proactive in regard to industry guidelines and industry standards such as those presented in this full page advertisement by the Portman Group in the Times earlier this week.

The Portman Group’s Code of Practice:

· The alcoholic nature of a drink must be absolutely clear.
· Alcoholic strength must not be dominant.
· No association can be made with illicit drugs, bravado, aggression or antisocial behaviour.
· No suggestion can be made that drinking can make you more popular or sexually successful.
· Consumers must not be encouraged to drink rapidly or ‘down in one’.
· There must be no encouragement of illegal or immoderate consumption, binge-drinking, drunkenness or drink-driving.
· Marketing must not have a particular appeal to under-18’s, or use images of people drinking who are, or look, under 25 years old.
· There must be no suggestion that drink can enhance mental or physical capabilities.

For more information on the Portman Group and their codes of practice please visit www.portmangroup.org.uk.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Moves to stop ‘vertical drinking’

2009-09-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Moves to stop ‘vertical drinking’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 26th September 2009

More and more we are seeing local licensing authorities take on the licensed trade in their areas. In some town centres licensing authorities have swept through changes by taking all licensed premises to ‘review’ with the aim of restricting the hours they trade, adding sweeping conditions and in some cases reducing the number of premises operating in ‘high density’ areas.

In some cases we have seen vigorous defences being put up by the bigger operators who have the financial muscle to fight back with legal teams, but at the expense of ‘independents’ who can not afford the same ‘protection’.

In Reading’s case it will be interesting to see the approach they take. We highly recommend that those affected act proactively and make their feelings known during the consultation process, rather than just fighting the outcome.

Even more important is that businesses take a positive approach from the start and develop their business to reflect a more positive attitude to Responsible Alcohol Retailing; work with the licensing authority to reflect their guidance and aim higher than simply feeding the binge-drinking culture. Heavy discounting has it’s place in business, but time is running out for those who rely on it within the Licensed Retail Sector; the future is going to be quality over quantity.

Those business plans which rely on discounting seem destined to suffer a future of battling reviews, additional conditions on their premises licence and the wrath of licensing authorities; who are set to be given even more ‘power’ to reflect local sensitivities in their guidance and approach to the Licensing Act 2003.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector to help them sell alcohol more responsibly. These include; The Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front-line staff to help them meet their statutory requirements; The National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) which qualifies candidates to apply for their personal licence; Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Legal ‘party drug’ GBL has destroyed my life

2009-09-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Legal ‘party drug’ GBL has destroyed my life
Source – Metro
Date – 25th September 2009

If there was any doubt about the effects of GBL use or the addictive nature of this drug, then this story should dispel those myths.

We recently commented on the plans to make GBL an illegal class C drug. See our recent feature:

· ‘Legal highs’ set to be banned

I’m just posting this story to reinforce the comments made in that blog entry and to reemphasise the reasons why this dangerous drug needs to be added to the list of controlled substances. The arguments about which class it should fall into are for me secondary (no disrespect is meant to those who have suffered at the hands of the dealers exploiting the current ‘legal’ nature of the drug), the important thing is to get it classified so that the ‘legal’ avenues of sale are closed and it can at least be seen to be what it is; a dangerous illegal drug.
At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA). For other sectors our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses, which examine illegal drugs, their effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use, are specifically designed to reflect the nature of our clients working environment. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course complements these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and drug related behaviour.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Cocaine deaths jump by a fifth

2009-08-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – Cocaine deaths jump by a fifth
Source – Metro
Date – 27th August 2009

This should be a wake-up call for all those people who kid themselves that Cocaine is not dangerous or that they can control the addictive nature of this drug.

That the official figures put the number of deaths attributed to cocaine at 235, is sure to underestimate the number of deaths where cocaine use was a contributory factor.

This death toll also provides us with a stark reminder of the destructive nature of cocaine, both on long term health and social degradation.

Addiction in all it’s form and to all the various addictive substances has a profoundly destructive effect on communities, businesses and organisations, one which is perpetuated by misconceptions spread by dealers and users alike.

Drug Awareness provides guidance for those who work in environments where drug use is a contributory factor to lower productivity or Conflict in the Workplace or where drug use and drug dealing threatens the business / organisation itself.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA). For other sectors our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses, which examine illegal drugs, their effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use, are specifically designed to reflect the nature of our clients working environment. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course complements these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and drug related behaviour.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

‘Legal highs’ set to be banned

2009-08-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

To view the original article Click Here

Title – ‘Legal highs’ set to be banned
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 25th August 2009

This is a story we first commented on in May:

·

Move to outlaw two 'party' drugs

It seems that after some deliberation the government is set to make the move to classify ‘BZP’, ‘GLB’ and ‘Spice’, with the suggestion currently being that they will become Class C drugs and therefore carry penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment for possession and 14 years for supply.

This strategy allows the government and authorities to immediately close the ‘legal’ supply of these drugs through the internet and ‘specialist’ outlets. In reality this ‘easy’ supply route will close relatively quickly as those people who tend to supply these products are generally the type that like to stay just on the right side of the law; hence why the products were developed in the first place. They will no doubt direct their efforts at creating replacement (slightly tweaked) product that takes them back onto the right side of the law and go back into production.

It is this continuous stream that governments need to keep on top of, rather than waiting for tragedy to occur before they act. The drug scene evolves all the time, it evolves to find cheaper routes to market, to provide drugs which suit the consumer and to set consumer trends. The supply of ‘Spice’ for example has already largely disappeared from the shops where it used to be freely purchased as the ‘suppliers’ have withdrawn in anticipation of the new spotlight being shined in their direction and high profile police raids; but note I use the word ‘withdrawn’ rather than ‘disappeared’, they will return with something new before long.

It is not just government and authorities who need to be aware of these new drug trends, businesses and organisations need to be aware of the effect these drugs have on their clients and service users and then knock-on effect they have on employees; both directly and indirectly through the often erratic behaviour of users.

Educating users tends not to be overly effective by government bodies who in the UK seem largely unable to be seen as anything but patronising; rather than as educators or providing proactive advice. In other parts of Europe positive education schemes have had some effect and the slightly ignorant view that any of these substances are entirely ‘safe’ has to a degree been dispelled.

BZP marketed as ‘Herbal Ecstasy’ by ‘dealers’ certainly sounds more appealing than the truth that it was trialled as a worming treatment for cows, but abandoned as it was unsafe for cattle, causing fits in some animals…

GBL marketed as ‘Liquid Ecstasy’ is a legal ‘substitute’ for GHB the drug of choice for some drug assisted rape perpetrators; it is derived from an industrial solvent used to strip paint and graffiti from walls and causes serious heart problems and seizures…

The key for those trying to understand and educate others is to rebrand these substances for what they really are, rather than allowing the ‘dealers’ free reign to name their products and use the loophole that they are legal to suggest they are safe.

They are legal because the government machine works considerably more slowly than the ‘dealers research & development’ teams.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Licensed Retail Sector including The National Certificate for Licensees Drug Awareness (NCLDA). For other sectors our bespoke Drug Awareness (DA) courses, which examine illegal drugs, their effects and the drug litter synonymous with their use, are specifically designed to reflect the nature of our clients working environment. Our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course complements these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and drug related behaviour.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.

Last orders for the traditional pint glass as designers answer thirst for safer drinking

2009-08-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

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Title – Last orders for the traditional pint glass as designers answer thirst for safer drinking
Source – The Times
Date – 24th August 2009

We need to be a little careful not to get hysterical, the traditional beer glass is not going to disappear over night, it has been around too long for that.

However we also need to embrace change and not hang on to the past for nostalgic reasons. In an age when we can visit other planets and do more with a mobile phone than my imagination could ever muster; we can surely solve the undoubted problems of the pint glass.

It is sad that we have to design out the issue of the pint glass being used as a weapon rather than ‘design out’ those who would use it as such, but in some establishments this looks like it will be the only way.

But this initiative seems to accept that the final product needs to be functional and most importantly acceptable to the customer. We have long said that the policy of forcing premises to use plastic or polycarbonates is the easy option and is not always fit for purpose.

It may mean that there are no glasses which people can use as weapons, but there are always other weapons around which can be used by people intent on causing harm (I admit they may not cause as much harm) but they set the tone for a premises; a tone which is a ‘contributory factor’ and ‘trigger’ to disorder and violence.

You can’t get away from it, the more you distrust and patronise people the more they will behave accordingly. Finding an alternative glass which meets the needs of the trade and the demands of the customer should be welcomed. As an industry the

Licensed Retail Sector should get behind any new development and give their positive input to ensure the final product meets their needs and that of their customers; the alternatives currently on the market don’t and unless a solution is found local authorities are likely to increasingly add conditions involving mandatory use of these available alternatives.

Protecting customers and employees should be near the top of anyone working in the sector and this could be a step in the right direction if it meets the needs of all the stake holders; starting with the customer (without whose approval, it will ultimately be a waste). If we can make glass bulletproof to protect presidents, surely technology can be developed to protect our customers.

At Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses for those working in the Security Industry. These include; The National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) designed for those who require an SIA Door Supervisor Licence; In-House Security Induction (IHSI) which helps our clients train candidates in the specific systems of the premises in which they will be working and meet the SIA recommendation that all security operatives receive bespoke further training above their statutory requirements in the specifics of the premises in which they will operate; Physical Intervention (PI) for those who are required in their role to face and deal with violence in their workplace and may be required to restrain and / or escort aggressive customers; our Conflict Management and Resolution (CMR) course compliments these courses to help employees deal with Workplace Violence and alcohol related disorder.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk. 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.