Beyond The Blue Training & Consultancy

‘There is only one thing worse than training someone and having them leave; that is not training someone and having them stay’

Our focus is on how we can change attitudes and views to ensure that clients gain an effective advantage. We provide them with skills, knowledge, confidence and perspective to help them manage in a more positive and professional manner.

Saturday 27 February 2010

Booze Britain? No, we’re drinking less



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

Thursday 25 February 2010

Dear Heroin

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

Tuesday 23 February 2010

999! I’ve fallen off a car park

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