Barring Entry to Bouncers: Licensing Door Supervisors

Use the drop down boxes below to find resources related to this page.

At your Leisure - 18 April 2005

Governments have a key role to play in setting the regulatory framework for industry. They can enact legislation aimed at changing culture and behaviour. Much excitement has been generated by the recognition of 'binge drinking', as if it was something entirely new to Britain. But very little seemed to have been done to alter the way customers are cared for when they are on a night out. Until now.

One of the key roles of the 'bouncer' or door supervisor is to protect people enjoying the nightlife in our towns and cities. From April 2005, all door staff must be licenced under a new regulatory system. Will this system alter pub-goers' and clubbers' experience of security? What will newly licenced door staff have to demonstrate in order to gain their licence? And how enforceable is the new law likely to be?

This At Your Leisure investigates the new security licensing system and asks, will the Security Industry Act shut the doors on heavy-handed 'bouncers'?

What do you call a gorilla in a suit? A bouncer

The joke is old, but for many 'door supervisors', as they prefer to be called, the image of their job is unfairly summarised by comments such as these. There are estimated to be 100,000 door supervisors working in the UK. This is only one-fifth of the total number employed in the UK security industry. Security is a very hot topic at present, with many companies, other than just pubs and clubs reviewing their security policy, if indeed they had one in the first place. 'Bouncers', 'doormen' or door supervisors to be non-gender specific, are there to improve the safety of pubgoers and clubbers as well as providing reassurance to customers. If this doesn't exactly chime with your experience of door staff, then perhaps this is about to change.

Half a million people are employed in the security industry in Britain. Work roles in this industry vary widely, including the following:

Image: Security guards are critical to the success of events such as rock concerts. Here, a security guard sprays water to keep the crowd cool. Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd / Licensed via SCRAN

Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, it is a criminal offence to be occupied in any of these jobs without first obtaining a licence. If convicted of flouting this law, the penalty is six months in prison or a £5,000 fine. The law came into force fully in mid-April 2005.

A door supervisor's licence costs £190 and is valid for three years. Two types of licence exist, though: one for front-line work and one for non front-line staff. The Security Industry Association, an independent body set up by the 2001 Act, talks of the change in law creating an 'extended police family' which aims to have a positive impact through:

Training programmes

But it isn't just a matter of paying the £190 and undergoing a criminal record check - front-line door supervisors must have been trained to an acceptable level. The Level 2 National Certificate for Door Supervisors is offered by the British Institute of Innkeeping, City and Guilds and NCFE. Also Edexcel offers its BTEC Award in Level 2 Door Supervision and the National Open College Network its Level 2 Award in Door Supervision.

The content of the training programmes can be analysed in terms of deficiencies in current or recent standards of door supervision:

Roles and responsiblities of door supervisors

Appropriate behaviour of door supervisors
Civil and criminal law
Search and arrest procedures
Drugs awareness
Recording incidents and crime scene preservation
Licensing law
Equal opportunities and discrimination
Health and safety at work
Emergency procedures

Communication skills and conflict management

How to refuse entry
How to eject in ways to reduce conflict
Identifying types of incident and how to deal with them
Understanding the law of arrest

So is it really needed? There have certainly been negative images of door staff for many years. The BBC News story 'When Bouncers Overstep the Mark'(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2745369.stm) gives an outline of some of the more high profile cases of inappropriate or illegal acts carried out in the past by some door supervisors.

But those close to the industry would say that it's only the cases of poor or unlawful actions of some supervisors that receive publicity. They would point to the majority of staff who act responsibly in what are at times very trying circumstances.

The British Security Industry Association's national awards are an attempt to shine a light on some of the more laudable examples of security staff behaviour. These are reported in some detail at the Infologue Web site(http://www.infologue.co.uk).

'Operation Badge'

Image: Part of the door supervisor's skill is to identify situations before they get out of control. Here, a door supervisor carries a fainting girl to safety. Copyright: Fillipe Neyl, stock.xchng

So the next time you are out on the town, perhaps going from pub to club on a weekend's night out, have a look for the door staff's licence badge, which should be displayed. The intent of the authorities to ensure that these badges are displayed was illustrated one weekend in April 2005, as the law came into effect across the whole of England and Wales.

Operation Badge was a multi-agency initiative by the Security Industry Authority, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, HM Immigration Service and local authority officers. In the weekend in question, 80 licensed premises were visited and a total of 250 door supervisors were checked. As a result, two supervisors were immediately removed from the doors and received a police caution. Seventy-five warning letters were issued and a number of individuals were interviewed under immigration law.

Avon and Somerset Inspector, Mike Cox was quoted as saying, 'Door staff play an important role in protecting the safety of people in their premises and we value the close working relationship we have with many of them. They are often dealing with people who are vulnerable or become violent due to drink, and for this reason it is essential that they are security checked and properly trained'.

Enforcing the legislation

Clearly, the security industry or some sectors of it are facing a struggle to comply with the new legislation. Industry estimates point to a total of one third of all staff who may not meet the new requirements. In some senses this should not come as a surprise; door supervision is notorious for its casualised workforce and fast labour turnover, indeed in some sectors of the security industry attrition rates of 35% are not uncommon. It will be interesting to see how many more operations there are by enforcement teams to check on compliance with the new law.

In a global atmosphere of increased focus on security, with a recent Mori survey indicating that over 80% of firms spend more on security than they did five years ago, it is clear that casual approaches to staffing in the security industry are no longer appropriate. Door supervision is the face of front-line security for many young people in their leisure time. Hopes have been raised by the new law coming into force that bars and clubs will become safer places for consumers; time will tell if these hopes are realistic.

Activity

Make a list of the key stakeholders of a city centre bar or club.
Which group of stakeholders is likely to be affected by the door supervision licence?
The law now requires that door staff are properly recruited, selected and trained. Write a list of actions that a bar or club could take to ensure that this happens.
Draw up a single page poster advert to be used to recruit new door supervisors. Bear in mind the following characteristics of the job:
- High attrition rate
- Customer care
- Safety and security
- Drugs policies
What ideas can you generate to improve the image of the door supervisor? Given the casualised nature of the work in the past, what can you do to increase professionalism in the role?
Operation Badge was an example of a 'multi-agency' initiative. What do you understand this to mean? What advantages and disadvantages are there in adopting such an approach?

	You are here: Home > Current Topics > At your Leisure > 18 April 2005

At your Leisure - 18 April 2005