News
Cigarette Vending Ban BeginsThe cigarette vending ban begins in Wales from 1 February. A ban on cigarette vending machines has come into force in Wales to make it harder for young people to buy tobacco.The Welsh government imposed the ban after it emerged 10% of regular smokers aged 11-15 in the UK said they bought cigarettes from the machines regularly. Welsh trading standards officials say over half of 145 attempted test purchases with young people resulted in under-age sales from vending machines 
Dealing with the problems of late night drinking- Government Consultation announcedThe Home Office has issued its consultation on the Late Night Levy and Early Morning Restriction Orders in a document entitled 'Dealing with the Problems of the Late Night Drinking'. In his foreword, Lord Henley, the Minister of State for Crime Prevention and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction, states that his 'intention is that both EMROs and the Late Night Levy will empower local communities to act to achieve a more viable night time economy'. An EMRO would enable licensing authorities to restrict the sale of alcohol in the whole or a part of their areas between midnight and 6am. The Late Night Levy will allow licensing authorities to raise a contribution from late-opening (midnight to 06:00) alcohol retailers towards policing the late night economy. This is a vital consultation and it is your opportunity to have your say. The consultation runs for 12 weeks from 17 January to 10 April. 
Access Training & Consultancy, Managing Director recieves BII NITA AwardAccess Training and Consultancy Limited are celebrating the success of their Managing Director, Nicky Mc Ginley who was selected as the Winner of the BII NITA Professional Independent Trainer of the Year category's Rising Star Award in 2011. The prestigous NITA Awards recognises the achievement of training excellance within the licensed retail sector. The NITA panel of judges were impressed by Nicky's clear commitment to training and development within the licensed retail sector, recognising her knowledge of the licensed trade and clear passion for the industry which is utilised to great advantage in training others to success within it. It was recognised that Nicky has great expertise within her field and a sound commitment to ongoing personal development in relation to her knowledge of the sector. 
Swansea City Council Manage their Night Time EconomyNight Time Economy Practitioners attended the BII Award in Managing the Night Time Economy Course delivered by Swansea based firm Access Training and Consultancy Limited. The course was attended by representatives from within the Police, Licensing Authority, City Centre Management Partnership. Crime Reduction Partnership and Environmental Health. 
Test Purchasing UKTest Purchasing UK facilitates an independent, covert operation which enables you to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your staff, policies and procedures, during the sale of age restricted products.Test Purchasing UK can provide evidence of systems which would go a considerable way in demonstrating a defence of due diligence. 
Nicky Mc Ginley shortlisted as a finalist in the BII NITA Awards 2011Access Training is pleased to announce that Managing Director Nicky Mc Ginley has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious BII NITA Awards. Nicky has been shortlisted in the 'Professional Independent Trainer of the Year 2011' award category. The nationally recognised, BII NITA Awards, are the industry's most prestigious prize, rewarding companies or organisations who show outstanding commitment to training and development within the licensed trade. The winner of the award will be announced in November at the BIIAB Awards Ceremony. 
Have you got a 'Refusal Register'?A properly maintained register has been known to safeguard a threatened Premises Licence by demonstrating ‘due diligence’. Trading Standards advise all retailers of age-restricted goods to train staff in the use of a Refusal Register, which should be updated daily and countersigned by the Designated Premises Supervisor on a frequent basis. The importance of the Refusal Register was highlighted in the case of Davies v Carmarthenshire County Council (2005), where the Divisional Court found that evidence of a diary recording refused sales, a proper training scheme and records go a long way in establishing a defence of 'due diligence'. In many cases the Refusal Register is not utilsed effectively with the premises which can be used as evidence against the Designated Premises Supervisor who has failed to monitor its usage. The Designated Premises Supervisor should monitor the entries in the Refusal Register on a weekly basis in order to establish: Are there members of staff who are failing to place an entry into the 'Refusal Register' ? Are the number of refusal entries reflective of the size of the organisation? Are staff becoming less vigilant and less proactive in implementing the Age Verification Policy? I 
Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010 The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010 has established five new Mandatory Licensing Conditions which will impact and apply to all licensed premises and those with a club premises certificate in England and Wales. The purpose of the Mandatory Licensing Conditions is to establish a set of minimum standards that influence the way in which alcohol is sold. 
Access Training delivers Responsible Alcohol Retailing and Conflict Management to Rhondda Cynon Taff Licensees in conjuction with the Licensing Authority.During April Access Training and Consultancy Ltd worked in collaboration with the Licensing Officers and Trading Standards Officers at Rhondda Cynon Taff County Council delivering training and development courses within the area. The one day courses which were attended by 120 Licensees and staff members responsible for the retail sale of alcohol. 
SIA Consultation: Have Your SayThe SIA is consulting on whether there is a need for existing licence-holders to update their skills with top-up training, when they next renew their licences. 
Review of Licensed PremisesNo responsible retailer sets out to sell to underage customers, yet it still happens and the responsibility falls to the feet of the Designated Premises Supervisor. To ensure that you meet your obligation as a Designated Premises Supervisor, your defence of due diligence is to take all reasonable precautions to avoid committing an offence under the Licensing Act 2003, which could result in the revocation of your Premises Licence. The positive steps that you should take is the implementation of training to ensure that you exercise due diligence. We also carry out a free Licensed Premises Review which provides advice and guidance on the current procedures and practices of your organisation; to ensure a Due Diligence Defence should your organisation be taken to Review by the licensing authority. If you require any further information on the courses that we deliver or you would like to take advantage of the Licensed Premises Review, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0845 301 1107. 
Changes to the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010 has established five new Mandatory Licensing Conditions which will impact and apply to all licensed premises and those with a club premises certificate in England and Wales. The purpose of the Mandatory Licensing Conditions is to establish a set of minimum standards that influence the way in which alcohol is sold.
Dorset security boss fined after found working without an SIA licence23rd December 2009: A former Dorset security director yesterday (22 December) pleaded guilty to supplying unlicensed security operatives, and not holding an SIA licence. Mr Lee, 40, who ran Trade Secret Security, was given a 12 month -conditional discharge for supplying unlicensed door staff. He was also fined £1,000 plus a victim surcharge of £15 and ordered to pay costs of £500 for working without an SIA licence, during a hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court. By law, anyone working as a door supervisor must have and display a valid SIA licence. This means they have passed an approved training qualification and undergone vetting such as criminal record and identity checks. Directors and managers must have at least a non front line licence. During routine checks by Dorset police licensing officers in Bournemouth in May this year, a door supervisor, who had been supplied to one venue by Mr Lee, was found working with an expired SIA licence. The door supervisor later received a police caution. 
Important Changes to the SIA Training PortfolioThe SIA have undertaken a complete review of the specifications for all roles within the security industry and identified areas of overlap. They have also consulted with the security industry on the content of specifications and made changes in line with the output from this consultation. 
Nicky Delaney shortlisted as Professional Trainer of the Year 2009Access Training is pleased to announce that Managing Director Nicky Delaney has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious BII NITA Awards. Nicky is one of five finalists shortlisted in the 'Professional Trainer of the Year' award category. The nationally recognised, BII NITA Awards, are the industry's most prestigious prize, rewarding companies or organisations who show outstanding commitment to training and development within the licensed trade.
How effective is your 'Challenge 21' PolicyDo you operate under a ‘Challenge 21’ or ‘Challenge 25’ Policy? As a Designated Premises Supervisor do you monitor the effectiveness of your ‘Challenge 21’ or ‘Challenge 25’ Policy? At present we are looking for 5 organisations who would like to take part in a FREE Test Purchase pilot scheme, that will enable the Designated Premises Supervisor to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their ‘Challenge 21’ or ‘Challenge 25’ Policy. If you own or manage premises who operate under a Premises Licence please contact Access Training and Consultancy Limited on 0845 301 1107 to register your interest in taking part in this Test Purchase Pilot Scheme. 
Profitable Business PortfolioFantastic Funded Training Opportunity for SME’s Profitable Business Portfolio The BII Wales Region has been working with a number of partner organisations to provide you with a genuine opportunity to access funded training support for your business as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Workforce Development Programme. I am delighted to advise you that, subject to eligibility, we have arranged for the BIIAB Profitable Business Portfolio to be made available throughout the region. Please find attached details of the eligibility criteria for those wishing to take advantage of this excellent opportunity.
Access Training now approved to deliver the National Certificate for Licensing PractitionersAccess Training and Consultancy Limited, is pleased to announce that it has now been approved by the British Institute of Innkeepers Awarding body to deliver the National Certificate for Licensing Practitioners Course. The qualification is designed for local authority licensing officers, and other staff, such as police officers, fire officers and environmental health officers, involved in the administration of the Licensing Act 2003.
Test Purchasing Your Questions AnsweredWhat is Test Purchasing? Who carries out Test Purchasing? What is the general procedure for selecting young persons to carry out Test Purchasing? Can the young person be untruthful about their age? 
£1,000 Cash Back on your New Recruit1000 cash back on your new recruit To help make your next recruitment decision an easy one, Jobcentre Plus is offering £1000 for every eligible person that you recruit, who has been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for six months or more. Thousands of eligible candidates looking for work want you to notice their potential and may refer to the £1000 in their letter of application, as part of their CV, on your application forms, or during your recruitment process. You may be recruiting a few people this year or you may be looking to bring 12 or more new people into your business. Either way the process for making a claim is quick and easy: * less than 12 people a year * 12 or more people a year In-work training, worth up to £1,500, may also be available through our partners to help you get the most from your new recruits and your current employees. 
Up to £1,000 Available for Staff TrainingDuring this time of recession, businesses typically respond in a number of ways, one of which is to reduce training opportunities and cut training budgets. To help maintain the standards of training within your organisation, Access Training and Consultancy Limited have identified funding opportunities for the training and development of your staff. Carmarthenshire Community Safety PartnershipIn March, Access Training and Consultancy Limited in conjunction with the Carmarthenshire Community Safety Partnership will be hosting a series of free one day training courses throughout Carmarthen, Ammanford, Llanelli and Newcastle Emlyn. Covering topics such as Responsible Alcohol Retailing and Conflict Management, the aim of the day is to provide individuals working in the licensed trade the essential knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities of alcohol retailers authorised by a personal license holder to sell alcohol and support the designated premises supervisor to retail alcohol responsibly on their licensed premises. For more details contact Les Clark (Safer Streets Officer) on 07980726110 Access Training & Consultancy Moves to New PremisesAccess Training & Consultancy Limited has now moved to 7 Axis Court Mallard Way Riverside Business Park Swansea SA7 0AJ |
