Preventing violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) within the Night time & licensing industries

At Sceptre, we also suggest

All of the above points are common sense, but they rely heavily on staff being up to speed with venue policy. A weekly reminder to staff of the procedures as part of their briefing would help keep this element of their role fresh.

In addition, the following steps or checks could be taken at minimal cost.

• CCTV checks: Is the system recording correctly? Is it operating sufficiently well in low-light conditions? Is it of evidential standard? The UK CCTV Advisory Service states that 70% of CCTV footage capturing criminal acts is inadmissible as evidence in court.
• Are cameras placed low enough (and protected) to capture faces and not the top of heads?
• Do we have enough staff trained in the ‘Ask Angela’ scheme? This is an excellent and effective initiative. At a basic level the training is free but can be enhanced at a cost which may be tax deductible. Even the enhanced online training is only £10 +VAT.
• Are the CCTV cameras prominent to provide a deterrent and alongside the ‘Ask Angela’ posters. Are there prominent CCTV posters reminding everyone that they are on camera?
• Do random checks of queues by drug dogs take place? Here, the dog and handler will provide a strong deterrent to Class A and ‘Date rape’ drugs, but having a trusted member of staff standing back and monitoring people’s reaction to the dog can be just as telling. If people attempt to avoid the dog, they may have an aversion to dogs or perhaps they have something on them they shouldn’t have and are the ones to watch!
• Do the venue and security staff have sight of all areas in the guest area?
• Do you share live information of unwanted guests or incidents with surrounding pubs or clubs?
• Are staff visible to guests? In this case, we don’t want staff to be overbearing, but a visible presence provides reassurance.

In the night-time and licensing industries, small changes to working practise and ensuring our equipment is installed correctly can ensure we provide a visible deterrent and the ability to detect predators. These measures can increase a customer’s confidence significantly and help ensure we all get repeated business.