OPERATORS should be providing bar staff with more legislative training than just the bare minimum, according to training specialists.
Though the Licensing (Scotland) Act, which came into force in 2009, made it mandatory for anyone selling alcohol to have received at least two hours of training, industry experts have told SLTN that managers need to do more.
Linda Bowie, development and learning co-ordinator of Alcohol Focus Scotland, the charity behind industry training body ServeWise, said employers “know that staff development and on-going training is vital”.
She added: “The ‘I’ve trained my staff, got the Records of Training available should the LSO or police come round – job done’ attitude is therefore unacceptable.
“Refresher training, making sure that staff are up-to-date with the various legislative changes and record keeping go together to enhance staff training.
“This of course forms part of any due diligence defence should an incident occur in your premises.”
Paul O’Donoghue, sales training manager at wine merchant Enotria, argued that follow-up training should actually be included in the legislation.
“Personally I think a refresher would be of benefit to businesses, and if that needs to be a legislative process I think that’s something that needs to be done,” he said.
Meanwhile another specialist, Joanne Worrall of Twist Training, said some operators are still failing to meet their legal training requirements.
“I am amazed how some premises, and I stress these are a minority and usually outwith city centres, are still not putting any staff through training and don’t think that they have to,” she said.
Image: Further training is needed beyond the legal requirement, say training specialists.
