Responsible service — staff training record

What you need to know

The plain-English guidance that comes with this document.

• Training records are the second pillar of your due-diligence defence. The refusals log shows the pub refuses; this shows every person behind the bar knew how to serve lawfully. Together they're what a court, Trading Standards or a licensing panel wants to see. A signed record per person is cheap, strong protection.
• Train before the first shift — not after the first mistake. The most common unlawful sale is by a new or casual member of staff who didn't want to make a fuss. Ten or fifteen minutes on day one, before they serve, prevents it. New starters and glass-collectors moving to the bar both need it.
• The drunk-refusal is the skill that needs practice. Judging and refusing an intoxicated customer causes more conflict than an ID check, so it deserves real attention in training — spotting the signs, a calm script, and the confidence that the pub and a manager will back them up. This protects your staff as much as your licence.
• The signed declaration removes "nobody told me". When a member of staff signs to say they understood the law and the policies, it closes off that defence and underlines that this is serious — and reassures them they'll be supported for doing the right thing.
• Refresh it, and log the refreshers. The law moves (spiking is now its own offence; Martyn's Law is coming for larger venues), and habits slip. Use the refresher grid to record briefings — it's exactly the kind of evidence that shows you stayed on top of it.
• Consider accredited training too. Your DPS needs a personal licence, and many pubs put bar staff through a short accredited award in responsible alcohol retailing. This in-house record works alongside that. Keep it with the person's employment file — it's their personal data — and retain it per your rules after they leave.