Be a responsible host
All on-licence and club licence businesses must submit a host responsibility policy with any application for a new or renewed alcohol licence.
It helps the District Licensing Committee (DLC) when it considers an application for new or renewed licences.
The policy should address how:
- the premises will maintain the amenity and good order of the venue
- the applicant will deal with minors and intoxication
- food, low and non-alcoholic beverages will be promoted on the premises.
If a premises runs large events or gatherings, the policy should also detail how the applicant will minimise the potential for alcohol related harm.
A basic policy needs to address the following points:
Minors
Your policy needs to explain how you will ensure that all staff are trained on their responsibilities under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 in relation to minors.
Staff training
Your policy should include:
- who will carry out the training and what records will be kept
- tools you have provided your staff to accurately work out the age of customers from their date of birth on their identification (ID)
- what instructions will you give staff to ensure they know how to identify and proactively deal with minors.
Designation
Make sure you include your businesses designation in your policy.
Your policy should explain how you will make sure that all staff are aware of the designation of your business. This will determine ‘who’ is allowed on the premises and who can drink at your premises.
Preventing and dealing with intoxication
All staff must be trained in their responsibilities under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 to prevent intoxication on licensed business sites.
Staff need clear instructions to identify and proactively deal with intoxicated persons.
Noticing signs of intoxication early is essential to meeting the requirements of s.248 and s.249 of the act, prohibiting intoxication on licensed business sites.
Your policy needs to address:
Staff training
Your policy should detail how you will ensure all your staff are trained on their responsibilities under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 in relation to intoxicated patrons.
Questions you should answer include:
- Who will carry out the training and what records will be kept?
- What instructions will you give to staff to make sure they know how to identify and proactively deal with potentially intoxicated persons?
Strategies
Your policy should address what strategies you will have in place to deal with potentially intoxicated persons:
- Free soft drinks, tea, coffee?
- How you will slow down their drinking.
- Line of authority - who has the authority to ask patrons to leave?
- Steps you will take to check for intoxication on your premises.
- Will the manager and staff circulate the premises regularly, including the toilets, checking for intoxication?
Serving food
The act requires you to always have a reasonable range of food available when your business is open and sells alcohol. Restaurants must always have meals available.
There is an expectation that food options will be promoted within the premises.
Things to consider are:
- Do you have signage promoting food, which is clear and well positioned?
- How will you ensure staff are always aware of the food options (menu) available?
- Do you have a minimum of three different, substantial food options available at all times?
The range and style of food must be similar in style and nature to the menu you supplied with your licence application. This can be a range of foods, such as pies, sandwiches, filled rolls, pizzas, paninis, and the like.
A reasonable range is a minimum of three food options like above examples, not including snack food such a potato crisps and nuts.
Non-alcoholic beverages
The Act requires a reasonable range of non-alcoholic refreshments to always be available when the business is open for the sale of alcohol. You must describe the type and range of non-alcoholic beverages available.
You must state in your policy how these non-alcoholic alternatives are promoted - signage, featured in the beverage menu, etc.
Low-alcohol beverages
The Act requires that low-alcohol refreshments are always available when the business is open for the sale of alcohol.
Your policy must state how these low-alcohol alternatives are promoted - signage, featured in the beverage menu, etc.
Include a description of the low-alcohol refreshments you will have available, e.g. beer.
Managers
Your policy must state how many managers you will employ to cover the hours of business you are open.
Managers should not be rostered to work for excessive hours and you must keep in mind the requirements of employment law.
Safe transport options
You need to provide help with and information about alternative forms of transport from your business for both staff and patrons.
Promotion
Your policy needs to explain how you will make sure there is always free, comprehensive and accurate information about the forms of transport from the premises.
The information should be available in a readable form, either a poster, brochure or hand out.
You should also state how you promote these alternative forms of transport to the public.
Strategies and staff training
You need to demonstrate what strategies you have in place to ensure both staff and patrons get home safely from your business, such as:
- actively promote hire-a-driver type scheme
- make a telephone readily available to arrange sober transport (taxi or private)
- have bus and rail timetables available
- a courtesy van
- operate a designated driver scheme.
You also need to show how you make sure all staff are aware of transport options information.
Alcohol promotions
The act creates offences and penalties for promotions or activities deemed to be irresponsible.
When you need to promote your licensed premises, take care not to hold promotions that conflict with the act.
You will need to commit to not having promotions or staff members that encourage the rapid consumption of alcohol or drinking to excess.
Safe environments and being a good neighbour
Part of being a good licensee involves maintaining a safe environment and being a good neighbour.
Noise, litter, anti-social behaviour, and congestion around licensed premises can detract from amenity and good order and cause concerns for the community.
They can also impact on a licensee’s suitability. As a licensee, you have a responsibility to prevent your business causing anti-social behaviour in and around your premises.
It is expected that you will commit in your policy to:
- ensure empty glasses and bottles are cleared promptly
- not tolerate disorderly or offensive behaviour on the premises
- regularly check to ensure the toilet facilities are kept clean, safe and available
- manage noise so as not to disturb neighbours
- keep doors and windows shut (as much as possible) to reduce the noise from the premises
- remind customers using external areas to be considerate of neighbours
- make sure bottles are not emptied into outside rubbish bins at a time that could annoy neighbours
- keep the outside of your premises clean and tidy and free from graffiti.
Clubs and customers
For clubs, your policy should set out how the club will ensure that only club members, their accompanied guests, and members of clubs with reciprocal visiting rights are sold or supplied alcohol.
Writing your own policy
Use our template to create your own host responsibility policy. This is an example template of the minimum required standard acceptable to the District Licensing Committee (DLC).
Get a copy of the host responsibility policy template
