FAQs

One of the key factors that differentiates Licensing SAVI is that is has been devised and developed by the Police Service via Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI). PCPI works closely with local authorities throughout the UK to reduce crime and the fear of crime. As such, Licensing SAVI is uniquely placed to deliver a joined-up and consistent approach to create safe and secure licensed premises across England and Wales.

There is no other police award in the licensing sector. Licensing SAVI is the most comprehensive single source of information for licensees seeking to meet the requirements of the Responsible Authorities, comply with the Licensing Act 2003 and promote the four Licensing Objectives.

We believe it offers best practice for the licensing industry and provides a valuable benchmark to become an even safer and more profitable venue. The fact it has been developed at the request of the Home Office and has gained the support of the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Project Servator speaks volumes in terms of its credibility.

The time it will take to complete the assessment will vary, from approximately 30 minutes to an hour, dependent upon the size of your premises and how prepared you are before starting the assessment. Where a question is not relevant to you Licensing SAVI has been designed to ‘skip’ it. For example, if you indicate there is no CCTV at your premises, no questions on CCTV will be asked.

Absolutely. Every page has a ‘save’ button which enables you to stop whenever you like, as often as you like and return where you left off.

The licence lasts for 12 calendar months.

Once you have completed the Licensing SAVI assessment and there are no outstanding Critical Points, your rating will be displayed. Your rating will be broken down by question so you can easily identify how you can improve your rating by enhancing existing working practices or policies. Once you have implemented the enhancements, you can modify your responses and re-submit the assessment. Once you have reached a rating you are satisfied with, you can apply for the Licensing SAVI Accreditation.

No. The annual licence fee to use Licensing SAVI includes the cost of an application for Accreditation but it is for you to decide if you wish to apply for Accreditation. If you choose not to apply, your assessment will remain confidential to you. However, should you decide to apply for Accreditation at any stage a copy of your assessment must be submitted along with your application.

The Accreditation will last for the duration of your Licensing SAVI annual licence. For example, if you purchase a licence on 1st April and subsequently apply for Accreditation on 5th June, your licence and Accreditation will expire on 31st March, unless you renew your licence.

Unfortunately not until you next renew your Licensing SAVI licence. Once you have applied for Accreditation, and it has been approved and awarded, your assessment responses cannot be amended for the duration of that Licensing SAVI licence period. This is why we strongly recommend that you do not apply for Accreditation until you are satisfied you have achieved the maximum rating possible.

We cannot stress strongly enough that you should rectify any unlawful working practices as soon as possible to protect you, your staff, your patrons and your business. The Licensing SAVI report is completely confidential to you and whoever you choose to share it with. Unless you have raised a query or issue with our team, we do not have access to your assessment so no one other than you will be aware of your working practices.

Licensing SAVI was developed by PCPI at the request of the Home Office. Other organisations involved in its development include the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Health and Safety Executive, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and Security Industry Association (SIA) as well as Police Licensing Officers, licensing lawyers and licensees.

PCPI is delighted Licensing SAVI has gained the support of the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Project Servator, a police-led scheme to work with local communities to encourage vigilance and reporting of suspicious behaviour to deter terrorist attacks.

We carry out regular reviews of advice and guidance to ensure it is relevant and current with hyperlinks that relate to the latest information. The information contained in Licensing SAVI has been drawn from a wide variety of PCPI partner organisations including the Home Office, National Police Chiefs’ Council, Fire and Rescue Services, National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), Health and Safety Executive, the Security Industry Authority as well as police licensing officers, licensing lawyers and licensees. We are well placed to be aware of developments in the industry to keep Licensing SAVI up to date and the best it can be.

Licensing SAVI is launched currently as a pilot scheme in Brighton, Liverpool and Sheffield. This is being followed by further pilot schemes in selected locations in England and Wales up to 8 February 2021. We will update the rolling message at the top of our website to let you know when the other pilot schemes are launched and when Licensing SAVI is available in other areas. Visit: https://licensingsavi.com

However, you can register your interest in Licensing SAVI using the following email: By registering your interest you will be able to receive regular updates on Licensing SAVI, such as receiving the latest news of our pilot schemes and information about our managed national roll out.

When you start the self-assessment you will find a drop-down list of suitable persons. Ideally, this should be the person who best knows the venue’s management practices and operational security.

We will be presenting Licensing SAVI on a managed basis to selected Police Forces and to Local Authority Licensing Officers within each police force area. This is a process that will be repeated around the country and gather pace during 2021. Our presentations will need to take account of the changing local, regional and national COVID-19 restrictions. So, at least initially, our presentations are likely to involve online team meetings, webinars, video or other virtual and media – or a combination of these or other media.

When your area has been selected, you will receive an email containing a link to explore Licensing SAVI so you can see the questions as well as the advice and guidance. Our rolling message at the top of our homepage (https://licensingsavi.com) will provide you with the latest information about which areas are the latest to receive Licensing SAVI.

As Licensing SAVI rolls out in your area and licensed premises start to submit their self-assessments, you will receive an email containing an automated link to verify the accuracy of responses submitted by the applicants. To restrict access to only police forces and local authorities the system will only recognise email addresses incorporating .police.uk and .gov.uk. A verifier guide is included with the same email.