Carl Phillips, the Commercial Manager for Telford & Wrekin Council gives an overview of the introduction of Licensing SAVI in Telford & Wrekin.
Here in Telford & Wrekin we have made a concerted effort to work with licensees and other partner agencies, with the aim of making our night-time economy safer. We have placed heavy emphasis in ensuring women & girls feel safe & secure when enjoying a night out in the Borough.
This local authority is delighted to be working alongside Licensing SAVI. For the first time, we now have an online self-assessment tool for the licensed trade that is easy to use and provides comprehensive advice and guidance on how to run a safe venue. Premises have access to a wide range of resources through Licensing SAVI and we have seen venues complete & enhance their drugs policies, search policies and operating procedures around their business.
Through the council’s Safer and Stronger Communities project, we managed to secure funding for 65 licensed venues who receive the first year’s membership free.
Since launching Licensing SAVI to the licensed trade back in December 2022, it is wonderful to be able to report that to date we have already seen a significant take-up of licensed premises registering with the scheme, and approximately 50 premises have already achieved the highest possible safety accreditation rating.
Our Night-Time Economy Team have proactively engaged with the trade and been on hand to assist licensees with the accreditation process. Licensing SAVI has undoubtedly helped us increase our engagement with licensed premises, building closer relationships with key personnel and involving them closely in the wider work to create safer nights out in our Borough.
We are encouraged with the positive feedback we have had to Licensing SAVI from the trade. In turn, we are playing our part by actively promoting businesses who have been accredited. This is done through our social media channels and on our website, and we feel it is important to showcase those venues who are committed to making our night-time economy a safe and vibrant place to visit.
I wanted to give particular praise to the team at Licensing SAVI. They have offered us considerable support in getting the most out of the scheme. Together, we have developed a strong partnership, and we are confident that Licensing SAVI will produce long-term benefits for not only our venues, but also for those customers who frequent accredited premises.
David Owen the chair of Wellington Pubwatch and licensee of The Old Orleton in the Telford & Wrekin area added “It’s a terrific scheme. LSAVI gives you all the tools you need to ensure you run a safe venue”, whilst David Gregg, operations manager at Albert’s Shed, a Telford live music venue said: “LSAVI brings together all the things licensees should be doing to be compliant and puts it all in one place to make it easy to make our venues as safe as possible. It’s brilliant that Telford & Wrekin Council is funding us for the first year. Safety is paramount because we want people to enjoy themselves on a night out. It’s also important for our staff to feel safe and the training will help them spot potential issues. This could include drink spiking, for example and LSAVI gives specific advice on reducing the risk”.
