The programme will provide a new approach to accreditation and training that will lift professional standards of night time operations and provide educational pathways to meet these standards and cover topics such as Vulnerability Awareness, Sexual Harassment, Drugs and Alcohol Awareness, Spiking, Conflict Management, Working in Licensed Premises, an Inclusive Approach to Safeguarding, and of course the role and responsibilities of a Night Safe Champion, welfare engagement officer.

Through a consortium of partners, the Safeguarding Nightlife Accreditation programme aims to unite industry specialists to create a continuous life-cycle within which standards, education, assessment, benchmarking and engagement meet the defined needs of our diverse night time communities through the workforce.

The programme has been built around the direct needs and challenges of our customers and workforce, with great consideration given to the unique dynamic of our night time environment.

The Partnership will officially launch the Night Safe Champion Programme on the 10th February at the Night Time Economy Summit at E1 London amongst esteemed guests from the Music, Leisure and Entertainment Industries. Panellists Deborah Hewitt (Safeguarding Nightlife) Silvana Kill (Savenightlife CIC) Ian Graham (Metropolitan Police), Michelle Roycroft (Help Me Angela), Tamzin Lent (Where You At App) & Danny Clare (Ask for Clive) on the 10th February at 13.30pm will be discussing the importance of understanding the diverse needs of the customer, and in particular, how to support them when they are at their most vulnerable as well as the importance of addressing the challenges as a community.

The Night Safe Champion and Welfare Engagement Officer roles have been created to support people who find themselves in a position of vulnerability in the hospitality and night time economy spaces.The Night Safe Champion will be the central interface of support and guidance between customers, workforce, security and regulators. The role and responsibilities have been set to ensure direct support is available when people need it the most.

The programme will also take a blended learning approach, which research has shown to be the most effective way to challenge and observe effective solutions to develop and change. Taking control of your own learning can bring a stronger sense of accomplishment, and studies have shown that a blended learning style is best placed to support information sharing. Experienced tutor teams will be working closely with industry experts, helping us to take control and entrust our industry with the role of safeguarding our communities.

Mike Kill CEO NTIA Says:

“Our industry has always advocated for the safety of our customers and our staff at night. businesses across the industry want to do everything possible to ensure that customers and staff are able to socialise and enjoy culture in safe spaces.”

“The accreditation scheme is a functional, yet versatile approach to blended learning, which can encompass existing training mechanisms across the country.”

“Possibly one of the most important parts of this initiative is the rolling assessment process and evaluation of the accreditation, and its impact on the environments we operate within.”

“As an industry, the more our workforce is aware of safeguarding and vulnerability, the bigger part we play in reducing the crimes attached to vulnerability across wider society.”

Silvana Kill, Director Savenightlife CIC says:

“We have listened to our communities and the challenges faced. We acknowledge that more needs to be done to ensure our customers and people feel safe. We understand that it takes more than writing policies, and placing well-meaning posters. We need to do more.”

“Our aim is not just to increase awareness, but through collaboration, give back the confidence communities are presently lacking, and empower people to feel safeguarded and know what to do in a vulnerable situation.”

“This NTIA partnership we will allow us to share performance data with all music rights holders, as well as finally offering insight into music played to the respective venues and promoters.”

Deborah Hewitt Director Safeguarding Nightlife says:

“Whilst designing the Night Safe Champion programme, we have brought in consultants who are experts in their field, bridging gaps to preset the most up-to-date and relevant initiatives, not only to safeguard and support our industry in taking control of their space but also to be mindful to ensure vulnerability is not misunderstood, instead empowering our community, with critical thinking to enable decision making to handle and navigate changing times.”

“Our aim at Safeguarding Nightlife is to maximise the impact of information by sharing best practices across the country, in line with local policy and standing as ambassadors to prepare and protect both our community and an industry that promotes a positive impact on our mental health, without our community coming together, through fear of vulnerability we would see a far higher fallout in family and workspaces alike. It’s our job to nurture a positive impact on preparation to safeguard, as this is about our industry being celebrated for generations to come.”