Training firm cuts red tape (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Training firm cuts red tape

A TRAINING company, aiming to help clear up the confusion of the new licensing laws, is moving into Swindon.

Inn-Dispensable has been training all areas of the licensing trade from pubs and nightclubs to supermarkets and off-licences for more than 10 years.

Now Nick Rowland-Hill, a former pub chain regional manager of West Kington in Wiltshire who has almost 20 years' experience in the trade, will be carrying out training sessions for the company once a month at the Moonrakers pub in Cricklade Road.

Under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003, which is in the process of being implemented, all premises have to have a licensee who has a formal qualification the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders. Among the courses will be a licensee introductory workshop, food hygiene, door supervisors' qualification and drugs awareness as well as the compulsory sections.

Inn-Dispensable managing director Phil Davison said: "Inn-Dispensable already offers this type of training across the rest of the country and was seeking to offer a training option for people in Swindon.

"With the changes in the current legislation as well as the Government initiative for responsible drinking there is a great need for training for the people at the sharp end.

"Our training courses are nationally recognised and delivered by fully qualified facilitators who all come from an operational background."

Mr Rowland-Hill said: "Our aim is to provide a one-stop shop for new as well as experienced licensees.

"With the training courses as well as the business consultancy work that we do, we can give local licensees exactly what they need."

Initially the training courses will run once a month on a Monday, with the first three planned for July 11, August 15 and September 12.

Among other things, the new Licensing Act sees six licences allowing the sale of alcohol, late-night drinking, late-night cafes and the holding of public entertainment, theatre or cinema being streamlined into one overall licence which does not need to be re-applied for each year.

It gives premises the option of staying open for 24 hours, but hardly have taken up that opportunity.

Many people have predicted a meltdown as only a handful of pubs in most areas have yet applied for the new-style licence, even though the deadline is in August.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the courses can contact Inn-Dispensable on 0800 074 1583. Further information is available at www.inn-dispensable.com