A venue can confirm the date and hours of a door shift in one message. The useful briefing takes a little more work. The person arriving also needs to know who is responsible for the venue, what duties have been agreed, which venue rules apply and where the role ends.
NJProtection & Security Services lists door cover for clubs, pubs and venues among its current freelance services across West Yorkshire. This guide is for venue operators preparing a clear door cover brief. It does not replace the premises licence, the site’s risk assessment or a check of the licence needed for the planned work.
Check the activity and licence first
The Security Industry Authority says a door supervisor licence is needed when someone guards licensed premises against damage, theft, unauthorised access or disorderly behaviour. Its current guidance also says door supervision at licensed premises requires an SIA licence for in-house work, not only work supplied under a contract for services.
Start with the duties, rather than relying on a job title. If the shift includes other security activities, check the full role against current SIA guidance. The NJProtection guide to checking SIA licences explains how to use the official register.
Licence check
Confirm the planned duties before booking the shift, then check the operative’s current SIA licence on the official register. A venue brief cannot make an unsuitable licence fit the work.
Put the venue’s licensing requirements in the brief
A premises licence authorises licensable activities at the venue. The licence and its operating arrangements may also contain conditions that affect how the premises must operate. Door cover needs to fit those requirements.
Give the proposed door supervisor the current information that applies to the shift. Do not assume that someone covering a gap already knows the venue’s conditions or local arrangements. If a condition is unclear, the venue should check it with its licensing adviser or local licensing authority rather than asking the door supervisor to interpret it on arrival.
Describe the shift as it will actually run
State the date, briefing time, working hours and expected finish. If the shift crosses midnight, use both calendar dates. Explain whether the person is joining an existing door team, covering a particular position or working with venue staff in another agreed arrangement.
A short table is often easier to check than a long message.
| Briefing point | Information to provide |
|---|---|
| Hours | Arrival, site briefing, start, finish and handover times. |
| Duties | The agreed position and tasks, plus any clear limits to the role. |
| Venue lead | The duty manager or other named person responsible during the shift. |
| Team | Who else is working on the door and how responsibilities are divided. |
| Venue rules | The current admission, re-entry, refusal and safeguarding procedures relevant to the role. |
| Records | Which venue form or log to use and who receives the completed record. |
| Welfare | Break arrangements, facilities and the contact route for work-related concerns. |
Name the person who can make venue decisions
Door staff need a clear route to the person managing the premises. Provide the duty manager’s name, where that person can be found and a backup contact for the hours being covered.
The brief should also say who can approve an exception to a venue rule or change the agreed duties. This keeps operational decisions with the venue rather than leaving a temporary member of the door team to guess.
Explain the venue procedures that apply
Provide the current admission, refusal, re-entry and safeguarding procedures that the door supervisor is expected to follow. Include any site-specific reporting process and the venue’s arrangements for involving management or the emergency services.
Keep the briefing focused on what the worker needs for the shift. Sensitive access details, staff personal data and unrelated security information should not be circulated in an initial availability enquiry. Share necessary restricted information through the venue’s approved handover process after the booking is confirmed.
Use the site’s assessment of work-related violence
The Health and Safety Executive defines work-related violence as an incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. Its guidance for employers covers assessing the risks, putting controls in place and learning from incidents.
The person responsible for the venue’s health and safety arrangements should make sure the door brief reflects the site’s current assessment. Relevant information may include the staffing arrangement, communication method, management support, welfare arrangements and the process to follow after an incident. This is the venue’s risk information, not a generic promise made by the person providing cover.
Agree how incidents and the end of the shift are recorded
Tell the door supervisor which log, form or reporting system the venue uses. State what should be passed to the duty manager during the shift and what belongs in the end-of-shift handover.
Records should be factual and follow the venue’s policy. The brief should identify who receives them and where they are stored, so personal or sensitive information is not left in an informal message thread.
Door cover briefing checklist
- Confirm the licensed premises, date and exact working hours.
- Describe the duties and limits of the role.
- Check the current SIA licence against the planned activity.
- Provide the relevant premises licence conditions and venue procedures.
- Name the duty manager and backup contact.
- Explain the door team’s responsibilities and communication arrangements.
- Share relevant risk, welfare and incident reporting information.
- Agree the arrival briefing and end-of-shift handover.
Sources and further reading
- NJProtection & Security Services: current services
- Security Industry Authority: find out if you need an SIA licence
- GOV.UK: check security staff have a licence to work
- Home Office: alcohol licensing guidance
- Health and Safety Executive: protecting workers from violence and aggression
Discuss door cover in West Yorkshire
NJProtection currently considers door cover for clubs, pubs and venues across West Yorkshire. The site says 48 hours’ notice is preferred, while shorter notice may be considered when availability allows. Include the date, venue area, hours and planned duties so the enquiry can be considered against the role.