The Decision Support Centre (DSC) supports venues and events in understanding and applying their safety and security responsibilities. Our mission is to help organisations take reasonable and proportionate steps to protect the public by providing clear, accessible and operationally useful strategies and resources.
At the heart of the DSC is a commitment to preparedness, resilience and coordination. We provide a growing suite of tools including the Events & Venues Toolkit, Incident Response Playbook, Event Framing Packs and this Responsible Person Training programme, developed through a combination of operational experience and established UK principles of safety and security.
The DSC also hosts the National Events Database, curating a picture of UK event activity in time and place and is developing a Monitoring Service to support situational awareness and emerging risk identification.
Our ambition is simple but vital: to help organisations of all sizes make better decisions under pressure, strengthen their protective posture and improve public safety. Whether you’re organising a local fete or managing a city-wide event, the DSC exists to ensure you’re not alone.
This course is designed to support the practical application of the Responsible Person role in real-world environments.
It does not seek to redefine the role in law or provide definitive interpretation of legal requirements, but to help individuals and organisations understand how responsibilities may be applied in a proportionate and effective way.
This course complements national frameworks by focusing on how responsibility is applied, coordinated and exercised in real-world environments.
The DSC’s Responsible Person Training has been developed to support individuals and organisations taking on this role but also in the context of recent legislation and guidance, this includes the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law). It moves beyond simple definition to explore how responsibilities can be understood and applied in practice, recognising that real-world environments are dynamic and that control is often shared, transferred, or influenced by others.
The concept of a “Responsible Person” is not unique to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. Similar roles and duties already exist across other areas of UK legislation and regulation, including fire safety legislation, workplace health and safety responsibilities and incident reporting frameworks such as RIDDOR, where individuals or organisations are expected to oversee risk, coordinate arrangements and account for outcomes within a specific environment.
While the legal responsibilities differ between regimes, these roles often share common practical themes, including:
This course therefore approaches the Responsible Person role not simply as a title or statutory designation, but as a practical function operating within a wider system of safety, security and operational management.
The focus throughout is not on prescribing a single way of fulfilling the role, but on supporting proportionate, real-world application across a range of venues and events.
The course explores how the Responsible Person role may apply across both permanent premises and qualifying events, recognising that operational control, responsibilities and delivery structures may vary between environments. This includes situations where venues, organisers, contractors and partners operate together within shared or temporary arrangements.
The course begins with an introduction to Martyn’s Law, its intent and its scope. Delegates are guided through the background and structure of the Act, including the concept of the Responsible Person and the tiered approach to premises and events. This establishes a clear foundation before progressing into operational application.
A key industry challenge underpins the training: many organisations, particularly grassroots venues and community-led events, are taking on new responsibilities without always having the internal expertise or resources to respond with confidence. This course is designed to bridge that gap by offering clear, proportionate and practical approaches grounded in operational reality.
Content is structured progressively, moving from foundational concepts of preparedness and risk awareness into more applied areas including risk identification, protective measures and incident response.
Each lesson is designed with operational practicality in mind and reflects widely recognised UK approaches to safety, security and multi-agency working, with a focus on how responsibility, control and coordination interact in practice.
What This Course Does Not Do
Instead, it supports:
Delegates will explore:
Real-world case studies and scenario-based examples are used throughout to support the application of theory to lived environments. This approach enhances understanding, supports retention and encourages reflection on risks specific to the delegate’s own venue or event.
Handouts are embedded throughout the training and are designed not only as learning aids, but as practical tools that can be adapted for operational use. These support participants in assessing their current state of readiness and identifying areas for improvement.
By the end of the course, participants will have:
Ultimately, this course is designed to support and strengthen those who may take on the Responsible Person role, embedding preparedness as a practical discipline rather than being a purely compliance-led activity. It offers both immediate operational value and longer-term organisational benefit, regardless of the size or scale of the venue or event.
As formal guidance continues to develop, learners are encouraged to refer to official sources such as ProtectUK for the most up-to-date information:
https://www.protectuk.police.uk/user/register
If you haven’t already – click ‘Buy Training’ (top right) to proceed, or use the other navigation buttons. Below you will find the Course Content.
DSC Responsible Persons Training course overview:
Applying responsibility in real-world events and venues.
Target Audience:
Learning Objectives / Outcomes:
By the end of the course learners will be able to:
Hours Awarded:
Total: 6 Hours comprising:
Learning content: 4.5 hours
Reading, Assessment and reflection: 1 hour
Feedback and course evaluation: 0.5 hours
Delivery Format:
Digital (online, downloadable handouts)
Review Cycle:
Annually (or following major policy changes to UK Law / Martyn’s Law)
Version controlled in all documents and templates
Tutor Support:
Learners can contact the training provider via:
admin@decisionsupportcentre.com
Lesson Structure & Breakdown:
Handouts:
- Lesson 1:
1a ProtectUK leaflet
1b ProtectUK E-Learning Information
1c DSC Responsible Persons Training – Course Philosophy- Lesson 2:
2a Overview of DSC Events and Venues Toolkit
2b Overview of DSC Incident Response Playbook
2c Draft Readiness Review Template
2d Draft Enhanced Security and Preparedness Plan Template
2e Risk Assessment and Preparedness Proforma
2f Understanding Control in Events – Article- Lesson 3:
3a See, Check and Notify poster (SCaN)
3b Staff Briefing Checklist- Lesson 4:
4a Generic “Welcome and Safety” scripts for stewards
4b Suggested Emergency messages for PA systems
4c Suggested Standard Holding Statements for Media
4d Validation of Process (VoP) Workshop- Lesson 5:
5a Draft Security Plan Template
5b Risk and Decision Framework for Venues and Events
5c Sample Risk Register- Lesson 6:
6a Decision Log sample and template- Lesson 7:
7a Draft Readiness Review Template- Lesson 8:
8a Draft Self-Assessment and Readiness Check- Appendix:
Case Study Appendix
DSC Events and Venues Toolkit
DSC Incident Response Playbook
Learning Approach:
Resources Required:
At the end of each lesson click the ‘Mark complete’ button [bottom right]. The screen will refresh. Scroll to the bottom again to find the ‘Next Lesson’ button.
A LESSONS tab is at the top right of this screen allowing you to see your progress or go back to particular lessons.
If you haven’t already – click ‘Buy Training’ (top right) to proceed, or use the other navigation buttons. Below you will find the Course Content.
