Free Martyn's Law training and official resources

The short answer

The most useful free resources are the Home Office statutory guidance (for managers), ACT Awareness e-learning (for all staff), SCaN for All (for team awareness) and the ProtectUK and NPSA websites (for good practice). Together they cover almost everything a standard tier venue needs, apart from the one thing only you can do: tailoring procedures to your own building.

The statutory guidance says there is no statutory requirement for specific counter-terrorism training. However, staff who carry out your procedures must know them and their role, and the guidance expects that, so far as reasonably practicable, all staff are trained to be alert to suspicious items and behaviour and to report concerns quickly. Free resources are the easiest way to achieve that.

Official guidance on the law

Start here before any training. The Home Office publishes the core documents in a GOV.UK collection for the Act.

• Statutory guidance (section 27). The main document. Chapter 7 covers the four procedures, training and notification for every tier; chapter 8 covers the extra enhanced tier duties.
• Supplementary document A. Methods for working out how many people can reasonably be expected at your premises, with worked examples. See how to calculate capacity.
• Supplementary document B. Illustrative examples of what is and is not in scope.
• Supplementary document C. A catalogue of training and awareness products, which this guide draws on.
• Notification requirement guidance. What you must tell the SIA, and when. See notifying the SIA.
• Home Office factsheets. Short summaries that are good to share with owners and boards.

ProtectUK also has a Martyn's Law section with a one-page leaflet, scope infographics for premises and events, a top tips sheet, a responsible person infographic, a myth buster and short animated videos on scope, tiers, procedures, reasonably practicable and the SIA's role. The videos are a quick way to brief a management team.

ACT e-learning: the core free course

Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) is Counter Terrorism Policing's awareness programme. NaCTSO has created a set of products under it, and the e-learning courses are free on ProtectUK. You need to register for a ProtectUK account; registration sends a one-time link by email to set your password.

• ACT Awareness e-learning. Short modules covering an introduction to counter-terrorism, identifying and responding to suspicious activity, suspicious items, bomb threats and marauding attackers. Suitable for staff at all levels. ProtectUK says it takes 60 to 90 minutes in one sitting, can be paused and resumed, and gives a downloadable certificate.
• ACT Security e-learning. A free course for front-line security operatives. The guidance notes it does not replace site-specific instruction on your procedures.
• ACT e-learning for education. Developed by the Department for Education with NaCTSO for staff in education settings. See schools, colleges and universities.

Larger organisations can request a group URL and PIN, or a SCORM package to load into their own learning management system, through ProtectUK. Note that group completion produces one certificate for the group, so keep your own record of who took part.

Face-to-face ACT sessions from CTSAs

Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) are police specialists who deliver several ACT products in person. Supplementary document C notes that delivery depends on CTSA availability, so you cannot always book on demand.

• ACT Awareness. A two-hour in-person introduction covering suspicious activity, suspicious items and bomb threats, marauding attackers and postal threats. For staff at all levels.
• ACT Operational. A three-hour, scenario-based session for operational supervisors and staff, focused on decision-making and communication plans.
• ACT Strategic. A workshop for policy writers and decision-makers in an area to share good practice on preparing for, managing and recovering from an attack.
• ACT Corporate (engagement days). Regional or sector briefings for senior managers from small and medium businesses and targeted sectors such as retail, sport and hospitality.

Ask your local police force, Business Improvement District or trade association whether sessions are planned for your area or sector.

SCaN: See, Check and Notify

SCaN was developed by the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) with the City of London Police. It trains staff to recognise hostile reconnaissance, the information gathering that comes before an attack, and to deter it using normal good customer service.

• See: recognise what is normal and what is not.
• Check: use friendly conversation, the "Power of Hello", to judge whether activity is suspicious.
• Notify: know how and when to report, and what to do when someone reports something to you.

SCaN for All is free. It is designed as a 30 to 60 minute session run by someone in your own organisation using the facilitator notes provided, or it can be completed online or loaded into your own e-learning system. SCaN for Security Managers is also free and involves time with a SCaN trainer, subject to resources. Other SCaN modules (for CCTV operators, customer-facing staff, line managers, communications teams and decision-makers) are paid for.

SCaN for All works well as a team briefing at a staff meeting, which also gives you a natural moment to walk through your own procedures.

Public campaigns and quick-reference principles

These short, memorable resources are useful for posters, shift briefings and prompt cards. Use them to support your procedures, not replace them.

• Run Hide Tell. Counter Terrorism Policing's advice to the public in a firearms or weapons attack. ProtectUK provides a video and a digital toolkit. The statutory guidance supplement says it is aimed at the public and is not a substitute for your procedures or an instruction for staff.
• HOT principles. A quick test for unattended items: is it Hidden, Obviously suspicious, and not Typical of what you would expect in that location?
• Remove, Remove, Remove. Public advice on early actions after exposure to a hazardous substance or acid attack.
• Recognise, Assess, React (RAR). NPSA guidance for control room staff on chemical, biological and radiological incidents.
• Café Lockdown Drama. A short NPSA film showing how staff in a small business can lock down quickly: when, who decides, how and how to maintain it. Ideal for lockdown procedure training in smaller venues.
• Security on Your Side. An NPSA communications campaign to make visible security more of a deterrent, more relevant to larger sites.

Some official films recreate attack scenarios. The guidance advises viewer discretion, so warn staff before showing them.

A free training plan by role

Here is how a standard tier venue could combine these resources at no cost. For example, a 300-capacity restaurant might follow this plan in its first month and then refresh annually.

The statutory guidance stresses that training should be tailored to your premises and procedures rather than simply completing a generic module. Read staff training requirements and testing and drills to finish the job.

What to do next

Register for ProtectUK this week and complete ACT Awareness yourself, so you know what you are asking staff to do. Confirm your tier with our free checker, then use the Martyn's Law checklist to build your procedures. Our packs include staff briefing cards and a training log that pair well with these free courses.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Non-statutory supplementary document C: further resources and learning (Home Office)
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: statutory guidance (Home Office)
• Accessing e-learning and frequently asked questions (ProtectUK)
• Martyn's Law resources (ProtectUK)
• RUN HIDE TELL (ProtectUK)
• National Protective Security Authority (NPSA)