Martyn's Law training courses: what staff actually need

The short answer

You do not need to buy a Martyn's Law training course. The Home Office statutory guidance says there is no statutory requirement for the responsible person or staff to carry out specific training, learning or instruction related to counter-terrorism or the Act, and that it is not mandatory to pay for third-party training.

What staff do need is to know your procedures and their part in them. The guidance says the people responsible for carrying out the procedures must be made aware of them and their specific role, and be given the understanding, experience and tools they need. If they are not, it is likely to be difficult to show that appropriate procedures are in place.

For most standard tier venues, the right mix is free awareness e-learning for everyone, plus a short briefing on your own building. The duties are expected to come into force in spring 2027, although no date has been announced. If you are unsure whether your venue is in scope, use the free tier checker.

What the Act and guidance actually require

Martyn's Law requires appropriate public protection procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, so far as reasonably practicable. Training is not a separate duty. It is part of making those procedures work. The statutory guidance sets out three things in paragraphs 7.51 to 7.62:

• Procedure awareness. Staff responsible for carrying out procedures must know them and their role, and what to do in specific scenarios, such as starting a procedure or following instructions.
• General vigilance. So far as reasonably practicable, all staff should be trained to be alert to suspicious items and behaviour, know how to report concerns, and understand why reporting quickly matters.
• Tailoring. Training should be tailored to your premises and procedures, rather than simply completing a generic module or course. Supervisors, who are likely to start a procedure, may need more.

Staff here means everyone working at the premises: employees, contractors and volunteers, whether full time, part time or on shifts. The guidance says the form is flexible. Formal courses, team briefings, induction sessions, shadowing, supervised practice with equipment, e-learning and annual refreshers can all count.

The official options

The Home Office's supplementary document C lists counter-terrorism awareness products. The main ones for venues come from Counter Terrorism Policing's Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) programme and the National Protective Security Authority's See, Check and Notify (SCaN) programme. Names below follow that document.

To use the e-learning, staff register with ProtectUK. Larger organisations can ask ProtectUK for a group link and PIN, or a package to load into their own learning system. For a wider list, including Run Hide Tell and NPSA films, see free training and resources.

Paid courses: when they help and how to judge them

Supplementary document C notes that some products cost money, including several SCaN modules for roles such as CCTV operators, line managers and communications teams. Commercial providers also sell Martyn's Law courses. The guidance says you may buy training if you consider it necessary, helpful or appropriate. Paid training can make sense for larger or complex premises, for supervisors who will make decisions under pressure, or for scenario exercises you cannot run yourself.

Before you buy, ask:

• Does it teach my procedures, or only general awareness that the free courses already cover?
• Will the trainer work with my building, my roles and my alerts, or is it the same slide deck for every venue?
• Does it include practice, such as a tabletop exercise or walk-through, rather than only watching videos?
• What evidence of experience can the trainer show? The guidance says third parties helping with enhanced tier documents should have experience and competence that can be evidenced, which is a sensible test for trainers too.
• What records will I receive, and can I add them to my own training log?

Treat these claims as red flags:

• "Martyn's Law certified" or "makes you compliant". No course can make you compliant, and there is no official Martyn's Law qualification for staff.
• "Approved" or "accredited" by the Home Office or SIA for Martyn's Law. We are not aware of any such scheme, and the guidance does not describe one.
• "Mandatory" training. The guidance is clear that paid training is not mandatory.

Do not confuse Martyn's Law with SIA licensing. Some roles, such as door supervisors, need an SIA licence under separate legislation. The guidance says staff with that kind of prior security training are still likely to need site-specific instruction on your procedures.

The real gap: a venue-specific briefing

Awareness courses teach staff to spot and report. They cannot tell a new bartender which door to lock, where the safe room is, or what the codeword means. That is the part only you can provide, and it is the part the guidance focuses on.

A good briefing takes 15 to 20 minutes and covers:

1. Why it matters: an attack could happen anywhere, and quick action saves lives.
2. How to spot and report suspicious items and behaviour, and who to tell.
3. Who decides to start each procedure on each shift, and how staff will know.
4. The four procedures in your building: which exits, which rooms, which doors and shutters, how to bring people in from outside.
5. Their own role in each, and what to do if the person in charge is not there.
6. Codewords or alerts, and when to call 999.
7. Where the prompt card is kept, and where to find the full procedures.

The guidance says a document for staff setting out the procedures and roles will probably be appropriate in practice, such as a quick reference guide or a credit-card-sized prompt card. Keep codewords and sensitive details off anything that could be lost in public.

For example, a 300-capacity pub might give every new starter the ACT awareness e-learning in their first week, a 15-minute walk-round briefing with the duty manager before their first unsupervised shift, and a prompt card behind the bar. Supervisors might also run a tabletop exercise each quarter. That example is illustrative only. See pubs and bars for more on that sector.

Who needs what

For more on refresh frequency and staff groups, see staff training requirements.

Records to keep

At the standard tier there is no legal duty to document training, but records are the easiest way to show the SIA that staff know the procedures. For enhanced tier premises, the guidance says the responsible person should keep a record of training, learning or instruction. Keep:

• name, role and employment type of each person
• what they covered: e-learning, site briefing, exercise
• date, and who delivered the briefing
• copies of e-learning certificates, noting that a group login may produce a single certificate for the whole group
• when their refresher is due
• results and lessons from tests and exercises

See record keeping and evidence and testing and drills for how these fit together.

What to do next

Complete ACT awareness e-learning yourself so you know what you are asking staff to do. Write your procedures, then build a short briefing around them and test it with your team. Our packs include a venue-specific staff briefing with a short quiz and a training record. Staff who pass receive a certificate for your own records, which is not an accredited qualification.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Home Office: Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 statutory guidance
• Home Office: Non-statutory supplementary document C, further resources and learning
• ProtectUK: Accessing e-learning and frequently asked questions
• SIA: Understanding Martyn's Law and the SIA's role as regulator