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4. Support the public

Communicate to your customers on how to report unacceptable behaviour experienced while using your service or space.

Welcoming night spaces clearly demonstrate their values though public-facing messaging on zero-tolerance to hate and harassment. To live up to these values it is vital that your customers feel that their concerns will be listened to and followed up with action.

Empower your staff to intervene on any concerning behaviour and call it out. We know that victims of harassment and hate crime do not always report it, create an army of allies who will enact on troublesome behaviour before waiting for any direct victims to disclose their experience.

/ Supporting your customers

Audiences are active participants in nightlife culture, there is an expectation that they can enter your space as their authentic selves. It’s your responsibility to nurture this energy and have a plan for when this goes wrong.

Create an environment where your customers feel comfortable and confident to report harassment or assault they have experienced or witnessed in your premises or event.

Use your communication campaign to clearly demonstrate your values. For example, display posters or post on social media highlighting your expected behaviour and zero-tolerance to harassment and discrimination.

Ensure your customers can clearly identify who to go to for support, such as a welfare team, duty managers, or security. Crucially, ensure these staff members are adequately trained and briefed on how to respond and record incidents.

Make sure that anyone who experiences harassment or assault in your space can report it in a simple, straightforward way. Have a range of options for reporting.

/ You should make sure that:

  • Your values as a safe(r) space are upheld across all platforms (in-person and online)
  • You have a clear written policy and procedure on how you will respond to reports of harassment or assault and what people can expect from any processes. This needs to be publicly available
  • Your staff are actively on the lookout for inappropriate behaviour
  • Incident reporting is as easy as possible,with a variety of methods available (e.g., in-person, email, phone, feedback form)
  • Consider how accessible these methods are and how you can make sure people trust their report will be taken seriously and treated confidentially
  • The people who have experienced or witnessed harassment or assault feel safe and protected
  • You speak with them privately and allow plenty of time for discussion