People ask whether Martyn's Law makes training compulsory because companies selling training say it does. The honest answer: the Act does not require a course, a certificate or a qualified trainer. It requires procedures that the people at the premises would actually follow, and the only way that is true is if they know them. This page says what that means for a small venue, what is free, and what to record.
What the Act says
At standard tier the duty is to have public protection procedures in place "so far as is reasonably practicable", and the Act defines them as procedures to be followed by individuals working at the premises if an attack happens or is suspected. The word "followed" carries the whole requirement: a procedure in a drawer that nobody has read is not a procedure anyone would follow. The statutory guidance expects the responsible person to make sure workers are aware of the procedures and understand their role. It does not prescribe a course, an hour count, or a certificate.
At enhanced tier the same applies to the procedures, and the measures add an expectation that staff know how to use whatever is in place (monitoring, entry control). Still no mandatory qualification.
What it means for a hall, church, club or school
- Everyone who would be expected to act knows the four procedures: where the exits are and where people go; where the safer part of the building is for an invacuation; how the doors are secured for a lockdown and who decides; how people on the premises are told. Fifteen minutes with the plan of the building.
- A walk-through once a year. Combine it with the fire drill; the fire safety guide explains how.
- Free awareness training for anyone who wants more: the ACT Awareness e-learning on ProtectUK, under an hour, with a short version for volunteers.
- A record: who read which version, when; who attended the walk-through. That is what you show the regulator.
Hirers and contractors
A yoga teacher who hires the hall on Tuesdays is working at the premises in the ordinary sense, and would be the only adult in the room if something happened. The practical answer is a one-page summary of your procedures given with the hire agreement, and a line in the agreement saying they have read it. The hire agreement guide has the wording.
What to record
| Record | Why |
|---|---|
| Who has read each procedure, which version, when | Shows the procedures are known, and by whom |
| The yearly walk-through: date, who attended, what was found | Shows they are practised and reviewed |
| Awareness training completed, if any, by name | Supporting evidence; not required |
| Hirers given the summary | Covers the people you do not employ |
Common questions
- Does Martyn's Law make training compulsory?
- The Act does not require an accredited course or a certificate. It requires public protection procedures that the people working at the premises would follow, which means they have to know them. The guidance treats briefing, walk-throughs and awareness training as the way you show that, not as a separate duty.
- Is there free training?
- Yes. The ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Awareness e-learning on ProtectUK is free, takes under an hour, and is the course the Home Office points to. There is a shorter version for volunteers. It covers awareness and what to do; it does not replace your own building-specific procedures.
- Do volunteers have to do it?
- Anyone who would be expected to act under the procedures should know them: the hall caretaker, the churchwarden on duty, the bar volunteer, the steward at the fete. Casual hirers running their own event are a different question; your hire agreement should tell them what your procedures are.
- How often?
- On induction and when the procedures change, with a walk-through once a year. Record who has read what and when; that record is the evidence.
- Do we need a qualified trainer?
- No. The responsible person can brief their own people. Larger venues often use a counter-terrorism security adviser or a consultant for the enhanced tier assessment, but that is not a training requirement.
Your people read it on their phones. You see who has.
The Venue Record sends each procedure to the people who need it, lets them read and confirm from a phone with no account, asks a couple of questions to show they understood it, and keeps the register of who has read which version. The yearly walk-through is logged the same way.
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A plain-English summary of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office statutory guidance, written for the people who run premises. The Act is not yet in force and regulations may change the detail. It is not legal advice. The Venue Record is independent and is not connected to, endorsed by or approved by the Home Office, the Security Industry Authority or any government body.