With Martyn’s Law expected to come into force around April 2027, many venue owners and managers are beginning to think practically about what they need to do to get their people ready.

Most organisations understand staff will require some form of Martyn’s Law training, but it’s not always clear what that looks like in practice. The reality is that compliance won’t come from a single course or a one-off exercise. It will depend on whether your staff, at every level, understand risk, recognise warning signs, and know how to respond appropriately.

In this guide, we explain what sort of training will be helpful to staff and the organisation at large in meeting the requirements set out by Martyn’s Law.

Why now is the time to seek out Martyn’s Law training

Although Martyn’s Law isn’t yet enforceable, once it is in place, organisations won’t be given the luxury of starting from zero. There will be an expectation that reasonable steps have already been taken, and that includes preparing your staff.

Leaving training until the last minute increases the risk of doing something rushed and superficial, and makes it harder to embed the kind of awareness and confidence in venue staff that Martyn’s Law is really aiming to achieve.

Starting now gives you time to build capability gradually, rather than trying to retrofit it under pressure.

Does Martyn’s Law specify training for venue staff?

At a basic level (standard tier venues), the requirement is to have clear, practical procedures in place that staff can follow if an incident occurs. These procedures are centred on protecting people, things like evacuating safely, moving individuals to secure areas, locking down the premises, and communicating effectively during an emergency.

For larger venues and events (enhanced tier), the expectations go further. In addition to having those procedures, organisations will need to take steps to reduce vulnerability to an attack, document their plans, and show how their approach lowers risk. There is also a requirement to assign a senior individual with responsibility for ensuring compliance.

In both cases, the emphasis is on preparedness. Staff don’t need a specific certificate, but they do need to be capable of recognising threats and responding to potential terrorist incidents.

This will require internal training against newly developed initiatives and policies, but specialist third-party training also plays an important role.

Not all staff need the same level of training to meet Martyn’s Law requirements

One misconception is that everyone needs the same level of security training under Martyn’s Law. In most cases, this likely won’t be necessary.

Fundamentally, all staff should understand what to look out for and what to do if something doesn’t feel right. That doesn’t mean turning your entire workforce into security professionals. It means giving them enough awareness to spot potential issues early and act sensibly.

Training like Personal Safety Awareness and Lone Worker Safety sits well here. These focus on situational awareness, recognising unusual behaviour, and making safe decisions, all of which are directly relevant to the kind of preparedness Martyn’s Law is designed to encourage.

For many organisations, this level of training can be delivered efficiently through eLearning, making it easier to reach large teams without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Where Martyn’s Law training expectations increase: frontline roles

For staff who interact directly with the public, the bar is understandably higher when it comes to training and competency. 

These are the people most likely to notice when something is off, whether that’s unusual behaviour, a tense interaction, or a situation that’s beginning to escalate. In those moments, knowing how to respond calmly and appropriately is just as important as recognising the issue in the first place.

That’s where more focused training becomes important. Conflict Management training, for example, helps staff handle difficult situations without escalating them further. It also gives them the confidence to act, rather than hesitate or avoid getting involved.

In larger or higher-capacity venues, particularly those that may fall into tier 2 under Martyn’s Law, this kind of capability becomes even more important. Measured, early intervention can have a significant impact on outcomes during a potential escalation.

Martyn’s Law and the role of venue managers: making decisions under pressure

Venue managers are responsible for leading the response in the event of an emergency. Frontline staff can all use their intuition to take appropriate action independently in the moment, but, just as they do for day-to-day operations, managers should be capable of coordinating the broader response.

That’s a very different kind of pressure. Decisions may need to be made quickly, with incomplete information, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant. As such, venues need to prepare airtight, practicable terrorist emergency response plans. For many, seeking outside Security Consultancy and Auditing will be essential in developing effective workable procedures. 

Higher-risk environments need a different conversation

Not every venue will need advanced or specialist training, and it’s important not to overstate what’s required. Martyn’s Law is expected to be based on proportionality, taking reasonable steps based on your level of risk.

That said, some organisations will need to go further than basic awareness.

For larger venues, or those with higher footfall and more complex layouts, the focus often shifts from simple procedures to how procedures would work in practice under pressure. This might include more detailed planning, scenario-based training, or preparing staff to respond to more complex situations.

In these cases, hostile environment programmes can help build confidence and improve decision-making in high-pressure situations.

For many venues, this won’t be necessary. But where the risk profile is higher, it’s worth considering whether basic training alone is enough to prepare your team.

The Senior Responsible Person

Martyn’s Law calls for the appointment of a Senior Responsible Person (SRP). The SRP takes responsibility for making sure everything required by the law is in place, practicable, and effective. 

They are, in effect, in charge of ensuring compliance is met and maintained over time. In practical terms, this role requires a good understanding of risk management and emergency preparedness, along with the ability to coordinate training, planning, and documentation across the organisation. It is less about technical qualifications and more about having the oversight and judgment needed to keep compliance on track.

For some organisations, that responsibility will sit internally. But in practice, many don’t have a dedicated security function, which can make ownership unclear.

Where that expertise doesn’t exist in-house, some organisations are choosing to bring in external support to take on that role. At Cardinus, we can serve as your Senior Responsible Person, relieving your team of the burden while providing the peace of mind that compliance is being managed consistently.

We take full ownership of the SRP role for your venue, handling all responsibilities set out by Martyn’s Law, including:

• Compliance management
• Guidance of security planning
• Recoding key information and maintaining documentation 
• Liaising with the SIA on your behalf

If you’re beginning to think about how Martyn’s Law will work in practice for your organisation, we can help you understand what this would look like in more detail and whether an external SRP model is the right fit. Contact us today to get started.

Beyond security training: Don’t overlook the wider picture

Martyn’s Law requires a broad approach to safety and preparedness. Security training is a key part of that, but it doesn’t cover everything. Areas like first aid capability, emergency response, and evacuation planning all play an important role in how an organisation responds to an incident.

In the event of an attack or major incident, the window of time before emergency services can arrive is critical. Ensuring certain staff members are trained beyond standard workplace first aid, specifically in trauma care and managing catastrophic bleeding, can save lives and minimise harm.

Alongside security preparedness, medical response competency provides substantial proof that you have taken sufficient measures to comply with Martyn’s Law.

Bringing it together

For most organisations, the most effective way to approach Martyn’s Law training is to think in layers.

Everyone needs a baseline level of awareness. Frontline staff need the confidence to respond appropriately. Managers need to be able to make decisions and lead. And at the top, someone needs to take ownership of the whole process.

That doesn’t all need to happen at once. But it does need to be planned.

Martyn’s Law is ultimately about being ready, not just on paper, but in practice. The organisations that approach training in a structured, proportionate way will be in a much stronger position when the legislation comes into force.