Information & Support for Door Supervisors - National Doorwatch

With Door Supervisor at both Local and National level becoming increasingly unhappy with the SIA, its organisation, its fees, and its remit, National Doorwatch asked Bill Butler to come and explain what was going on.

SIA Chief Executive, Bill Butler, gives good performance at the DeMontfort Halls, in Leicester as he answers questions from Door Supervisors from Leicester, Coventry, Derby, Nottingham, and via the web..

On Tuesday 24th of August Bill Butler the SIA Chief Executive came to the DeMontfort Halls and answered the questions Door Supervisors wanted to ask.  They came from all over the county, and included Doorwatch members from Coventry, Derby, and Nottingham.  The evening started with a brief message of support, from the Police Commander of Leicester City Centre, Inspector Jason Ross.  He said it was really important that this kind of meeting took place, and hoped a local Doorwatch could provide the platform for improved communications, between all those working in the Night-time Economy (NTE).

It was then over to Bill Butler to face the music.  He started off by apologising for the way things had been, and reassured the audience things were changing for the better.  “Far too many promises of ‘jam tomorrow’ have been made to Door Supervisors which were unrealistic, and with hindsight should never have been made.” He made it clear that he values the role Door Supervisors play in the NTE, and that it was wrong that Door Supervisors should face, what in any other profession, a totally unacceptable level of violence.  A level of violence which seen over 60% of Door Supervisor physically assaulted, according to research commissioned by the SIA.

He then began to take the questions which came from the audience, the internet, and from Door Supervisors who were unable to attend on the night.  These questions ranged from the cost of a license, through to the introduction of Physical Intervention Techniques, through to what did the SIA do all day to deserve their money.  Bill didn’t back down and gave a full answer to everything that was asked.  He even supported the feeling that the term “Bouncer” was offensive, and totally inappropriate description of a member of this highly regulated sector of the industry.

Consequently National Doorwatch is going to ask all publications to stop using this term, and seek to have it removed from the Dictionary.

The key message he gave was that Door Supervision as a profession had moved on.  He wanted Door Supervisors help him take things forward to create a new future for their industry, where the difficult role they performed, was valued and respected by all users of the NTE.