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Running a duty manager handover that holds up

Shift change is where compliance quietly breaks. A short, consistent handover keeps the licence covered and leaves a record worth having.

4 MIN READ
UPDATED AUGUST 2026
LIQUOR COMPLIANCE
Key points
Every trading period needs a recorded duty manager.
Handover should be a routine, not a conversation in passing.
Write incidents down while the detail is fresh.
The record is what you rely on months later.

Why handovers matter

Most of what goes wrong on a licensed premises happens in the gaps: the manager who left before the next one arrived, the refusal nobody recorded, the group that was moved on without anyone telling the incoming shift.

A handover routine closes those gaps in a few minutes.

What to cover

Keep it short and always in the same order so it survives a busy night.

Who is the duty manager now, and is it recorded
Anything from the previous shift: refusals, interventions, ejections
Groups or individuals to watch
Staffing and who is on the floor
Anything relevant to the licence conditions tonight

Write it down at the time

Notes written during or immediately after the shift are far more useful than a reconstruction a week later. Record the time, what happened, who was involved and what was done.

This is the material that supports you at renewal, in a complaint, or in any discussion with an agency.

Make it visible

Keep the duty manager record where it is expected to be, current and legible. If a member of staff cannot say who the duty manager is, the record is not doing its job.

IMPORTANT
This guide is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements, council processes and policies vary by district and change over time. Licensing decisions are made by the relevant statutory authorities.
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