'Ask for Angela': Helping the hospitality sector safeguard their customers

'Ask for Angela' is an initiative from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to enable people who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened in a hospitality setting to discreetly ask for help

People who feel unsafe, vulnerable or threatened can discreetly seek help by approaching venue staff. Asking for 'Angela' will indicate to trained staff that this person requires help in reuniting them with a friend, accompanying them to a taxi, or calling venue security and/or the police.

What is the 'Ask for Angela' scheme?

'Ask for Angela' is a support mechanism to inform and educate hospitality industry staff about customer welfare and vulnerability. Through a code phrase that can be used by customers to discreetly seek help, 'Ask for Angela' reassures customers that support is available.

The code phrase is pointless without proper and straightforward training for your staff, so the PSNI and Hospitality Ulster have partnered to help deliver appropriate training and resources to get you started.

Training for hospitality staff

The PSNI has developed a training package, in partnership with Hospitality Ulster, with the ambition of publicly rolling out the 'Ask for Angela' safeguarding initiative across Northern Ireland in December 2022.

Any local venue that wishes to participate must first register to sign up for the 'Ask for Angela' scheme and then they will be given access to the bespoke training package for their staff and promotional materials for their venue.

The training explores what vulnerability is, how to identify it and appropriate interventions to take if someone ‘Asks for Angela’.

Find out more about the 'Ask for Angela' scheme and how to access the training available.

First published 7 November 2022