Door Supervisor

Also known as:

Bouncer

Introduction

Door supervisors stand at the entrance to nightclubs, pubs and discos. They enforce club regulations on who can come in, and on dress code. They are responsible for keeping order to ensure the safety and security of customers and staff.

All door supervisors in Scotland must hold a licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). You must be at least 18 to get this. See the SIA website.

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Work Activities

Door supervisors check on people going in and out of pubs, clubs, discos, hotels and other licensed venues. They might have to calm people down in tense or aggressive situations, so that both customers and staff can enjoy the evening.

Door supervisors make sure that customers are dressed appropriately. For example, some venues refuse entry to people wearing trainers or jeans.

Door supervisors are responsible for:
• meeting and greeting customers, collecting charges and tickets
• checking proof of age
• upholding health and safety regulations, and fire regulations, within a venue
• searching customers' bags and clothing for drugs and weapons
• controlling behaviour and dealing with difficult situations if customers are drunk or abusive
• possibly ejecting troublemakers
• recording any incidents and possibly making sure that a scene of crime is not disturbed.

They must be aware of licensing regulations and emergency procedures. They must also have a knowledge of law and how, if necessary, to hold troublemakers until the police arrive.

They often work in pairs, and in larger venues might be part of a team. They are usually responsible for making sure people leave the premises safely at the end of an event.

Door supervisors sometimes wear a uniform. They might wear radio headsets to keep in contact with other staff.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a door supervisor, you must be responsible, alert and able to keep calm in difficult situations. You might need to use careful judgement to defuse an aggressive situation or resolve conflict without putting yourself, or those around you, in unnecessary danger.

You will have to work late nights and weekends. You need to be physically fit as you will spend a lot of time on your feet.

You should enjoy working with people, have a mature attitude and be confident and assertive. You must enjoy working as part of a team.

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Pay and Opportunities

Rates of pay vary throughout the country.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

New entrants earn around £6.50 per hour, rising to around £12 per hour for experienced people. In London, these rates can double.

Door supervisors usually work a 4-5 hour shift and may do three or four shifts in a week. Weekends are the busiest times. Hours are unsocial. Depending on the venue, you might work from early or late evening, to late evening or the early hours of the following morning.

There are full-time and part-time jobs in pubs, bars, clubs, discos, hotels and other licensed venues throughout the UK. Jobs are advertised in the press and in Jobcentre Plus.

Some door supervisors are employed permanently, but many are registered with agencies that find temporary work.

Experienced door supervisors may be in charge of a small team. There may be opportunities for promotion to area supervisor with some agencies and employers.

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Adult Opportunities

Age limits apply to this occupation. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to hold a Security Industry Authority (SIA) licence. This has been a requirement in Scotland since November 2007.

Some applicants have a background in security, police or the armed forces.

Relevant short courses can lead to SIA licensing. A list of training providers is available from the SIA website.

• 9% of people in occupations such as door supervisor are self-employed.
• 36% work part-time.
• 3% have flexible hours.
• 5% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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