As a Serve Legal auditor, you may be used to checking whether a process, such as asking for ID, has been followed, but may be unfamiliar with the other policy-driven work we do. An example of an audit testing policy is the work we do with Ask for Angela.
Ask for Angela audits help to test whether venue staff are prepared to support someone who feels unsafe, uncomfortable or threatened. By completing one of these visits accurately and responsibly, auditors provide evidence that can help improve training, strengthen procedures and create safer experiences for future customers.
It is not simply about whether a member of staff passes or fails an interaction. It is about understanding whether a safety initiative works in practice.
What is Ask for Angela?
Ask for Angela is a safety initiative operating in bars, clubs and hospitality venues. Someone who feels unsafe can approach a member of staff and ask for “Angela”, discreetly indicating that they need support.
A trained member of staff should recognise the phrase and respond appropriately and promptly. The support offered will depend on the situation, but it could involve:
For a person who is already feeling vulnerable, the way a member of staff responds can make a significant difference.
What does an auditor look for?
An Ask for Angela auditor will generally observe questions such as:
The purpose is not to create a dramatic situation or to test how staff respond to an emergency. Auditors carry out a controlled interaction, observe what happens and report the experience truthfully to see whether the initiative is working.
Why this work matters
One of the most valuable things an auditor contributes is an objective account of the customer experience. That evidence may help a venue decide to refresh staff training, improve induction for new employees, clarify the escalation procedure, and make promotional information more inclusive
Serve Legal’s 2025 research found that 93% of respondents recognised Ask for Angela, while 73% said they felt personally safer knowing the initiative was in place. This tells us that the public places real trust in the scheme.
However, the same research found that 76% of surveyed hospitality workers had not received Ask for Angela training. Among those who had received training, only 27% felt very confident managing this type of situation. There is therefore an important gap between customer expectations and staff preparedness.
Serve Legal’s current audit pass rate for Ask for Angela interactions is 73%. That means many staff members are responding effectively, but approximately 27% of audited interactions have not yet met the required standard.
Without these audits, a venue may know that training has been provided but not whether it is understood. Auditors help provide the missing customer perspective.
You are helping turn a promise into practice
Ask for Angela is built on a simple but powerful promise: if somebody discreetly asks for help, the venue will know how to respond. As an auditor, you help determine whether that promise is real.
Every accurate report helps identify where training is working and where more support is needed and every completed audit contributes to a wider picture of how consistently the initiative is operating.
You may never meet the customer who benefits from improved training following your visit, but your work can still contribute to a safer and more supportive experience for that person. When someone asks for Angela, the response matters.
Serve Legal is proud to support Ask for Angela and the vital work being done to create safer hospitality environments. By testing how the initiative works in real-life situations, we help businesses understand whether the support they promise is truly being delivered, where improvements may be needed and how staff can feel better prepared to respond.
For more information, click the link below to see the Ask for Angela website.