We hope everyone is feeling settled into campus life following the first two weeks of teaching.
The next few weeks are bound to be a blur of lectures, socialising and making sure your student accommodation is a home-from-home. We want you to have fun but we also want to make sure you’re equipped to stay safe when you’re on campus or in the city centre. Here are some tips from us.
Safezone
We’d recommend you download the Safezone app, which you can use on campus to call for assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Download SafeZone for iOs/Apple
It uses geofencing on campus, so when you open the app and request help, your location is automatically shared with Campus Support’s control room to ensure that the right assistance arrives quickly.
The home screen features a red Emergency button for immediate assistance; a green First Aid button for when medical attention is required; a blue Control Room button for non-urgent assistance or advice; and a yellow Wellbeing Assistance button for a range of online health and wellbeing resources.
The Wellbeing Assistance function also gives you access to live viewing of the 699 bus route, to avoid those long waits at the bus stop. If you’re travelling to and from Greenbank or you live in rented accommodation along the route, this is a must have.
Campus support
Did you know that Campus Support Services also offer a 24/7 chaperone service? If you’re worried about anything, a member of the team will escort you around campus to ensure that you feel safe whilst on site. To request this service, please contact the control room on 0151 794 3252. If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to call the police or ambulance service immediately on 999.
We also have a dedicated campus police officer, PC James (Jay) Brown. Jay is happy to support you in any way he can. As your dedicated police officer Jay work alongside Campus Support and can offer safety advice and support regarding potential crime related issues. You can get in touch with him via email: james.brown3@liverpool.ac.uk.
Socialising off campus
Drink spiking
Drink spiking has become much more common and widespread in recent years. Although Liverpool is a relatively safe place to live and study, it’s important to be alert when out socialising.
Learn how to spot the potential signs of drink spiking in yourself and your friends (note symptoms can vary widely):
- Feeling more drunk than you should be based on your consumption
- Confusion and just feeling strange
- Nausea or vomiting
- Hallucinations and paranoia
- Memory loss
Read more about how spiking can make you feel.
If you think your drink has been spiked please:
- Tell someone you’re with what’s happened and report it to the bar/club staff if you’re still at the venue
- If you feel well enough, make sure you’re taken home by someone you feel safe with and ensure they stay with you throughout the night
- Drink water but not an excessive amount
- If you don’t feel right seek medical attention at hospital
- In an emergency situation, call 999
Merseyside Police want to hear from you if you think you’ve been spiked. Your report means they can investigate and prevent it happening to others. Find out about reporting spiking to the police.
Ask for Angela
This is a really important scheme that we want every student to know about. If you get separated from friends on your night out and you find yourself with someone who is making you feel scared, vulnerable and unsafe, approach staff in any bar and ‘Ask for Angela’. They’ll know to take you to a safe space, remove any threat that you feel and arrange for you to reunite with your friends or get transport home.
Travelling home
At the end of a night out we know you just want to get home. If you choose to walk home, try to do so in a group and keep to well-lit areas. If you feel unsafe at any point, go into the nearest shop or food outlet and ask for help.
Should you opt for a taxi, be sure it’s a licensed vehicle, like a Hackney Cab or official private hire. A Liverpool licenced Hackney Cab will have a roof light showing the word TAXI, a yellow plate on the front and rear of the vehicle and a yellow illuminated sign inside the taxi which displays the number plate. The driver should have a personal ID badge and tariff sheet on display inside.
Private hire cabs registered with Liverpool City Council will have a red and white plate attached to the back of the vehicle and one in the windscreen. They should also have door signs displaying the logo of their private hire operator. They will have a personal ID badge on display in the vehicle.
The Liverpool Night Bus helps people travel safely between Liverpool and the Wirral. The service runs every hour from midnight to 5am, Thursday night/Friday morning, Friday night/Saturday morning and Saturday night/Sunday morning. The route includes: Allerton, Allerton Library, Smithdown Road, Myrtle Street, Liverpool ONE Bus Station, Scotland Road and Birkenhead. Stagecoach operate the bus service and tickets cost £2. Find out more about plan your journey in advance via the Night bus timetable.
Have a great – and safe – time this term.