Campus Support Services operates to ensure a safe and secure crime-free environment within the University community, through the provision of a proactive and vigilant Campus Support team. They offer a 24/7 chaperone service to escort any student, staff or visitor around the University campus to ensure that they feel safe whilst on our site. To request this service, please contact the control room on 0151 794 3252.
If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, please call the police or ambulance service on 999.
Personal safety
Liverpool is an incredible city to be a student, and you will no doubt want to make the most out of , you may choose to visit the many pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants in the area. Follow these simple tips to make sure you plan a safe night out with your new friends:
- Drink responsibly – You are far more vulnerable when you are drunk, especially if you are on your own. Try and stay with a group of friends (although please note that according to the latest Government guidelines, you must not meet people you do not live with socially in groups of more than six). Eat before you go out, and try to alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks.
- Never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from a stranger if you didn’t see it being prepared.
- Know your limits and stay in control. Find out more about Drink Less Enjoy More.
- Plan your journey home before you set off. Pre-book a taxi, or arrange a lift with a non-drinker. Perhaps even select one of your group to be the designated driver.
- Remember to use a licensed taxi or black cab. Don’t hitch-hike or accept lifts from strangers.
- Remember, there is safety in numbers – don’t wander off on your own. If you do walk home, try to stick to main roads which are well-populated, even if it means taking a longer alternative route. Avoid poorly lit areas including alleyways.
- If you are travelling alone on public transport, try to avoid waiting alone at isolated bus stops. Have change or your bank card ready, to avoid getting your purse or wallet out in public.
- Travel sensibly – listening with headphones or talking on the phone while out and about reduces your awareness of what’s around you.
- If you need to withdraw cash, try to do it in the day when there are more people about and only take out what you need. Make sure you protect your PIN. If you do need to withdraw cash late at night, use a machine in a well-lit area and stay with friends.
- Be aware of strangers asking for money. There are many organisations in Liverpool that can help vulnerable people, you shouldn’t hand over money. If you are on campus and concerned about people asking for money, please direct the person to Campus Support on Bedford Street, opposite the Sports Centre. If you feel threatened call the team on 0151 794 2222 (in an emergency), 0151 794 3252 (non-emergency) and ask for assistance.
- Never get involved in violence. Even if you didn’t start a fight you can still be fined or arrested for being involved.
- Attract help if you need it – If you feel threatened, make as much noise as possible to identify yourself in order to warn off the individual and to attract help from others.
Protect your home and property
To keep your home and your property safe, follow these simple tips.
- If you are leaving the house, remember to always lock all doors and windows and activate any house alarms. When you are at home, all external doors should be locked with a key.
- Light timers are a good way of making it appear that a house or flat is occupied.
- Protect your valuables – keep them out of sight in your home and close curtains at night.
- Don’t leave laptops, tablets, or phones unattended, even in the library.
- Be vigilant when using your phone when out and about; only use it for calls if necessary. Try to keep your phone out of sight.
- Remember to register your possessions for free with Immobilise, the national property register, to improve the chances of getting them back in the event of theft.
- If you live in a flat or shared accommodation, make sure you know who is following you into the building.
- Opening the windows to ventilate your home is important to prevent mould and damp. Secure your UPVC window by only opening to the first-stage locking point. If you leave the room or the house, secure fully by locking the window with the key.
- Don't leave the packaging from expensive goods you have bought outside next to your bin, instead, take it to a recycling bin or tip.
- If you are living in halls or a private apartment, be wary of who is following you into the building and do not hold the door open for strangers.
For more information and advice about enhancing your personal and property safety, contact our friendly Campus Support team on 0151 794 3252 or visit the Liverpool Student Homes website. The University also has a dedicated Police Officer who works alongside our Campus Support Services team and can offer practical safety advice.
Look after your mental health
Your mental health is as important as your physical health and it is vital to seek help if you feel stressed, depressed or vulnerable. There are lots of support services and resources available at the University including:
- Student Welfare Advice and Guidance
- Counselling Service
- Mental Health Advisory Service
- Advice and Guidance
- Disability Advice and Guidance
- International Advice and Guidance
- Money Advice and Guidance
- Student Space can help you access dedicated student support services during the pandemic, either by phone or text
The team will be providing support through video (Microsoft Teams or Zoom), phone and email between 9am and 5pm each day.
You can contact the University Student Services for help and advice.
Online safety
Despite the best efforts of robust University systems, we know from experience that scammers target our staff and students with malicious emails – and many people will, unfortunately, become victims of fraud as a result.
A phishing email is a fake email message that claims to be from an organisation you may trust. For example, a company, bank, government or from the University. A phishing email will often ask you to provide or “verify” personal or account details by clicking on a link or replying to the email.
In previous years, we’ve seen fake emails that look like they’ve come from Amazon, Royal Mail, and also the University.
The University’s Computing Services Department blocks millions of spam and phishing emails, but phishers are constantly adapting and producing new techniques to target people around the world.
You should always be vigilant: check your emails to see if they are genuine and make sure you don’t give out personal information.
To help you stay safe, follow these top tips:
- Check all links within emails before clicking on them – To check a link before clicking on it, hover your mouse over the link. When you hover over the link, you should see the web address appear in a preview box. It may well be different from the visible text that you can see in the email. This can give you a clue that the email is not genuine.
- Never give out your personal information – No legitimate organisation will ask for your personal details by email. For example, a bank would never ask for your bank account, PIN, password or contact details via email. In doubt? Ring the organisation using the phone number advertised on their main website or visit their official webpage instead.
- Do not open attachments from people you don’t know or if you’re not expecting them – Do not open attachments unless you know the person sending them or you are expecting the attachment. Your bank, the government, and reputable companies like the Royal Mail, eBay or Amazon, rarely send attachments.
- Be wary of these common phrases – Watch out for instructions like “verify your account” or “if you don’t respond within xx hours, your account will be closed”. An example of this would be: Your library account has expired, therefore you must reactivate it immediately or it will be closed automatically. If you intend to use this service in the future, you must take action at once. To reactivate your account, simply visit the following page and login with your library account.
- Look out for spelling mistakes and poor grammar – Read the email carefully. If you spot spelling mistakes or poor grammar, this may be a sign that the message is a phishing email.
- In doubt? Don’t engage with the email – Do not open attachments or follow any links. If you want to check to see if the email is genuine, contact the organisation that appears to have sent it by visiting their official website to find their genuine contact details. If you are still in any doubt, get in touch with the IT Service Desk for advice about whether the email is malicious or not.
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