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International Student Safety Guide.
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International
Student Safety
Guide YOUR GUIDE TO
STAYING SAFE AND
ENJOYING YOUR TIME
IN MANCHESTER!
This booklet was made possible thanks to The UK Council for International
Student Affairs, the Manchester Student Safety Tactical Action Partnership and
student volunteers from The University of Manchester and Manchester
Metropolitan University.
WELCOME TO MANCHESTER!
GUIDE HISTORY
This guide is a key part of the
Manchester International Student Safety
Campaign. The campaign was created
following discussions with Greater
Manchester Police (GMP) and
international students. These
discussions highlighted the crimes
which international students were most
likely to be victims of and identified the
best methods of presenting our safety
information. One of the ideas was a
safety guide.
Following this MSH was awarded
funding for the campaign from The UK
Council for International Student Affairs
(UKCISA) and the Manchester Student
Safety Tactical Action Partnership.
Working in collaboration with
University partners and student
volunteers the International Student
Safety guide was completed. This guide
covers:
• Personal and Household Safety
• Fire Safety
• Health and Wellbeing
• Community Involvement
• Finance
• Insurance
This guide has been created, designed
and approved by international students
to help you stay safe whilst you study
and live in Manchester. We hope you
enjoy your time here!
MESSAGE FROM UKCISA
The UK Council for International Student
Affairs is the UK's national advisory
body serving the interests of
international students and those who
work with them. We have almost 500
members including all UK Universities,
many Further Education Colleges and
Students' Unions.
Our aims are:
• To increase support for international
education and raise awareness of its
values and benefits.
• To promote greater student mobility
and reduce obstacles and barriers to
it.
• To encourage best practice,
professional development and the
highest quality of institutional
support for international students
throughout the education sector.
Our website www.ukcisa.org.uk has a
range of valuable information for
international students and for advisers
and staff working in institutions. In
particular, we are the key source of
advice and information on the student
immigration rules. We also initiate and
encourage projects and research to
enhance our understanding of
international student education in the
UK.
2
WHO ARE MSH?
Manchester Student Homes (MSH) offers
a FREE housing service to students. We
are jointly managed by The University
of Manchester and Manchester
Metropolitan University and we also
work in partnership with The University
of Salford, The Manchester College and
The Royal Northern College of Music.
We accredit landlords and private halls
of residence who meet our required
standards.
We promote quality accommodation,
and an advice service to students who
choose to live off campus.
MSH is also a hate crime 3rd party
reporting centre. Individuals who have
been the victim of a hate crime can
come to our office and speak to a
trained member of staff to receive
support and guidance. For more
information about Hate Crime, visit
www.stophateuk.org 0800 138 1625
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
STANDARD
The International Friendly Standard has
been created by MSH to recognise
landlords and private halls who provide
a fair and transparent service to
international students as well as going
that extra mile.
All our landlords and private halls that
have been awarded
the Standard have
agreed to the
following conditions:
• No requirement
for guarantors to
be UK based.
• No requirement for full rent to be
paid upfront for the year, instead
rent will be paid on either monthly
or termly payment schedules.
• Clear and easy to understand
information on any additional fees or
charges that may be applied is
provided to the Student/s ahead of
the tenancy.
• Orientation to the area and a
welcome pack which includes key
information such as emergency
contacts and what to do in an
emergency, local transport
information, safety information etc.
MANCHESTER STUDENT HOMES
3
Pictured: You can find the MSH offices
opposite Tesco in Fallowfield
PERSONAL AND
HOUSEHOLD SAFETY sponsored by
Greater Manchester is one of the safest
places to live and work. It is highly
unlikely that you, or someone you know
will be a victim of crime, however do not
be complacent. By taking a few simple
precautions, you can reduce the risk of
being targeted by criminals:
• Remember to lock all outside windows
and doors even when you are at
home. 1 in 3 burglaries are a result of
an open or unlocked door or window.
• Don’t leave your valuables on view
and if you’ve got an alarm use it.
• Don’t carry large amounts of cash with
you when you are out.
• Be alert to your surroundings as well
as people around you and be brief
when using a mobile phone - be
discreet and try to conceal it.
• Using earphones or following a
smartphone’s sat nav could indicate
that you have expensive personal
possessions with you or may make it
difficult for you to notice is someone is
approaching you.
• Don't forget, you can register any
valuable property (eg laptops, mobile
phones, tablets) on
www.immobilise.com free of charge.
This will help the police to return lost
or stolen items to their rightful owners
and also act as a deterrent to
offenders.
• The police and your student union
provide Safe Zones - places for you to
go to if you are at risk or need
assistance when you are out in the
community. All Safe Zones will display
the logo or will have a sticker clearly
visible. To find your nearest one visit
www.gmp.police.uk
4
Greater Manchester Police has teams
that patrol all over campus to help
keep students safe.
They regularly hold talks and events
to share crime prevention advice and
they are always happy to speak to
anyone who needs help, whether it’s
hints and tips or if you are a victim of
crime.
Get more information on GMP’s
student teams at FACEBOOK LOGO/
mcrstudentsafety and TWITTER
LOGO/GMPFallowfield TWITTER
LOGO/GMPLongsight
Remember, you can call police any
time on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
FIRE SAFETY sponsored by
5
Cooking after drinking alcohol is one of
the biggest causes of fires in student
houses. Greater Manchester Fire and
Rescue Service(GMFRS) says people
should NEVER cook when under the
influence of alcohol, as it can put lives at
serious risk.
One such case happened recently in
Withington and was overseen by GMFRS
Watch Manager Jagjit Dhaliwal. He said
“We had to force our way into the building
where the alarms were sounding and it
was very smoke logged.
“We searched the property and found a
22-year-old asleep. He had been drinking
and started cooking oven chips before
falling asleep.
“It was really fortunate he had smoke
alarms, as they alerted his neighbour. The
crew rescued him, quickly extinguished
the fire and cleared the smoke.
TOP 10 COOKING SAFETY TIPS:
1. Keep your oven, hob and grill clean.
A build-up of fat and grease can easily
catch fire.
2. Don't put anything metallic, such as tin
cans, inside the microwave.
3. Keep cooking appliances in the
kitchen. These rooms are designed for
cooking appliances and the plug
sockets are appropriately wired with
the correct voltage. Bedrooms are not
wired for such appliances.
4. Remember any type of pan can catch
fire - this includes a wok and a grill.
5. When deep frying, always dry the food
before you put it in the oil.
6. Never fill a pan more than one-third
full of oil. If the oil starts to smoke, it's
too hot - turn off the heat .
7. Swap your chip pan for an electric
deep fat fryer - thermostatically
controlled electrical deep fat fryers
are much safer to use.
8. Never put water on a hot fat fire.
9. Have an escape plan if a fire does
occur.
10. Finally, remember a working smoke
alarm will give you those precious
seconds to escape – your landlord is
responsible for ensuring your property
has one.
For further information and safety advice,
visit: www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/
fire_safety_advice Pictured: Officers from Withington
Fire Service with MSH staff.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING sponsored by
After the initial excitement of moving
here and beginning your course, some
students may find the changes difficult
and stressful. This “culture shock” is very
common, and there are many things you
can do to help yourself feel more settled.
CONNECT- Make friends with other
students who are away from home, as
they’ll understand what you are feeling.
Clubs and societies are a great way to
make friends and settle in. Keep in
regular contact with home, perhaps
sharing news and photos of your life in
the UK.
LEARN & DISCOVER- Get to know your
new environment. Find things in
Manchester that remind you of home,
such as food shops, restaurants, faith and
cultural centres. Most societies run events
and trips that can help you discover more
about your new surroundings.
BE ACTIVE - Taking regular exercise
can help lift your mood, and can also be a
good way of meeting new people.
TAKE NOTICE - Look up at the world
around you as you walk to campus. Have
familiar things around you that remind
you of home, such as photographs or
ornaments.
GIVE– Student volunteering is a great
way to explore and become part of your
local community, as well as to meet new
people who share similar interests.
BE HEALTHY– Eat a healthy and
balanced diet. Find shops selling familiar
food if you can; perhaps cook and share a
meal with other students, whether from
your own or another culture.
LOOK AFTER YOUR HEALTH
If you need help or advice on anything to
do with your health, try visiting
www.choosewellmanchester.org.uk .
This website translates in to around 100
languages to make sure you can access
the advice you need. Here you can find
lots of information about looking after
yourself, how to register with a GP (who
can give you the free
MMR and Meningitis
ACWY vaccinations
recommended by Public
Health England), and
where and when you
should seek more
urgent help.
You can also call 111 for free from any
phone if you urgently need medical
advice but it's not a life-threatening
situation. Translation services are
available during the call.
6
GET INVOLVED
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering is a fantastic way to
develop skills and talents that
complement and enhance your
education. It is also a fun way to build
your confidence, develop your CV and
make a real difference to people in your
community!
There are a number of ways to get
involved in volunteering.
The University of Manchester, have a
dedicated Volunteering & Community
Engagement Team that works to
support you and your volunteering
needs. The Team:
• Sources volunteering opportunities
locally, which are available to you
online via www.manchester.ac.uk/
volunteers.
• Arranges drop-in sessions to answer
any questions about volunteering.
These are held in The Atrium in
University Place every Monday (12pm-
1pm) and Wednesday (1pm-2pm)
throughout the year.
Manchester Metropolitan
University’s The Union have a
dedicated team to help you find the
right opportunity. What you’ll find on
offer at The Union:
• A whole range of opportunities for you
to choose from on our online
volunteering system.
• Training and development to make
sure that you get the most out of the time
that you invest.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY
International Society is a not-for-profit
organisation that
aims to provide
international
students with a
warm and
friendly welcome when they arrive in
the city and to make their time in the UK
a wonderful experience. We have 4,000
members from 150 different countries
each year.
Among the things we do are trips
around the UK during the weekend,
language classes, cultural evenings,
social events, cultural awareness
project (Rocketworld) and hospitality
scheme. Our office is located just
opposite the University of Manchester’s
Students Union on Oxford Road. Please
feel free to drop by and have a chat with
us or check out our website at
www.internationalsociety.org.uk for
more information.
7
Pictured: Students at the
International Society
8
FINANCE
MONEY
Upon arriving in the UK, there are
many things you can do to keep you
and your money safe.
Open a bank account as soon as
possible after you arrive in
Manchester.
A savings account is a good idea if
you intend to keep a lot of money in
your account without withdrawing it
regularly.
A current account lets you set up
regular payments (direct debits)
without using cash, for bills such as
your mobile phone. You can have a
current account as well as a savings
account.
A debit card (this normally comes
with a current account) lets you
withdraw money from cash machines
up to a maximum daily limit.
Cash machines can be found on the
walls of banks, and in some shops.
Keep your PIN secret, and don’t
lend your card to anybody. Don’t
write your PIN number down.
Withdraw cash during the day
when it’s busy, or get “cash back”
when making a debit card payment
in a supermarket. Don’t use cash
machines at night.
If anyone speaks to you while
you’re using a cash machine,
complete your transaction and put
your cash away before replying.
Don’t carry large amounts of cash
– most shops and services accept
card payments, so there’s no need to
carry lots of cash.
Don’t leave lots of cash at home –
insurance policies usually only cover
a small amount of cash if it is stolen.
Keep cash out of sight, and keep
your windows shut when you’re not
home. Always lock your bedroom
door.
Developed by Brightside in
collaboration with UKCISA,
this online student lifestyle
calculator http://
international.studentcalculator.org/
helps international students plan
and manage their money for studies
in the UK. Students can use the site
to build a lifestyle budget and see
how it balances by week, month or
over a year.
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