Many of you will be living independently at university, away from home for the first time. It may be your first time in a big city, and it is normal to feel concerned about your safety. We want all LIPA students to have an amazing experience whilst studying, so we have listed some useful tips and resources below on how to stay safe.
Liverpool is a safe city, and the majority of students do not encounter any problems. Remember, when you are in any big city, it is important to keep yourself and your possessions safe. Be aware of your surroundings and remember that your personal safety should be your top priority.
Top tips:
- Always lock your windows and doors when you leave your accommodation
- Take responsibility for yourself; be aware of your surroundings and keep valuables hidden (or left at home if they’re not needed)
- Make sure that you have student contents insurance cover in place
- Keep all personal details and data safe
- Stick to well-lit streets and avoid shortcuts such as alleyways and car parks
- Walk and travel in groups, especially at night. Arrange a place to meet if anyone gets lost
- When drinking alcohol, pace yourself and never leave your drink out of sight
- The best way to ensure you aren’t harmed by drugs is to avoid using them. If you choose to use drugs, you need to stay safe and informed. You can find more information about drugs here: Talk to Frank and We Are With You
Victims of crime, and reporting crimes
Victims of crime
If you are a victim of crime, then we recommend you report this to the police as soon as possible.
You can report non-emergency crimes on Merseyside Police website. You can also call 101 to give information to the police or make an enquiry. If you are reporting a crime, remember to keep a note of the crime reference number.
If you are in immediate danger and require support straight away, then you can call the police on 999.
Anyone who has been the victim of a crime can access support from Victim Care Merseyside.
We recommend that any students who have been a victim of crime contact LIPA’s Wellbeing and Disability Service, so we can discuss any support needs you may have as a result. For example, we could refer you for counselling if you were struggling with the events that happened. Do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Reporting an incident to LIPA, including sexual violence and rape
LIPA takes all reports of sexual violence and misconduct, bullying, harassment, victimisation, discrimination, hate crime and assault very seriously.
All students and staff can report incidents through the Report a Concern portal. This can be a named or anonymous report, and your report will be acknowledged by a member of Directorate within three working days.
LIPA understands that seeking advice and support for any form of sexual violence can be a very difficult and personal decision. This is why we have established a specialised support service for students and staff who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their lifetime.
LIPA has a trained and qualified Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO). Their role is to provide a pro-active support and advice service to any students who have experienced sexual violence.
You can contact LIPA’s SVLO directly at the contact details below to arrange an appointment or for advice and guidance:
Pete Bold – P.Bold@lipa.ac.uk
Alternatively, students can get in touch with Ali Ball, Head of Student Wellbeing and Disability (a.ball@lipa.ac.uk) or Mike Mercer, Director of Students (m.mercer@lipa.ac.uk) to ask to speak in confidence about an incident or to be referred to the SVLO.
All LIPA students can access confidential, non-judgmental support, advice and guidance from the Student Wellbeing and Disability Service in relation to any incidents they have experienced or witnessed. You do not need to formally report an incident if you don’t want to.
External Support for sexual violence and rape
Merseyside Police
If you've been raped or sexually assaulted, then Merseyside Police can support you. If you're ready to, you can report rape and sexual assault to them online. Alternatively, you can call 101.
RASA
RASA (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support) is here for anyone who has been sexually abused or raped, or who has been affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives.
The RASA website contains useful and supportive resources, such as information booklets. If you would like to self-refer to RASA, you can click here. Alternatively, you can self-refer or attend an appointment with the Wellbeing and Disability Team who can refer you to RASA on your behalf if you would like some support with this.
Other support services for sexual violence and rape
Merseyside Police also provides information about other organisations that can help if you don’t want to talk to the police about it. It is important that you feel you're in control, and it's up to you who you talk to and what help you get. You can speak to these organisations privately and confidentially, and unless they think someone is in serious danger, they won't share anything with Merseyside Police
Click here for a list of other support services for rape and sexual assault
Domestic abuse
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please speak to a member of the Student Wellbeing and Disability Service. We can support you to access further support, such as the LIPA counselling team or a referral to a specialised local organisation, such as Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service. We can also signpost you to national organisations such as Women’s Aid, Refuge and Mankind.
If there is an immediate risk to your safety, call 101 to speak to Merseyside Police or if it is an emergency, call 999.
What if it is not safe for me to speak on the phone?
Follow the guidance below from Merseyside Police:
If you can’t speak on the phone in an emergency, call 999 from a mobile. When you call 999, the operator (the person on the phone) will ask which emergency service is required. Listen to the questions from the 999 operator. If you cannot say ‘police’ or ‘ambulance’, respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can. If prompted, press 55 on your phone. This lets the 999 call operator know it’s an emergency and that you aren’t safe to speak. Click here to find out more.
Call 999 from a landline. If only background noise can be heard and operators cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, then you will be connected to a police call handler.
If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick up again.
When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about your location should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response.
If you are deaf or can’t verbally communicate. You can register with the emergencySMS service. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text which tells you what to do next. Do this when it is safe so you can text when you are in danger.