Your welfare, safety and protection are very important to us.
Making sure that you are healthy in body and mind is the most important part of ensuring your time in the UK is all you want it to be.
The following information is given as a starting point but do not forget the administration office door is always open for any further advice and more.
All our staff are approachable and are happy to help with daily problems that students may encounter. Nevertheless, we recognise that occasionally there are problems that require a little extra help and support, and our welfare team is here to help. Collectively they can draw on a wide range of qualifications and life skills. No matter what’s troubling you – whether you are homesick, struggling with your studies, finances etc, or simply need someone to talk to, a member of the team will be able to provide support and guidance. Verity Sessions our Specialist Safeguarding Student Welfare Officer, can be contacted by email [email protected]
Disabilities
If you have any specific needs arising from disabilities, please mention this, as early as possible, to the Admissions Team. The Student Welfare Officer will then contact you to discuss your specific needs so that we can make appropriate arrangements.
Visual and Audial Impairment, Dyslexia etc.
If you have difficulties with sight or hearing, we may be able to provide some help for you in the classroom. It is very important to tell us before you book your course so that we can inform you of any help we will be able to provide.
If you are dyslexic, please tell us in advance. If you are planning to take an examination, we can make special arrangements for you, but we need to know in good time.
Welfare
We take your welfare very seriously no matter what age you are. LanguageUK is committed to all students being listened to, treated as individuals and free from any type of abuse.
Your Happiness
Here at LanguageUK we believe you learn more quickly if you feel happy and comfortable, so our aim is to ensure all our students feel safe, secure, and content.
Diet
A healthy diet will help you to feel good both physically and mentally. Adjusting to being away from home can be difficult. Different routines and mealtimes can affect when and where you eat. Try to have regular meals and not to snack too much in between! You should also try and eat the recommended five portions of fruit or vegetables a day.
Exercise
It is also essential that you take some form of regular exercise. Exercise keeps the body healthy and helps relieves feelings of tension and anxiety. Everyone has a different level of fitness so choose something at the right level that you will enjoy, as you are likely to stick at it for longer. There are a vast range of sports facilities available in Canterbury along with many sports clubs and organised activities.
Health and Safety
Your safety and security inside and out of the school is very important to us and we have many procedures regarding fire safety, first aid and what to do in emergencies.
Long term students – Registering with a doctor
International students and EU students can find information about UK healthcare here
You should register with a local doctor/GP as soon as possible when you arrive in the UK in case you need medical assistance whilst you are studying at LanguageUK for over 3 months
We can help you to arrange this on your arrival at the school.
The nearest NHS doctor’s surgery (general practitioner/GP)
New Dover Road Surgery
10 New Dover Rd, Canterbury CT1 3AP https://www.newdoverroadsurgery.co.uk/
Eligibility to access medical treatment in the UK
- All Covid-19 related testing and treatment is either free or you have to pay from £100.
- Some NHS treatment is free and available to anyone who needs it. This includes:
- treatment in a hospital Accident and Emergency department
- seeing a GP – as an NHS or temporary patient
- family planning services
- treatment for some infectious diseases
- compulsory psychiatric treatment
Whether you can get other free NHS services depends on the length and purpose of your residence in the UK, not your nationality. Check if your entitled to free NHS care.
Getting healthcare after Brexit if you are from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. The EEA includes EU countries and Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein
After 31 December 2020, you’ll need to have ‘pre-settled status’ or ‘settled status’ to keep using the NHS for free. You only need to prove your status to get treatment after 31 December 2020. If you do not have this status, you will need to use private health insurance as you will have to pay for NHS treatment. This is very important as private treatment without insurance can be extremely expensive! More information about private health insurance can be found on https://www.guard.me.
As well as health cover, before you leave home, you should consider taking out insurance to cover your possessions and personal liability. If you have difficulty in arranging this before your departure, it is possible to arrange insurance through various schemes in the UK.
If you are entitled to free treatment, you can get it immediately. You do not need to have been here for a certain amount of time.
If you do not meet the conditions for free treatment, you will be given clear information about charges in a way you understand. This could include providing information in your own language or through an interpreter.
NHS hospital Treatments
You can find out about accessing the NHS services if you are visiting from abroad on the NHS choices website.
Paying for hospital treatment
If you must pay, you will usually have to pay before you have the treatment.
You will not have to pay before if you need urgent treatment, but you might still have to pay later.
If your treatment is not urgent
If it is not an emergency, but treatment must start immediately, you might be asked to sign an undertaking to pay.
In these circumstances, it is very important to find out the likely cost. If the treatment is not urgent, you can refuse it if you cannot afford it. We recommend that for any non-treatment you need to be done in your own country.
GPs and dentists
It is up to the GP or dentist whether they accept you onto their list of NHS patients.
There are some exceptions to these rules though, for example if you need emergency treatment.
A GP practice may be flexible in deciding whether to accept you as a registered patient and if you are visiting the UK for less than 3 months, they might accept you as a temporary resident. However, there are certain services you might have to pay a fee for.
If you have difficulty finding a GP or a dentist who is prepared to register you, contact NHS England.
You can also get help to find a doctor from the NHS 111 service.
How NHS 111 works
NHS 111 can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do.
Depending on the situation you will:
- Find out what local service can help you
- Be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist, or GP
- Get a face-face appointment if you need one
- Be told how to get any medicine you need
- Get self-care advice
Charges
Even if you are accepted onto a GP or dentist’s list of NHS patients, you must pay charges for some things like prescription charges and dental treatment.
Prescription charges are currently £9.35
Ambulance Service
If you are seriously ill or injured and require urgent hospital treatment you can call Emergency Services on 999 and request an ambulance to take you to hospital. The call is free and can be made from mobile phones even if you have run out of credit. You should only request an ambulance if you have had an accident or are seriously ill and cannot contact a doctor.
Safeguarding
LanguageUK is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Please view our LanguageUK safeguarding policy and adults at risk document.
Part of our commitment to ensuring student safety is paying special attention to students under the age of 18. Students under 18 are, by law, classified as children and therefore we are required to monitor them throughout their time with us.
- Students under the age of 18 will study in classes with adults unless they are booked as part of a Junior Group.
- LanguageUK does not provide 24-hour supervision
- Students will travel between their homestay and school unsupervised
- Students will be unsupervised outside lesson times including during the breaks and at lunch time
- Students will travel to and from the social programme meeting points unsupervised
- The school runs a full and varied social programme which is organised on a pay-as-you go basis. Students under 18 can attend all school activities.
- On full-day weekend excursions to other destinations, students will normally have about 2- or 3-hours free time unsupervised for shopping
- Students must be back home by 22.00h Sunday to Thursday and 22.30h Friday and Saturday
- Students under 18 are not allowed to visit the school residences in the evenings.
Before a student under 18 starts a course at LanguageUK, both the parent/guardian and the student must sign and send us the Agreement for students under 18 to study at LanguageUK to confirm that they understand the procedures and the rules we have in place for the welfare of under 18s and the level of supervision that we provide. They must understand that if a student under 18 breaks the rules we will inform the parents/guardian and in serious cases we have the right to ask the student to return home and, in such cases, the fees are not refunded.
Staying Safe
The UK is generally a very safe country, but it is always good to think about your personal safety. The British Council has produced a useful guide Creating confidence to help you understand the laws in the UK and how to keep yourself safe at all times.
Over 40,000 students enjoy studying in Canterbury each year. In all cities you should be aware of your personal safety and should not take risks.
Follow simple safety rules:
- Make sure you know your accommodation address and phone number for use in an emergency and always carry this with you
- Do not leave your bags or valuables unattended – they could be stolen
- Protect yourself with insurance – keep lists of the make, model, and serial numbers of your electronic items to help police track them down if they are stolen
- Make sure your passport and valuables are safe
- Pubs, clubs, and discotheques can sometimes attract trouble, especially late at night. Do not get involved
- Report any incident to the school and police as soon as possible
- If you are out late, try not to speak loudly or attract unwelcome attention
- Be careful when using your mobile phone outside
- Take care of your personal belongings wherever you go
- Do not walk alone late at night
- Do not accept lifts from people you do not know well
- Do not carry a lot of money or wear expensive looking jewellery
- Do not leave expensive music or computer equipment on display- showing off will make you a target
- Do not take short cuts through parks or playing fields – keep to well-lit streets
- Keep doors and windows locked, especially at night and always when you leave your room.
- Let other students or homestay providers know where you are going and when you expect to return.
- Always lock your car and put valuables out of sight – never leave the keys in the ignition even when paying for petrol
- To prevent spiking, do not leave drinks unattended
Please note this is the same advice which would be given to anyone going abroad.
The British Council have a useful Personal Safety guide which you can download from The British Council
Public emergency contact
If there is an emergency and you need the Police, Fire Brigade or an ambulance, telephone 999. Calls are free of charge and can be made from any public telephone, including card phones and mobile phones, even if your credit has run out.