Your safety & welfare
Personal Safety
Bath was voted the second safest city in the UK. However, as with all cities, there is still a chance that you may experience problems. Always take sensible precautions, such as:
wear your lanyard, which includes your student I.D card, at all times.
Make sure that your personal belongings are kept safe and that valuables such as mobile phones and money are not on display or where other people can see it.
Let your host family know when you are going out. Tell them where you are going and when to expect you back. Let your host know your mobile number, so you could be contacted if necessary. Keep your mobile charged up and on.
Always go out with people you know and trust.
Never be out on your own at night. Walk in well-lit, busy areas. Travel home in a group, or in a taxi if possible.
If you are under 18 and planning on staying somewhere overnight other than your host family, we must get your parents' consent.
If you are under 18 and planning on visiting somewhere outside of Bath, we must get your parents' consent.
Match days, international football fixtures, festivals and carnivals can all bring large crowds to the city. On these occasions it is best to avoid the city centre. If you are unsure about an event please ask a member of staff.
In an emergency, dial 999 and ask for police assistance.
Our 24-hour emergency contact number is 01225 580 998.
Need to speak to someone?
You should let the us know straight away if you are unhappy or worried about your safety or the safety of another student. Come and speak to a member of staff who will listen to you and do something about it.
These are some of the people you can talk to in our Welfare team:
Sanela and Cally, our Creators of Student Happiness
Slavenka, our managing director
your teacher or any members of the teaching staff
a friend or your host family
You can also talk to someone on the following helplines:
Sexual Health Line: www.tht.org.uk 08088021221
National Drugs Helpline : www.addictionhelper.com 08001387177 or text HELP 66777
Mental Health : www.mind.org.uk 03001233393 or text 86463
Road Safety
Remember traffic in England might be on the other side of the road to what you are used to.
Buses and Coaches
Do not push or play fight with others at the bus stop.
Queue when waiting for the bus to arrive
Get on one by one without any pushing or shoving.
On a coach you much wear seat belt.
Walking
Make sure you can be seen when you are walking by wearing bright or reflective clothing.
Cross the road at the safest place possible. e.g zebra, pelican, puffin and patrolled crossings.
Take care when crossing the road, always take your headphones off and remember to look both ways.
Bicycles
When cycling make sure you can easily be seen, especially at night, on dark days and in bad weather.
It is a offense to cycle at night without a white front light, a red back light and a red reflector at the back, so make sure bikes are properly equipped and working.
For more information: THINK! Road Safety
Mental Health Policy
Our Welfare and Accommodation Officers, as well as our Head of Student Services, are available to support and advise students with any problems that may arise while they are away from home. Any help or advice will be given in a professional and confidential manner. If necessary, we can put students in touch with a local a GP, mental health advisor or counsellor.
Students or their parents /guardians or agents must inform us before enrolment of any history of mental health so we can advise whether our courses are suitable for them or how we could make our courses suitable for them.
We are unable to accept students with significant mental health issues.
If we become aware of serious mental health issues after a student arrives, we will contact their parents / guardians or agent to inform them that we are not equipped to deal with such cases and that they should make arrangements for the student to return home. In these cases every effort is made not to distress the student.