LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton

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LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE
               2018/19

                     01
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
WELCOME
Congratulations on being offered a
place to live in our halls of residence.

This booklet covers all the information
                                           CONTENTS
you will need to know about our halls,
                                           About us                 03
from the contract you accept to general
advice on your stay.                       Your contract            04
                                           Before you arrive        08
It is important you read this booklet as   Rules and regulations    10
it includes information on your safety     Living in halls          16
and the safety of your fellow residents.   EAT IN - catered halls   24
When you agree to your contract you
are confirming that you have read this
                                           Contact details          28
booklet.

                                                                         01
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
02
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
ABOUT US
The Accommodation             THIS BOOKLET                              STUDENT ACCOMMODATION CODE

and Hospitality Services      This booklet provides information         Universities UK (UUK) is the
department is responsible     about what you need to know before        representative body for the executive
for a wide range of           you accept an offer of accommodation      heads of UK universities and is
                              from the university, and what you         recognised as the umbrella group
services on all main          need to know once you have moved          for the university sector. One of its
sites of the university,      into halls. Please read the information   principal aims is to spread good
including catering outlets,   carefully as you will need to             practice throughout the higher
                              understand the nature of the contract     education sector.
Southcoast Conferences        you have with the university.
and all residential                                                     The Student Accommodation Code
accommodation, both           This booklet also includes                covers a broad range of issues
                              information on what to bring to           relating to the management and
owned and contracted.         your accommodation, including             quality of higher education residential
                              areas of consideration such as cars       accommodation, including health
                              and parking. The remaining section        and safety, maintenance and repair,
                              details aspects of living in your         and the legal relationship between
                              accommodation such as welfare,            accommodation managers and
                              health and safety and other services      student tenants. By following the
                              available to you. If you have any         standards and good practice guide
                              queries about any aspect of this          contained within the code, universities
                              information, please contact the           can ensure that their students
                              relevant accommodation service,           understand the standards applied to
                              either at Brighton or Eastbourne          their accommodation, the university’s
                              (details on page 29).                     responsibilities and the students’
                                                                        obligations as tenants.
                              I hope you will be very happy in your
                              accommodation.
                                                                        The Student Accommodation Code
                              Sabina Wagner                             was approved by Parliament in April
                              Assistant Head                            2006 and the University of Brighton
                              (Accommodation Services)                  is one of many national universities
                                                                        that has registered its residential
                                                                        accommodation as complying with the
                                                                        code’s standards, subject to annual
                                                                        audits.

                                                                        If you would like to find out
                                                                        more about the code, visit
                                                                        www.thesac.org.uk.

                                                                                                            03
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
YOUR CONTRACT
A LEGAL RELATIONSHIP                        YOUR CONTRACT                            WHEN DOES THE
                                                                                     ACCOMMODATION CONTRACT
When you accept your place in halls         The accommodation contract creates a     BECOME BINDING?
of residence, you agree to abide by         contractual relationship between you
the standard terms and conditions           and the university and the obligations   This varies depending on whether you
of residence which form the legal           in the agreement are legally             have accepted your accommodation
contract you have with the university.      enforceable. The agreement operates      online or signed a paper contract.
This document is referred to as your        within a framework of housing law,
accommodation contract. All student         landlord and tenant law and consumer     If you apply online, the agreement
tenants are required to enter into          law, all of which place obligations on   between the university and the
an accommodation contract with              both you and the university.             student becomes binding when the
the university before they take up                                                   student has:
occupation.                                 The university’s accommodation           a) ticked the box on the university’s
                                            contract is a detailed document              accommodation application
It is important that you read this guide    that explains both the student’s and         website confirming that they have
and the accommodation contract              university’s obligations so that it is       had the opportunity to read the
before accepting your offer of              clear and fair to both parties. The          terms and conditions, and that
accommodation.                              agreement is formed of six sections:         they agree to them; and
                                            • the student’s obligations              b) clicked the accept button on
Students in halls of residence are             (clauses 1.0 to 1.30)                     the university’s accommodation
allocated a single study bedroom            • the university’s obligations               application website confirming
(often within a flat) in a named hall          (clauses 2.0 to 2.8)                      that they accept the university’s
of residence. The accommodation             • other conditions                           offer of accommodation on the
contract is a single tenancy and               (clauses 3.0 to 3.16)                     terms stated in the offer; and
contains rights for students to use the     • termination of the agreement           c) paid the first instalment of rent as
shared parts of the flat/unit in the hall      (clauses 4.0 to 4.9)                      stated in the offer.
of residence for a fixed period of time,    • consumer protection
39, 40 or 50 weeks. This information            (clauses 5.0 to 5.9)                 If you have signed a paper contract,
is found on the front page of your          • additional special conditions          the agreement between the university
contract. Due to service needs, it is          applicable only to catered            and the student becomes binding
not possible to offer extensions to hall       accommodation (clauses 6.0            when it has been signed by the
contracts.                                     to 6.2).                              student and counter-signed and dated
                                                                                     by the university.
If you need accommodation beyond            International students should be aware
the end date of your contract, please       that this agreement is made under
contact the accommodation service           English law, which may be different
at least 2 months before your contract      to the law applicable in their own
terminates. It is not possible to extend    countries.
your contract but we may have a room
available in a flat with a longer tenancy   The accommodation contract is
or in Homestay accommodation.               an exempt student tenancy under
                                            paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 of the
You can view the terms and conditions       Housing Act 1988. This agreement
of your contract on our website             expires on the stated end date without
https://accommodation.brighton.ac.uk        separate notice being required (or can
                                            be terminated earlier under clauses
                                            4.2 or 4.3 of the agreement) and the
                                            student has no contractual right to
                                            remain in the room after that date.

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LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
THE UNIVERSITY AS YOUR                    RENT                                        It is extremely important that you
LANDLORD                                                                              do not ignore reminders about
                                          Students living in halls are legally        rent arrears on your account. The
The university aims to be a responsible   obliged to pay rent to the university       university is entitled to terminate your
landlord providing safe, affordable       throughout the period of their              accommodation contract if payment
accommodation to its students.            agreement (see clause 1.1).                 is overdue by 28 days or more and
However, it is essential that the                                                     will pursue the outstanding debt
university is able to apply to the        Your first rent instalment must be paid     using debt collectors and the courts.
courts to seek legal redress, such        when you accept your offer and before       It is in your best interest to seek help
as an eviction order, when students       you move into your accommodation.           and advice at the earliest possible
behave in a way which is dangerous or     The remainder of the rent is paid in        opportunity.
disruptive to others, or when they fail   three termly instalments.
to pay their rent or cause damage.
                                          It is important to make prompt               Example of rent payments
The university also reserves the right    payment and the university is entitled
to move a student to alternative          to charge interest at seven per cent         If your rent for university
university accommodation, but only        annually where payment is late. If the       accommodation is £150 per
where it is reasonable to do so. This     university has to sue for non-payment,       week for a 39 week tenancy, it
may be in circumstances where, for        solicitor fees and court fees will be        would be payable in the following
example, there has been a fire, or        added to the debt claimed from the           instalments:
where a student or group of students      student.
is behaving disruptively. Unless                                                       1. £300 within three days of the
the reason for the relocation is the      Your rent includes internet, electricity,       accommodation offer being
student’s own behaviour, the university   heating and water supply, cleaning              made (equivalent to 14 days rent)
will try to offer accommodation of        of communal areas, buildings and
a similar standard. Where the new         contents insurance, repair and               2. £1,864.29 on or before 17
accommodation is less expensive, only     maintenance. If you have been offered           October 2018
the reduced rent is payable. If the new   catered halls it will also include some
accommodation is more expensive,          of your meals (see page 24 for more          3. £1,842.86 on or before 17
rent will be charged at the old rate      information).                                   January 2019
(see clause 4.7).
                                          If you think you may have a problem          4. £1,842.86 on or before 23 April
                                          paying your rent please speak to                2019
                                          someone in the income office (01273
                                          642592) as soon as possible so that
                                          you can be advised of the best course
                                          of action to take. You can also contact
                                          the Student Service (page 29) for
                                          advice on loans or grants for which
                                          you may be eligible.

                                          The university also has a dedicated
                                          Accommodation Debt Collection
                                          Officer whose role is to help students
                                          manage their accommodation
                                          payments (01273 641923).

                                                                                                                            05
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
CHARGES FOR DAMAGE                          Where a charge has been divided             TERMINATING YOUR
                                            between a number of students, any           ACCOMMODATION CONTRACT
The university does not require a           student who has grounds for objecting
damage deposit when you move into           to the charge (e.g. if they can show        The accommodation contract for halls
halls of residence.                         they could not have been at the             of residence commits you to staying
                                            university at the time when the damage      in halls for the duration of the contract
The university will invoice for the         occurred) may make representations          length (39, 40 or 50 weeks depending
cost of putting right any damage            to the Assistant Head (Accommodation        on the halls). In certain circumstances,
caused. Where damage is caused              Services) who will fairly and impartially   however, it may be possible to break
anonymously in a shared communal            consider the statements made and            this agreement provided that this has
area the university is entitled to charge   the evidence presented. Where the           been agreed with the university and
each student for a proportion of the        Assistant Head (Accommodation               subject to conditions set out in clause
costs. The university will exercise its     Services) is satisfied that a student       4.3 of your accommodation contract.
reasonable discretion in deciding           could not have been responsible for         The four conditions, all of which must
whether to share the charges among          the damage, they will not be charged.       be satisfied, are:
the occupants of a house/flat, all the      This may mean that other students           a) the student has completed and
students in a particular block or on        have to pay an increased share of the           handed in a hall of residence
a particular corridor, or among the         cost.                                           termination form (available from
occupants of the whole hall.                                                                the university’s accommodation
                                                                                            service) notifying the university that
Where accommodation has to be                                                               s/he wishes to leave; and
cleaned or decorated before it is fit                                                   b) the student makes payment for,
to be relet, we will charge the cost of                                                     or puts right, to the university’s
cleaning, decorating and repair to the                                                      reasonable satisfaction, all
outgoing tenant.                                                                            breaches (if any) of the student’s
                                                                                            obligations in this agreement; and
Items which need replacing as a                                                         c) a replacement student who is
result of reasonable wear and tear                                                          reasonably satisfactory to the
and decoration which is necessary as                                                        university as a tenant and who
part of ongoing maintenance are not                                                         is not already a tenant of the
charged to students.                                                                        university enters into an agreement
                                                                                            with the university (the university
                                                                                            will assist the student in finding
                                                                                            a replacement, but does not
                                                                                            guarantee it will be able to find
                                                                                            one); and
                                                                                        d) the student pays a fee (£50 where
                                                                                            the university finds a replacement
                                                                                            student or £25 where the student
                                                                                            finds a replacement student)
                                                                                            towards the university’s costs of
                                                                                            administration and inspecting the
                                                                                            accommodation.

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LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
Conditions (b) to (d) in this clause        STUDENT REGULATIONS AND
shall not apply if the student is able to   DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
show that the reason for termination
is a serious or persistent breach of        Information about the university’s
the university’s obligations in this        disciplinary procedures is contained
agreement or because the student            within the student handbook which
is prevented from continuing their          you should read before accepting
studies because of a disability.            your place in halls of residence. It is
                                            essential that you read the handbook
Finding a student to take your room         so that you understand your
is not always easy. For example, if you     obligations and responsibilities as a
leave during the first few weeks of         student of the university.
term finding a replacement can be
relatively easy. However if you leave       A breach of a university policy may
after Christmas it can be difficult to      be regarded as a breach of the
find another student to take the room.      accommodation contract, which may
You could end up paying rent on a           be terminated as a result. In addition,
room you are not using until the end        disciplinary action may be taken
of the contract period.                     either under the policy in question
                                            or under the student regulations and
If you are thinking of leaving your         disciplinary procedures set out in the
accommodation, or if you decide to          student handbook.
leave your course, you will need to
notify the university. You will continue    The student handbook can be found
to be liable for rent until another         on http://studentcentral.brighton.
student takes your place. When you          ac.uk in the left hand section ‘New
leave, please return your keys to the       Student’.
halls reception and make sure your
room is clean and tidy. Site staff will
check your room and inform the
accommodation team if any charges
are to be made for cleaning or
damage. Please note that handing
in your keys does not constitute a
surrender of your accommodation
contract.

                                                                                      07
LIVING IN HALLS GUIDE 2018/19 - University of Brighton
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
Before you arrive at your   ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND                  TRANSPORT
new accommodation           SAFETY
                                                                      All halls sites are very well served
please take into            All electrical equipment is subject       by public transport, and are within
consideration the points    to approval from our staff. You will      walking or cycling distance of
                            need to ensure your equipment is          university campuses.
raised below and on the     safe to use before bringing it into the
following pages.            accommodation. It must be either          •   Cycling
                            brand new and unused or portable              All halls and campuses have cycle
                            appliance tested. Please see www.             parking facilities, and bike repair
                            hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-          kits and pumps are available, just
                            appliance-testing.htm for guidance.           ask at halls reception for details.

                            The use of kettles, cooking equipment,    •   Bus
                            electric blankets and heaters in study        All halls and campuses are well
                            bedrooms is prohibited as well as any         served by public transport. Local
                            other equipment consuming more                bus operators offer a range of
                            than 500 watts. Fridges or mini fridges       ticket options, which can include
                            in bedrooms are also prohibited               special discounts for students.
                            unless on medical grounds. Please
                            ensure that you do not overload your      •   Train
                            sockets with too many appliances.             Students can get a third off rail
                                                                          fares with a 16-25 Railcard, ask at
                            Any faulty fittings and dangerous             your local train station for details
                            wiring will be removed and it is              of this and other discounted rail
                            possible that a charge will be made.          travel.
                            Holes must not be made in furniture or
                            fabric to accommodate wiring. Please      •   Cars
                            remove all plugs from sockets if you          The university discourages reliance
                            vacate the room for any length of time.       on cars and cannot guarantee
                                                                          parking availability (free or
                                                                          charged) on any of its residential or
                                                                          academic sites. Parking is restricted
                                                                          on most sites and you should think
                                                                          carefully about whether you will
                                                                          need your car.

                                                                          Bringing a car to our halls of
                                                                          residence at Great Wilkins, Varley
                                                                          Park (Brighton) and Welkin Halls
                                                                          (Eastbourne) is prohibited as part
                                                                          of your accommodation contract
                                                                          (see clause 1.24).

                                                                          Other sites require parking
                                                                          permits. For more information on
                                                                          car parking see page 11. For more
                                                                          information about site-specific
                                                                          transport please go to pages 22
                                                                          and 23.

08
INSURANCE                                   WHAT WE PROVIDE                           WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

The university has arranged for             The following is provided within halls;   All halls of residence are furnished,
block insurance of your personal                                                      but you will need to bring some items.
possessions while you are living in         Bedroom
halls. Your cover is automatically          • a single bed with mattress (3 foot),    What you will need to bring:
included in your rent and lasts for            with the following exceptions:         • photographic identification
the duration of your accommodation                                                      (passport or driving licence)
agreement. Optional top-ups are                 Cliffe, Firle, Highview, Coastland,   • basic provisions for the
available which will enable you to              Hillside, Upland and Great Wilkins      first few days, until you have time
tailor the insurance cover to suit your         – a small double bed with mattress      to get to the shops
particular needs. Further information           (4 foot)                              • washing powder or liquid,
will be provided when you move in.                                                      combined detergent/conditioner
                                                The Hub (premium room) and              for Welkin and Paddock Field
                                                Welkin (large room)                   • bed linen, including sheets, pillows
ARRIVAL TIME                                     – a double bed with mattress           and duvets or blankets
                                                (4 foot 6 inches)                     • towels and tea towels
Our e-induction allows you to book an                                                 • crockery – plates, bowls
arrival slot, or you may be allocated a     •   wardrobe with hanging rail              and mugs
time when you should arrive at some         •   chest of drawers, desk and chair      • cutlery and cooking utensils,
of our halls. We request that students      •   wastepaper bin                          including tin opener and a bottle
keep to the selected or allocated time      •   curtains or other window coverings      opener
slot so that students can check in with     •   desk light and/or bedside lamp        • pans – a couple of saucepans,
the minimum of delay and traffic can        •   bookshelf and pinboard                  frying pan, baking tray, etc
be managed on site.                                                                   • hairdryer and toiletries.
                                            Communal area
                                            • sofa and/or easy chairs                 If you decide to bring a television, you
WHEN YOU ARRIVE                             • coffee table(s)                         will need to arrange for your own TV
                                            • dining table or breakfast bar           licence. Quality of TV reception cannot
Your accommodation contract will tell       • microwave oven                          be guaranteed on our sites. For more
you which room and hall you have            • two fridge-freezers                     information see page 22.
been allocated to. You’ll need to bring     • oven with grill and four electric
photo ID (such as your passport or            rings (ceramic hob - Welkin)            Please remember that you will be
driving licence) with you on arrival day,   • toaster                                 sharing accommodation with a
as staff will need to see your ID before    • electric corded jug kettle              number of other students so try not to
room keys are issued.                       • iron and ironing board                  bring too much.
                                            • vacuum cleaner
When you have received your keys,           • cleaning equipment (e.g. broom,
you will be directed to your room by          dustpan and brush, mop and
residences staff. They will also be able      bucket)
to answer any questions you have            • TV aerial point in communal area
about the halls and facilities on site or   • communal TV - Phoenix,
nearby.                                       Moulsecoomb Place, Varley and
                                              Welkin
Once you have unpacked your things,
make yourself at home and meet your
new neighbours – don’t hide in your
room!

                                                                                                                           09
RULES AND REGULATIONS
When you live in halls,        The following rules are for your           ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
                               safety and wellbeing and form part
there are certain rules        of your accommodation contract.            When living in shared
and regulations that           Where appropriate a reference              accommodation, you need to be
must be observed. These        to the relevant part of your               aware of how your behaviour affects
                               accommodation contract has been            others living with you or nearby.
conditions are outlined        made.                                      Antisocial behaviour causes nuisance
in your accommodation                                                     and distress for fellow students and
contract which is a legally                                               neighbours living in the surrounding
                                                                          community. Causing a nuisance or
binding document. The         ABSENCE FROM HALLS
                                                                          disturbance is also a breach of the
rules help to ensure          If you plan to be away from halls for       accommodation contract (clause 1.20)
everyone’s safety and         longer than seven days, please inform       you have with the university.
                              your neighbours and site staff. This is a
wellbeing.                    requirement outlined in clause 1.17 of      One of the most common problems is
                              your accommodation contract so that         caused by high noise levels. Whether
You are sharing your          you can be accounted for in case of an      inside the halls or in the grounds
                              emergency.                                  around the halls, noise levels must
accommodation with other                                                  be kept to a minimum at all times.
students so it is important                                               Noisy behaviour will be regarded
you understand what is        ACCESS TO YOUR ROOM                         as antisocial and a breach of your
                                                                          accommodation contract with the
expected of you. Please       The university will aim to give prior       university and the university will take
ensure that you are fully     notice before accessing your room           disciplinary action as a result.
aware of your obligations.    (clause 1.19).
                                                                          The following are examples of
                              No notice will be given in the              antisocial behaviour:
                              following circumstances:                    • music, singing and loud
                              • fire drill/evacuation                         conversation which is audible to
                              • emergency repairs are required                those outside your room or flat
                              • access is required to the communal        • unruly behaviour such as shouting
                                  areas, i.e. kitchen or corridors            or causing a disturbance in the
                              • the need for repair (or any other             street, often when returning to halls
                                  matter affecting the suitability of         or accommodation late at night
                                  the accommodation for habitation)       • parties - these are not permitted in
                                  was reported by you                         university halls of residence.
                              • concern about your welfare or
                                  wellbeing.                              Incidences of noise nuisance or other
                                                                          antisocial behaviour are often fuelled
                              In these circumstances the university is    by excessive alcohol consumption.
                              entitled to enter the accommodation         The university does not accept this as
                              whether or not you are present.             an excuse for inappropriate behaviour
                                                                          at any time.
                              The university will carry out individual
                              room and communal area inspections          Phoenix, Varley, Moulsecoomb Place
                              on a monthly or termly basis as             and Welkin Halls are all situated in
                              appropriate to enable the university to     residential areas and you are expected
                              maintain standards of repair within the     to respect neighbours who may be
                              accommodation.                              elderly, have young children or have
                                                                          to get up early each day. The local

10
councils in Brighton and Eastbourne          is limited and a parking permit            Students who leave the university
also monitor noise disturbances and          is required to park at these three         must return their permit to the
will fine students who persistently          sites. Holding a valid parking             reception office.
behave in an antisocial manner. Police       permit does not guarantee a
action may also be taken against you.        space, it means that if there is a      Parking enforcement
                                             space available, you can park in it.    The parking control scheme at the
Other examples of behaviour which is                                                 university is managed and operated
unacceptable and constitutes a breach        Permits will be issued to students      by the Ethical Parking Management
of your accommodation contract are:          who meet certain eligibility criteria   Company. They operate to
• verbal or physical abuse towards           (subject to availability).              nationally recognised guidelines set
    other students, neighbours or staff                                              by the British Parking Association.
    (clause 1.20)                            At Paddock Field, parking permits
• harassment or bullying                     will be available from mid-week         Any illegally parked vehicles may be
• criminal activity, such as the use of      after you have moved into halls.        issued with a £60 Parking Charge
    illegal substances. See clause 1.23      Applications may be collected           Notice (PCN) or, in certain cases be
    of the accommodation contract            from halls reception. There are no      removed.
    and page 12 of this guide for            parking restrictions at Paddock
    information about the university’s       Field for the first two weeks of        This is defined as follows:
    drug and alcohol policy                  term.
• possession of firearms or imitation                                                • any vehicle parked in a space
    firearms (clause 1.7)                    Priority for parking permits is           reserved for a disabled driver
• tampering with fire detection              based on the following criteria:          that does not show a recognised
    equipment and the malicious              • registered disabled drivers             disabled driver badge
    activation of fire alarms. See clause        (blue badge holder) or              • any vehicle parked in an area
    1.6 of your agreement and also               a disability or mobility              that it is not permitted to park,
    pages 12 and 13 of this guide for            impairment recognised by the          e.g. without a permit
    information about fire regulations.          university. Medical evidence        • any parked vehicle which
                                                 may be required to support            causes an obstruction, e.g. a
                                                 your application for a permit         vehicle parked on double yellow
CAR PARKING AND ENFORCEMENT                  • having care responsibilities,           lines, or on the pavement, or
                                                 e.g. taking young children to         obstructing emergency vehicles
Please be aware of the following                 school, main carer for someone        attending site.
car parking restrictions on halls of         • on placement, e.g. nursing and
residence sites:                                 medical students, teaching          For information on alternative
                                                 students. Consideration is          transport please see pages 22 and 23.
•   Great Wilkins                                given to times and location of
    Welkin Halls                                 placement.
    Varley Park
    There is no designated car parking       When permits have been allocated
    for halls’ residents at these sites      on the above basis, any remaining
    (except for registered disabled          permits may be issued on a first
    users) and therefore you must not        come first served basis.
    bring a car to the site (clause 1.24).
                                             Anyone who abuses the privilege
•   Phoenix Halls                            of holding a permit will have
    Moulsecoomb Place Halls                  their permit revoked and may be
    Paddock Field Halls                      subject to the parking controls and
    These halls have a parking control       charges.
    scheme in operation because
    the numbers of parking spaces

                                                                                                                        11
CLEANING                                    university business or study activities,    FIRE REGULATIONS
                                            including premises managed on
Students are responsible for cleaning       behalf of the university by a third party   All students and their guests are
their study bedrooms and keeping the        (such as some halls of residence).          required to familiarise themselves with
communal areas within their flat/unit                                                   the following regulations, the location
tidy and safe (clause 1.18). Refuse and     Aims of the policy                          of fire appliances, fire alarm call
recycling should not be allowed to          • promote health, safety and                points, exit routes from buildings and
accumulate and bins must be emptied            wellbeing by providing                   assembly points. Fire and evacuation
regularly.                                     information, advice and support          instructions are found in each flat –
                                            • inform students about drug and            please read them carefully. You will be
Where students do not maintain an              alcohol use and misuse                   required to participate in fire drills.
acceptable standard of cleanliness          • provide advice on the support
and hygiene, they will be billed for           options available                        Students who do not cooperate with
professional cleaning charges – these       • enable individuals with drug and          evacuation procedures will be subject
can be very expensive. For advice on           alcohol related issues to seek help      to university disciplinary procedures
cleaning see page 17.                       • offer guidelines to all students and      and/or penalties.
                                               staff regarding their responsibilities
                                               and the required code of conduct         Interference with firefighting
DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY                     • explain how misuse may lead to            equipment, detectors, doors, signage
                                               disciplinary or legal action.            or alarms is a criminal offence. Failure
The university has a legal responsibility                                               to comply with the regulations or
for the health, safety and welfare of its   As part of this process, the university     with instructions from a member
students, staff and visitors and aims       and the police will carry out periodic      of university or emergency service
to provide a safe, healthy and high         testing for illegal substances in halls     staff will be considered a serious
quality learning environment.               of residence. In certain situations         infringement and render the offender
                                            individuals may be subject to               liable to prosecution, penalties and/or
This includes addressing the risks          disciplinary action, be asked to leave      to have their accommodation contract
posed by substance misuse, informing        and/or be reported to the police. The       terminated.
students of their responsibilities and      university has a legitimate interest
codes of conduct and providing help         in protecting those at the university       The following regulations must be
and advice on request. All students         and its own reputation from the likely      observed at all times:
have a legal responsibility to take         consequences of substance misuse.           • Fire doors, which include your
reasonable care for their own safety                                                       kitchen, bedroom and flat entrance
and that of others and to comply with       Full details of the Drug and Alcohol           doors, must be kept closed and not
this policy (clause 1.23).                  Policy and Mental Health Policy are            be propped open. Students must
                                            available at www.brighton.ac.uk/               also not affix anything, such as
Who is covered by the policy?               current-students/my-studies/student-           posters and photos, to the doors as
The policy applies to students in           policies-and-regulations/index.aspx.           this will breach fire regulations and
circumstances where there is a                                                             increase fire risk
safety risk to themselves or others,                                                    • Safety signs must not be covered,
or where their conduct or quality of                                                       removed or defaced in any way
work affects others or the reputation                                                   • Heat/smoke detectors must not be
of the university, such as students on                                                     covered or interfered with in any
university organised work placements,                                                      way
working in laboratories on research                                                     • The maximum number of persons
projects or as members of university                                                       permitted to gather at any time in a
sports teams.                                                                              study bedroom is six

It applies whether students are on
university premises or elsewhere on

12
•   No cooking or heating of liquids         •   Electrical circuits must not be          Fire charges
    is permitted to take place in study          overloaded. Only a four-way              You will be charged for the following
    bedrooms. Use of chip pans or                oblong extension lead with neon          breaches of fire regulations:
    similar is prohibited within halls           indication and an in-line fuse rated
    of residence. Care should be                 at five amps, of the Duraplug make       •   Tampering with fire safety
    exercised whilst cooking with a              or similar, may be used (cubic type          equipment (i.e. covering smoke
    wok, frying pan or the grill. Smoke          adaptors and coiled extension                detectors, removing fire safety
    produced from such cooking                   leads are prohibited)                        signs, misuse of fire extinguishers
    activities (e.g. burning toast) can      •   Any activity which could place               or fire blankets
    set off fire alarms. Cookers and grill       other people or property at risk is      •   Avoidable or malicious fire alarm
    pans must be cleaned before using            forbidden                                    activation
    to prevent unwanted fire alarm           •   Fire drills and fire alarm activations   •   Propping open of fire doors
    activations                                  must be responded to promptly by         •   Smoking in a designated no
•   Barbecues are not permitted on               all in residence                             smoking area
    halls of residence sites                 •   Cars and motorcycles must not be
•   Candles, joss sticks, tea lights,            parked in locations which would
    electric bar fires, fan heaters, oil         impede access for emergency
    lamps or fireworks are not                   vehicles. If the car park is full,
    permitted in the buildings                   vehicles must be parked off site
•   Activation of alarms (particularly       •   Storage of bicycles or any other
    those where fire doors have                  objects is not permitted within
    been propped open or windows                 study bedrooms, staircases,
    kept closed) which result in the             corridors or communal areas. The
    unnecessary attendance of the fire           university may remove any article
    brigade may result in disciplinary           which constitutes a fire risk.
    procedures. An equipment
    reinstatement charge will be             Fire alarms
    levied in the event of malicious or      Make sure you are aware of the
    preventable and unwanted alarm           action needed in the event of a fire
    activation. Such charges may             or the activation of a fire alarm. This
    be made against an individual,           information is displayed on a fire
    flat or block. In addition, the fire     action poster in your flat.
    brigade may seek to prosecute the
    individual responsible for malicious     Take time to familiarise yourself with
    activation                               the evacuation procedure.
•   Residents are not permitted to
    bring any furniture into halls           Fire drills will take place every term
    of residence accommodation.              and you must respond to them
    Any furniture which is not the           promptly.
    university’s property will be
    removed at the resident’s expense.       Fire safety
    Any defects with university              You are advised to watch the
    furniture or fittings should be          university’s fire safety video. This can
    reported to site staff immediately       be found on studentcentral.brighton.
                                             ac.uk (look for ‘safety and security’,
                                             under ‘My Student Life’.

                                                                                                                                13
HEALTH AND SAFETY                           INVENTORY                                  MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

The university aims to protect the          An inventory is a list of the contents     The university is responsible for
health, safety and welfare of students      and condition of a room or property        the repair and maintenance of the
and staff. Some policies on safety are      when you move in. You will find an         accommodation it manages at Varley,
set out in the student handbook (see        inventory in your study bedroom.           Phoenix Brewery and Moulsecoomb
page 7) and others are available from       If you see any discrepancies please        Place. Several of our halls of residence
the departments in the university to        record as much detail as possible. If      are managed on behalf of the
which they apply.                           you can, take photographs.                 university by L&Q (Paddock Field),
                                                                                       Sanctuary Students (Great Wilkins) and
Every student has a duty to take            Please complete it fully and return        by Optivo in Eastbourne (Welkin Halls).
reasonable care for the health and          to site staff within 24 hours of arrival
safety of themselves and of others          (clause 1.15). If you do not return        The university or housing associations
who may be affected by their acts or        the inventory, you may be held             managing halls can only repair faults
omissions. All students are required        responsible for damage not noted.          once they are aware of them. You
to maintain a safe environment within                                                  should notify the site office within
their flat and bedroom for staff and        Contact a member of staff if you have      24 hours of becoming aware of any
contractors who may have to enter           not received an inventory when you         problem (clause 1.16). Any defects
the accommodation. For example,             arrive.                                    which you consider to be potentially
this means students are responsible                                                    dangerous must be immediately
for ensuring that cables to personal                                                   reported to site staff. For less serious
electrical equipment are safe and                                                      faults, please complete a maintenance
are not left trailing. It is a condition                                               form at halls reception.
of the accommodation contract that
a student will not put the health and                                                  You should ensure that when
safety of others at risk (clause 1.4). In                                              necessary repairs are reported, a full
serious cases, the accommodation                                                       description of the fault is given. For
contract may be terminated before its                                                  example, to mend a broken window
expiry date.                                                                           the university may send round a
                                                                                       glazier, but if the window just won’t
Hazardous chemicals or biological                                                      open, it might be more appropriate to
substances must not be brought                                                         send a joiner.
into the residence sites (prescribed
medicines are allowed). Mercury                                                        Repair response times:
thermometers are not allowed on the
premises.                                                                              •   Emergency repairs
                                                                                           Repairs which are necessary to
Students are responsible for the safe                                                      avoid a danger to a student’s
moving and handling of all luggage                                                         health and wellbeing or to
and belongings. University staff will                                                      avoid serious damage to the
not assist in the handling of excessive                                                    accommodation or a student’s
loads.                                                                                     belongings (e.g. a burst pipe):
                                                                                           within 24 hours of being reported.

                                                                                       •   Urgent repairs
                                                                                           Repairs which, if not carried out,
                                                                                           would significantly affect the
                                                                                           comfort and convenience of the
                                                                                           tenant(s): within five working days
                                                                                           of being reported.

14
•   Non-urgent repairs                     SMOKING POLICY                            SUBLETTING
    Repairs which do not fall into the
    above two categories: within 28        It is against the law to smoke in         The subletting of rooms is strictly
    working days.                          virtually all enclosed public places,     prohibited (clause 1.27). This includes
                                           workplaces, public and work vehicles.     allowing the use of, or sharing your
                                           Failure to comply with the law is a       room with relatives, friends, boyfriends
PETS                                       criminal offence and carries financial    or girlfriends.
                                           penalties. The law clarifies that
No animals may be kept in halls of         ‘smoking’ refers to smoking tobacco
residence (clause 1.30) unless used as     or anything which contains tobacco, or    VISITORS
an aid for a disabled person.              smoking any other substance.
                                                                                     You are responsible for the behaviour
                                           Restrictions on smoking at the            of any visitor you invite into your
SAFETY AWARENESS                           university                                accommodation (clause 1.21).
                                           Smoking is prohibited in the following
Residents should keep their study          university locations:                     Daytime visitors are permitted in
bedroom locked and windows closed          • anywhere in university and              halls of residence, subject to the fire
when unoccupied (clause 1.8). It is also      Students’ Union buildings or           regulations that there should be no
your responsibility to ensure that the        vehicles                               more than six people in any study
front door to your flat/unit is locked.    • all areas of university halls of        bedroom at any one time.
                                              residence, including private
Do not let anyone into your building          bedrooms                               One overnight guest is permitted to
or home if you don’t know them. If you     • within 10 metres of any entrance,       stay for a maximum of two nights in
do and they cause a disturbance or            openable window or vent on             a period of seven nights. The guest
damage, you will be held responsible.         university buildings                   must:
Members of university staff carry          • all external areas of the university,   • be over the age of 18
identification cards and should identify      unless in a designated smoking         • agreed and acknowledged by site
themselves before entering a building.        area.                                      staff
                                                                                     • signed in at reception
Occasionally you may be asked by a         All halls of residence are designated     • issued with a visitor pass
member of university staff to produce      as non-smoking areas of the university.
identification (e.g. Unicard). Please      Students who have an accommodation        You must be present on site or in
cooperate – it is not an invasion of       contract with the university agree to     residence during the duration of your
privacy and is in the interest of all      comply with the university’s policy on    guest’s stay.
residents to dissuade intruders. There     smoking (clause 1.22).
are CCTV security cameras at some                                                    This regulation is strictly enforced.
halls sites and a security team on call    Breaches of policy will constitute an     To allow a guest to stay at the
at all sites.                              offence under the university’s student    accommodation on more than an
                                           disciplinary procedures.                  occasional basis will be regarded
If you discover anyone who you                                                       as subletting and is in breach of the
believe to be trespassing or               More information and advice about         accommodation contract.
presenting a potential threat, please      the university’s smoking policy can be
report them to site staff.                 found at www.brighton.ac.uk/current-      You must not have anyone visit you
                                           students/my-studies/student-policies-     after 10pm if they have not signed in
                                           and-regulations/index.aspx.               at the halls reception.

                                                                                                                               15
LIVING IN HALLS
Here you will find                          •   Phoenix                                 C-CHANGE
                                                There are branches of all the main
guidance for living                             banks on the London Road near           The University of Brighton is proud to
in halls - from how to                          Phoenix Halls and in the centre of      say that sustainability is one of its core
get connected to the                            Brighton close to Grand Parade.         goals. This is highlighted through the
                                                                                        People and Planet’s Green League,
university network to how                   •   Varley Park                             where the university scored a ‘first
you will receive your post.                     There is a cash machine in the Hub.     class’ award, ranking twenty-first out
                                                                                        of all the universities in the country in
                                                                                        2014.
There is also information                   CATERING
about the staff you will                                                                c-change is the university’s internal
meet on site and other                      Our halls are let on either a catered or    campaign aimed at helping students
                                            self-catered basis, but all have kitchens   to come together to reduce your
university services you                     for student use. You will need to bring     impact upon the environment, while
might want to access.                       your own cooking utensils, crockery         still having a great time living at the
                                            and cutlery.                                university. Look out for c-change
                                                                                        competitions, information and
BANKING FACILITIES                          For those students on our ‘EAT IN’          volunteering opportunities while
                                            catered package, details can be found       during your time in halls.
•    Welkin Halls                           on pages 24-27.
     There is a cash machine located                                                    Here are a few simple things you can
     in the reception of Welkin Halls,      There are restaurants and cafés on all      do to support the c-change campaign
     available 24 hours. There are          campuses. For more information on           and be more sustainable while living
     limited banking facilities close by    our hospitality facilities please go to     in halls:
     in Meads village. Further banking      eat.brighton.ac.uk.
     facilities are available in the town                                               •   power down - turn off anything
     centre.                                                                                that uses power when not needed.
                                                                                            Games consoles, PCs and lights
•    Moulsecoomb Place                                                                      are particularly energy-guzzling!
     A cash machine is situated in                                                      •   travel sustainably - have a look at
     the Cockcroft building close to                                                        the different options for travelling
     Moulsecoomb Place.                                                                     to and from your Halls and campus
                                                                                            (see pages 22 and 23).
•    Paddock Field and                                                                  •   reduce, reuse, recycle – see page
     Great Wilkins                                                                          19 for some top tips on cutting
     There is a cash machine located                                                        down your waste and making sure
     on the Falmer campus next to                                                           as much as possible is re-used or
     the Hive (Students Union café) by                                                      recycled.
     the bus stop. The closest banking                                                  •   log on and join in – be part of
     facilities at Falmer are located on                                                    the c-change campaign and help
     the University of Sussex campus                                                        make a difference. Keep in the
     nearby, which has a Barclays, HSBC                                                     loop through Facebook and Twitter
     and various other cash machines.                                                       or contact the c-change team
                                                                                            via email if you would like to get
                                                                                            involved:
                                                                                            F: unibrightoncchange
                                                                                            T: @_cchange_
                                                                                            E: cchange@brighton.ac.uk

16
CLEANING ADVICE                               COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS                     COMPUTING FACILITIES
                                              ABOUT SERVICES
University or contract cleaners will                                                      Students in our halls of residence are
clean on a weekly basis the communal          Our aim is to provide you with the          able to use the university’s computing
areas of your flat as part of your            highest standard of service at all times.   facilities. Internet access and the use
accommodation contract (see page              However, we know that things can            of this facility is included in your rent.
11).                                          and do go wrong. When this happens,
                                              we need to know about it so that            University wireless - Eduroam
They will not clear up after you or           we can take measures to put things          This service, eduroam, (education
do the washing up – this is your              right quickly and efficiently. We also      roaming) is the secure, world-wide
responsibility. We highly recommend           welcome comments and feedback               roaming access service developed
agreeing a cleaning rota or establishing      about our services.                         for the international research and
some ground rules from the outset.                                                        education community.
This can avoid disagreements at a             Most complaints can be resolved
later date. Further information about         immediately, but if your complaint is       You can find more information about
cleaning arrangements can be found in         complex we may need more time to            eduroam and how to connect to
your kitchen.                                 investigate. We aim to deal with your       the service at www.brighton.ac.uk/
                                              complaint within ten working days of        eduroam.
Particular problem areas are:                 having received it.
• shared kitchens and bathrooms – a                                                       The following is not covered by the
    lot of problems can be avoided if         Complaints, comments or any                 halls of residence internet service:
    individual students clear up after        suggestions you may have should be          • some internet services that
    themselves. Please make sure that         referred to the appropriate member              are not enabled for security or
    you do your own washing up, clean         of residential staff (please see pages          performance reasons
    the sinks and kitchen surfaces. And       28-29 for contact details).                 • advice or fixing of problems with
    when you use the bath and shower,                                                         your computer hardware
    be sure to clean them afterwards.                                                     • networked printing facilities
• grill pans which are not cleaned                                                        • a guarantee that it is technically
    regularly are a fire hazard and will                                                      possible to connect your computer
    activate fire alarms. You should                                                          to the network.
    therefore clean grills after every use.
• do not leave food lying around –
    vermin can be attracted very easily.                                                  COUNCIL TAX
• rubbish and recycling – don’t let the
    bins provided overflow with rubbish                                                   Students living in halls are exempt
    and recyclable items.                                                                 from paying council tax.
• ensure fridges and freezers are
    defrosted regularly, at least once
    per term, to prevent the build up of                                                  DOCTORS
    ice.
• where there is a shower curtain,                                                        You are strongly advised to register
    always make sure it is tucked inside                                                  with a university doctor or local doctor
    the bath.                                                                             as soon as possible after you arrive.
• you should not pin or stick anything                                                    More information on local doctors
    to the walls – it always leaves a                                                     can be found at www.brighton.ac.uk/
    mark, despite what the adhesive                                                       current-students/my-student-life/
    manufacturers claim. Please use the                                                   health-and-wellbeing/health-services/
    notice board provided. Charges will                                                   index.aspx.
    be made for walls marked in this
    way.

                                                                                                                                  17
EMERGENCIES                                 KEYS                                         POST

If there is an emergency contact the        Each student will be issued with a key       Please ensure the full and exact
emergency services on 999.                  to his or her study bedroom and/or           postal address is used to avoid any
                                            unit. Please keep your keys safe and         problems with the delivery of your
If possible contact a member of site        do not give them to other residents or       post. Important items should be sent
staff immediately after you have            friends.                                     by recorded delivery.
contacted emergency services.
                                            Access to bedrooms in the Woodland,          •   Great Wilkins - Letters are
                                            Downland, Cliffe, Firle, Highview,               delivered to your flat. Larger
HEATING                                     Upland, Hillside and Coastland and               letters, parcels and recorded items
                                            the Hub buildings at Varley Park is via          are delivered to halls reception.
All study bedrooms and communal             the Unicard.                                     You will be notified by email when
areas are centrally heated during the                                                        items are ready for collection.
winter months and the cost is included      Remember to lock your door even                  Please bring ID (e.g. your Unicard)
in your rent. In the event that the         when you are going to the kitchen or             with you when you collect post
heater in your bedroom or communal          bathroom and to keep the front door              so that staff can verify who you
area is defective, you should report it     locked at all times. It is not possible          are. Your postal address will be
to one of the halls staff immediately.      for students themselves to get spare             your block, flat number and room
Further information about how the           copies of keys cut, so if you lose your          number followed by the site
heating works in your halls can be          keys you will be charged for having a            address, e.g. Block A Flat 1 Room
found in your bedroom.                      replacement cut for you.                         1, Great Wilkins, University of
                                                                                             Brighton, Falmer, Brighton, BN1
                                            You must report loss or theft of                 9QW.
LAUNDRY                                     keys or your Unicard to staff on site
                                            immediately.                                 •   Varley Park - All post is delivered
Laundry and drying facilities are                                                            to halls reception. Letters are
available at each halls site. Information   Please note that if you lose your keys,          distributed to flats by site staff and
about how to use the facilities,            the halls staff will need to first confirm       larger letters, parcels and recorded
including washing and drying costs, is      your identity before issuing you with            items are kept at reception for you
displayed in each laundry area. If you      a replacement and/or allowing you to             to collect. You will be notified by
experience a problem with any of the        access your flat and room.                       email when items are ready for
machines, please advise by email the                                                         collection. Please bring ID (e.g.
halls staff straight away.                                                                   your Unicard) with you when you
                                            MENINGITIS, MEASLES AND MUMPS                    collect post so that staff can verify
At Welkin Halls in Eastbourne and                                                            who you are. Your postal address
at Paddock Field in Brighton, the           You are strongly advised to get                  will be your block, flat number
washing machines do not have                immunised against meningitis,                    and room number followed by
detergent drawers so you need to            measles and mumps, as soon as                    the site address, e.g. Woodland
bring washing capsules (combined            possible.                                        Lodge, Flat 1, Room 1, Varley Park,
with fabric conditioner) that are placed                                                     Coldean Lane, Brighton BN1 9GR.
directly inside the machine drum.           All are highly infectious, and prone to
                                            spread among the student population
                                            because of greater social mixing
                                            and living in close proximity. More
                                            information, including immunisation
                                            can be found at www.brighton.ac.uk/
                                            current-students/my-student-life/
                                            health-and-wellbeing/health-issues/
                                            index.aspx.

18
•   Paddock Field - Letters are             •   Welkin Halls - Letters are delivered      REDUCING, REUSING AND
    delivered to your flat letterbox.           to your flat letterbox. Larger letters,   RECYCLING
    Larger letters, parcels and                 parcels and recorded items are
    recorded items are delivered to             delivered to halls reception. You         As part of our c-change sustainability
    halls reception. You will be notified       will be notified by email when            campaign (page 16), the university
    by email when items are ready for           items are ready for collection.           follows the waste hierarchy of ‘reduce,
    collection. Please bring ID (e.g.           Please bring ID (e.g. your Unicard)       reuse and recycle’, and students play a
    your Unicard) with you when you             with you when you collect post            key role in this.
    collect post so that staff can verify       so that staff can verify who you
    who you are. Your postal address            are. Your postal address will be          Here are a few things you can do to
    will be your flat number and letter         the flat and court followed by the        help cut your waste and save natural
    followed by the site address, e.g.          site address, e.g. Flat 1, Berwick        resources.
    12A Paddock Field, University of            Court, Welkin Halls of Residence,
    Brighton, Falmer, Brighton, BN1             University of Brighton, Gaudick           Reducing: Avoiding food waste is a
    9SF.                                        Road, Eastbourne, BN20 7SH. Do            key way of reducing waste and cutting
                                                not use your room number.                 greenhouse gas emissions, as well as
•   Phoenix Brewery - Letters are                                                         saving you money. You can visit www.
    delivered to your building. Larger                                                    lovefoodhatewaste.com for simple
    letters, parcels and recorded items                                                   recipes and tips on reducing your
    are delivered to halls reception.                                                     food waste. Avoiding buying heavily
    You will be notified by email when                                                    packaged food will also help to
    items are ready for collection.                                                       reduce plastic waste.
    Please bring ID (e.g. your Unicard)
    with you when you collect post so                                                     Reusing: At the end of the year, the
    that staff can verify who you are.                                                    c-change campaign runs a ‘Reuse
    Your postal address will be your flat                                                 Project’, collecting unwanted items
    number and block letter followed                                                      from students leaving their halls, and
    by the site address, e.g. Flat 2C,                                                    donating them to a local charity. Look
    Phoenix Brewery, Brighton, BN2                                                        out for more publicity in your halls in
    9WG.                                                                                  June for information on how to take
                                                                                          part.
•   Moulsecoomb Place - Letters are
    delivered to your building. Larger                                                    Recycling: The university has a target
    letters, parcels and recorded items                                                   to recycle 75% of all our waste.
    are delivered to halls reception.                                                     You will find more information about
    You will be notified by email when                                                    recycling in your halls, but items which
    items are ready for collection.                                                       can be recycled at all halls include:
    Please bring ID (e.g. your Unicard)                                                   • plastic bottles
    with you when you collect post so                                                     • paper and card
    that staff can verify who you are.                                                    • tins and cans
    Your postal address will be your flat
    number and block letter followed
    by the site address, e.g. Flat 12,
    Tillstone Close, Mouslecoomb
    Halls of Residence, Brighton, BN2
    4GA.

                                                                                                                               19
SITE STAFF                                Please do not hesitate to contact or        •   Welkin Halls
                                          speak to one of our overnight staff,            A security officer will be on site
There is a team of staff working          they are there to help you. You will find       overnight. You can contact them on
throughout the halls 24 hours a day.      more information about our overnight            0203 202 0399 or 07590 778868.
                                          staff and how you can contact them in
Halls managers                            your flat.                                  •   Great Wilkins
Halls managers work during normal                                                         A security officer is available for
office hours and are contactable          •   Student Liaison Manager                     emergencies outside of normal
via the details on page 28. They are          Monday to Friday                            office hours. You can contact the
responsible for a team of staff at            4pm to midnight                             officer in the management suite
each site. The halls manager can help         07903 363861                                on site or by telephone on 01273
you with any queries you may have                                                         693548 or 07747 457626.
about the halls you are living in and     •   Residential Advisor
you should contact them in the first          Monday to Sunday including              •   Paddock Field
instance.                                     public holidays                             L&Q staff can be contacted in an
                                              7:30pm to 7:30am                            emergency after 5pm on 07958
Caretakers and cleaners                       01273 641064                                767672.
Our caretakers and cleaners have a
number of duties including keeping        Security officers                           •   Varley Park
the halls site and the accommodation      The security team work across the               If you need to contact security,
clean and tidy. Caretakers can also       university estate and patrol the halls          report to the site reception office
help you with queries you may have        as part of their routine duties. They           in the Hub, or telephone 01273
about your room or flat.                  can also be contacted to respond                641300.
                                          to incidents, emergencies and other
A list of contact numbers for each hall   situations such as noise complaints or
is provided on page 28.                   when a student is locked out.               Sussex Police Liaison Officer
                                                                                      The university works closely with
Overnight and emergencies                 Security officers provide an overnight      Sussex Police and has its own assigned
Halls are staffed by security officers    presence across the university from         police officers.
and a team of residences staff. The       9.45pm until 7.00am, and their main
university has appointed a team of        responsibility is to ensure that the        The officers work regularly within our
overnight staff to offer support to all   sites are safe and secure and to            halls of residence and have a remit to
students living in halls of residence.    take appropriate action where halls         work with all students to increase their
The team is made up of a mix of           or student regulations are being            safety and ensure that good links are
residential and non-residential staff.    breached.                                   maintained with Sussex Police. The
They are there to help students settle                                                officers can be contacted via university
in and to provide ongoing support         •   Phoenix Brewery                         email and the Virtual Local Action
and advice to you while you live in           If you need to contact security,        Team (VLAT) on the community pages
halls accommodation.                          report to the halls reception in C      of studentcentral.
                                              block, or telephone 07880 725423
You can contact our overnight staff           or 01273 277018.
about any personal issues or concerns
you may have, for example, if you are     •   Moulsecoomb Place
finding it difficult settling into your       You can contact security at their
new accommodation, or if you are              site office or by telephone on
experiencing noise problems or other          07880 725415 or 01273 643547.
forms of nuisance. If they are unable
to help they will be able to advise you
who else can.

20
SPORT                                         For more information on sports             Childcare
                                              services at the university please visit    With two Ofsted rated nurseries open
As part of your halls package all             www.brighton.ac.uk/sportbrighton.          to children of staff, students and the
residents living in halls in Brighton                                                    local community, the University of
and Eastbourne have access to the                                                        Brighton is an excellent choice for
university’s fitness suite (gym) facilities   STUDENT SERVICES                           high quality, affordable and flexible
at off-peak times at no additional cost.                                                 childcare.
Off–peak access is weekdays before            Opportunities and support to help
5pm and anytime at weekends during            you get the most out of your time at       Counselling
Sport Brighton’s opening hours.               university.                                Whatever the reason, if you are
                                                                                         finding academic life is causing you
Students in halls also have the               Student Services is a central              concern, or for personal reasons you
option to upgrade to a full annual            department that provide a range            need someone to talk things over
membership allowing access at all             of services to support you through         with, you don’t need to feel that you
times as well as the addition of classes      university and to help you get the         are all alone with your worries. You
and swimming (Eastbourne only) fully          most from the student experience.          can access a counsellor in a safe and
included.                                                                                confidential space for an assessment
                                              Their experienced and supportive           appointment and they can then offer
Details of the University of Brighton         staff offer advice on a range of issues,   guidance and support or referral to
sports facilities are listed below.           including:                                 appropriate agencies.

Eastbourne                                    •   Advice about money worries and         Disability and dyslexia support
• swimming pool                                   how to live on a budget.               If you’ve got a disability, specific
• fitness suite                               •   Support in finding jobs and            learning difficulty or long term-health
• sports halls and studio                         volunteering opportunities.            condition and choose to disclose it
• bouldering wall                             •   Help accessing academic support        in confidence to the Disability and
• 3G artificial pitch                             if you have a disability, learning     Dyslexia team, you’ll discover the
                                                  difficulty or long-term medical        wide range of academic and personal
Falmer                                            condition.                             support available.
• fitness suite                               •   One to one support for students
• 2 studios                                       with worries or concerns in a safe,    Health and wellbeing
• sports hall                                     confidential space.                    Looking after yourself whilst at
• netball and tennis courts                                                              university helps you to get the most
• 3G artificial pitch                         Below is an outline of some of the         of your experience. Our links to local
• grass pitches                               ways in which they can help you            surgeries give you access to a doctor,
                                              during your time here.                     our health and wellbeing workshops
Moulsecoomb                                                                              and information help you to keep
• fitness suite                               Career development                         everything in balance – so look after
• sports hall                                 Build your employability skills and        your mind and body whilst you are
                                              boost your graduate potential, with        here.
Varley Park                                   careers guidance, enterprise skills,
• mini fitness suite with CV kit              and employment and volunteering            Student Advice Service
                                              opportunities.                             When it comes to your finances at
All the fitness facilities have state of                                                 university it pays to be money wise; so
the art technology including Apple            Chaplaincy                                 for expert advice on financial issues,
and Android compatibility. There are a        There’s more to the Chaplaincy than        including fees, grants, bursaries, loans,
wide range of classes and courses to          you think with social events, retreats,    and money management, contact the
choose from, including student sports         worship, discussion, support and           Student Advice Service. They can also
clubs and recreational sports.                listening.                                 help if you are an international student
                                                                                         needing immigration advice, or

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