Support and advice

There’s lots of support available, either in-person or online. Here’s a reminder of other services available to you:  

• Campus Safety
• Centre for Wellbeing 
• Religious Life and Belief Centre
• MySurrey Help.

Find further support available by visiting the support services page.     

You can report anything anonymously through the Report + Support system. Unless you include your personal contact details, you cannot be traced or identified. 

This is not monitored 24/7 - if it’s an emergency, call 01483 683333. 

To report a Health and Safety incident or near miss, please use our Health and Safety Incident Management System.

Emergency matters that give rise to an immediate risk to health and safety, building integrity or an unacceptable security risk.  

For example: gas leak, flood, dangerous electrical equipment, lift entrapment, access system failure. 

Call 01483 683333. 

Urgent matters that prevent you conducting core operational activity. 

For example: loss of utilities, including cooker, fridge, water and heating. 

Please log a work request via our online fault reporting system, then call the team on 01483 682002 to advise them of your case number. 

For information on how to use this system, please see our guide (PDF). 

Non-Urgent Matters 

For example, a light bulb not working, a plug socket is broken, fixtures, fittings or furniture repair. 

Report issues via our online fault reporting system. You need to make sure that you are connected to the University Wi-Fi and that you are using Microsoft Edge instead of Google Chrome (if you do not do this the website link will not work).

The Estates and Facilities team will get to your request as soon as possible. 

If you feel the reported fault has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please email the Estates and Facilities Team efcshelpdesk@surrey.ac.uk so they can investigate this for you.  

For more information visit our repairs in halls page.

Many students have been diagnosed with a medical condition and for some students there may be occasions when urgent medical attention is required. For example, with severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), seizures and serious heart conditions.

If this applies to you, please book an appointment with the Disability and Neuroinclusion team to discuss your condition, how it affects you, and what intervention you need in the event of an incident. You will be able to meet with an Adviser to discuss this confidentially and then, with your agreement, an Urgent Medical Form will be completed. The form contains key information about actions to take in the event of an incident and is stored securely on the Security team’s database. The form is also shared with other key staff, such as your lecturers, with your consent.

This system ensures you get the best support and most appropriate response should a medical emergency occur.

Search MySurrey Help for further advice and support.

Safety apps

If you have any safety concerns, please get in touch with us. However, we also recommend the following apps if you are walking alone or travelling to an unknown area:  

Hollie Guard  

Hollie Guard is a next generation smartphone app that provides enhanced levels of protection.  

The app has several features, including the ability to track a journey ensuring you are safe wherever you travel, and you are able to set up an alert that will notify your designated person if anything was to happen.   

Watch a video which explains the app in further detail.  

Strut Safe 

If you feel unsafe and uncomfortable walking home alone at night, or if it’s too late to call a friend or family member, Strut Safe is there for you. This app allows you to call a number (0333 335 0026) and a volunteer will stay on the phone with you until you are safe in your home. If necessary, they will also contact the emergency services.  

You can find out more by visiting Strut Safe’s website.  

Life360 

Life360 enables you to share your location with family and friends in real-time. 

Some of the features include allowing your chosen contacts to track your route to a destination, and you can skip the text exchange with a quick reassuring check-in function for when you arrive at your destination.  

Alcohol awareness is all about helping us to better understand the risks of drinking and providing advice on how we can change our drinking behaviour for the better. This can be as simple as ensuring you have a few drink-free days each week, purposefully choosing the lowest strength drinks, making every other drink a non-alcoholic one, or downloading an app, such as Try Dry, to track your drinking and keep you motivated. 

If you’re regularly running out of money due to alcohol, you should consider whether alcohol has become a problem for you. You can access support at Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care.  

You can calculate your weekly unit consumption to understand how alcohol works in your body.  

Roughly two in three victims of sexual assault reported having drunk alcohol prior to the assault - this does not make the sexual assault their fault.  

Alcohol increases someone’s vulnerability to being targeted and impacts on the ability to consent. This would apply if:  

• Their speech is slurred or incoherent and they can’t maintain a conversation
• They can’t walk properly or are wobbly and unbalanced
• They seem drowsy or fall in and out of consciousness
• Their behaviour seems wildly out of character, and they’ve taken part in dangerous or risky activities.

Consent is a vital part of engaging in any sexual activity. It’s important for everyone’s safety that you understand what consent is; sex without consent is rape or sexual assault and is against the law. If you are not sure you have consent, then stop and ask.  

Find out more about consent and support available.  

• If you have to walk, avoid shortcuts in lonely areas and keep to well-lit, busy streets
• Always walk facing oncoming traffic so a car cannot pull up behind you
• If you regularly go walking or jogging, vary your route
• Avoid using a personal music player or mobile phone while walking or jogging. They can distract you from your surroundings
• If you think you're being followed, walk to the busiest place you can find or knock on a door. Then call the police
• Consider carrying a personal safety alarm
• When approaching your car or home, have your keys ready so you can enter without delay
• If you are attacked, shout for help as loudly as you can or shout for someone to contact the police. Use your personal safety alarm. Try to get to a safe place and call the police. 

Recent world events have led to requests from students for advice on how to act in the unlikely event of terror incidents. These incidents could happen on- or off-campus. 

The key principles of ‘Run, Hide, and Tell’ are:  

• RUN – find the best protection available, out of sight does not mean out of danger
• HIDE – see if you can locate the attackers, what type of weapon is being used, the direction the attacker(s) are travelling. Limit access and secure your environment. Lock the doors and remain as quiet as possible
• TELL – contact the police via 999 then Campus Security via 01483 683333, give them all the information you have. 

How to React to Firearms or Weapons Attacks - YouTube  

How To Identify and Respond to Suspicious Behaviour - YouTube

We are not allowed to disclose data or show CCTV recordings to non-authorised people. 

However, if you feel you have a legitimate reason for requiring such information then email dataprotection@surrey.ac.uk.  

Please note: If you have been a victim of crime you are advised to report the matter to the police without delay. 

In the winter months, when needed, we will grit the pavements for your safety. Take a look at the three gritting routes below:

• Stag Hill campus priority gritting routes (PDF)
• Hazel Farm priority gritting routes (PDF)
• Manor Park and SSP priority gritting routes (PDF).

Advice if you are being stalked or fear you are at risk of being stalked

1. Trust your instincts

• If you feel unsafe, don’t dismiss your feelings as paranoia. Your instincts can help guide you and prompt proactive safety actions.

2. Take immediate safety measures

• Share your location: keep a trusted friend or family member updated on your whereabouts and location in real-time using phone apps like “Find My Friends” (iOS) or “Google Maps Location Sharing” (Android).
• If you feel threatened or are at risk: on campus contact Campus Safety on 01483 683333. If you are off campus call 999 immediately. 
• Vary your routine: avoid establishing patterns. Change routes to work or home, shop at different places, and avoid predictability.
• Stay in public, well-lit areas: whenever possible, avoid isolated areas, especially if you sense immediate danger.

3. Document everything

• Keep a record: document any incidents, including dates, times, locations, and descriptions of what happened. Note any messages, gifts, or unusual behaviour. If possible, take photos or screenshots.
• Collect evidence: save messages, emails, voicemails, or notes from the person. This documentation will be essential if you choose to report the stalking to the police.

4. Increase security

• Enhance security: on campus: have a conversation with campus safety, they have additional measure that can help you feel more secure in your accommodation. 
• Check social media privacy settings: limit what you share publicly, especially personal information like locations or daily routines. Avoid tagging yourself in real-time locations.
• Consider an alarm app: some mobile apps like ‘bSafe’ or ‘hollieguard’ allow you to discreetly alert a contact or friend if you’re in danger. (Subscription fees may apply)
• Personal alarm: the Students' Union can provide a personal attack alarm, please contact them at - ussu.advice@surrey.ac.uk
• Off-campus: consider installing security cameras, better locks, and outdoor lighting if possible. Even something as simple as a doorbell camera can act as a deterrent.

5. Involve others and seek support

• Inform trusted people: tell friends, family, coworkers, or neighbours about the situation so they can help monitor and offer support.
• Create a code word: have a code word to alert friends or family if you’re in immediate danger, so they know to take action without further communication.

6. Report to authorities

• Police report: provide your documented evidence to the police. Even if they can’t take immediate action, it creates a record that can be vital for any further investigations or protective measures.
• Consider a restraining order: if the stalking persists, ask the police or a solicitor about the option of getting a restraining order to legally prevent the person from contacting you. Women’s Aid can help with further advice.

7. Stay mentally strong and practice self-care

• Prioritise mental health: stalking is traumatic, and the fear can take a toll on mental health. Contact the Centre for Wellbeing if you need help processing the experience and managing anxiety.
• Self-defence training: if you feel comfortable, a self-defence course can help build confidence and prepare you to respond in high-stress situations. Free, female-only self-defence classes at the Surrey Sports Park.

8. Safety plans for emergencies

• Have an escape plan: know the fastest way to get to a safe place from your home, work, or common locations you visit.
• Prepare a go-bag: pack a small bag with essentials (ID, keys, phone charger, money) if you need to leave a situation quickly.

Stalking and harassment are serious, for further information and advice please visit:

• Suzi Lamplugh - you can access the details for the National Stalking Helpline on this website. 
• Police - information on stalking and harassment
• Reporting stalking and/or harassment
• Women’s Aid. 

You can take some simple measures to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime. 

Don’t leave items unattended. The most common places laptops and phones are stolen from are a desk in front of an open ground floor window within easy reach of someone outside. 

Lock it up. Use a Kensington lock (cable) to secure laptops to desks (not around the table leg). Invest in a decent cycle lock (‘D’ locks are the best value) and secure your bike to a secure point – preferably in a cycle shed/rack. 

Items that are either lost or found are registered and securely held for a maximum of one month. If they are not collected after this time they are given to a charity or disposed of. If the property is identifiable, we will contact the owner by email to arrange collection. 

There are four locations on campus that securely store lost or found property:  

MySurrey Hive 

• Staff are available between 8:30am – 5pm Monday – Friday
• Phone: +44(0)1483 983952
• Search MySurrey Help for further advice and support.

Senate House Reception 

• 7:45am – 5pm Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm Saturday

Library

• Open 24/7  
• Search MySurrey Help for further advice and support.

Students’ Union 

• 8:30am-11pm Monday – Friday and 10am-11pm Saturday - Sunday 
• Email: ussu.information@surrey.ac.uk 
• Phone: 01483 689 223.

Yes, we can be found patrolling on foot and in our vehicles across all the campuses. There are also CCTV cameras throughout the residential areas, and all major footpaths are well-lit for your safety. 

Where possible, we advise that individuals go out in a group. Here are some safety points to remember whether you’re in a group or alone:   

• Plan where you are going and how you are going to get back and, if you can, tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back
• Get a free personal safety alarm from Campus Safety and carry it with you and make sure it's easily accessible
• Always keep hold of your drinks and use an anti-drink spiking device
• At night keep to well-lit streets and walk with others
• Use a safety app. 

• Add our contact details into your phone (find our contact details at the top of the page)
• Register all your valuables before you arrive, such as laptops and mobile phones, so that if they do get lost or stolen, they can be found more easily. We recommend a website called, Immobilise, a free service that is used and recommended by every police force in the country which enables you to register your device(s) (this service is not linked to or limited to the University)
• We also strongly advise that you don't leave personal items (such as phones, laptops or purses) unattended in communal areas - even if you're just going to be a couple of minutes
• Always lock your bedroom and flat/house door when you are not in and make sure windows are shut and locked (1 in 3 burglaries occur when doors and windows have been left open)
• Keep your keys and room fobs safe and don't give them to anyone else
• Don't let anyone you don't know tailgate through a secure door.  

If you spot anything suspicious on campus call Campus Safety on 01483 683333 or off-campus call the Police (999 Emergency or 101 non-emergency).  

The University has a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and discrimination of any member of our student or staff community. There are robust procedures in place, and we are confident that these give swift and effective support.

On their first day, the International Department will be ready to help settle you in. Our door is always open, and we encourage anyone to come and have a chat with us, whether you have a question, a concern, or simply want to have a chat with us – we are here for you.