Welcome to Vine Court

This handbook contains essential and useful information to help make your stay a happy and successful one.

Welcome to Vine Court and to the start of an amazing year in Liverpool. This handbook contains essential and useful information to help make your stay a happy and successful one. Please read through this handbook and know where to find it on the website so you can refer to it during your stay.

Vine Court Welcome Handbook 2024

If you have any questions, please contact reception, who will be more than happy to help you.

The main reception is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is manned by the Customer Service team in the day and Campus Support team in the evening. Both teams will be able to deal with all enquires.

All information related to COVID-19 will be reviewed throughout the year. Please ensure that you regularly check your emails for updates.

Student Accommodation Code

Vine Court abides by the student accommodation code developed by Universities UK and the Guild HE. Read more about the Student Accommodation Code and how it protects students.

Your hall

No smoking

The University of Liverpool operates a no smoking policy across all buildings on campus. This means smoking (including e-cigarettes) is not allowed in any areas inside Vine Court, including your kitchen and bedroom. There are designated smoking shelters outside the building for you to use.

Please be respectful of other residents and refrain from smoking near open windows or doorways. If you are found to be breaching these smoking restrictions, action will be taken against you.

The University of Liverpool operates a zero tolerance policy on all illegal and psychoactive substances.

Common room

The common room and games/consoles are available for all residents to use. Usage of common areas might be restricted in the event of changes to Covid-19 requirements.

Using your key card

Your key card is individually programmed to allow you to access your core, corridor and bedroom.

All corridor doors will lock behind you to ensure security for your flat. Please remember you keep your key card with you at all times.

Your bedroom door will also lock automatically behind you in order to keep your room safe and secure. It is very important to remember to keep your access card with you at all times (even if going to the kitchen) so you can access your room.

If you do lock yourself out of your room, you will need to visit reception to gain access with a temporary card. This temporary card must be returned immediately once you have retrieved your access card.

If your card stops working or is lost/ damaged, please contact Reception immediately.

Car parking

We do not provide parking for students, but there are a number of visitor car parks near to Vine Court that you can use on a pay and go basis.

If you are a Blue Badge holder please contact reception who will be able to advise you further.

Cycle storage

We have a cycle storage unit available for you to use free of charge. Please contact reception if you would like to use this facility.

For added security we recommend you register your bike with Bike Register: The National Cycle Database and use a D-lock whenever you leave your bike unattended.

We also recommend that you insure your Bike, as the Basic Contents insurance that is included in your Accommodation fee does not cover Bicycles. Please visit our insurance web page to review and extend cover.

Laundry facilities

Vine Court has chargeable laundry facilities in reception, which can be used by either:

Purchasing a card for £2 from the laundry and uploading credit via Circuit
Downloading the free Circuit app to your iOS or Android device and uploading credit through the app.

Once you have prepaid online you can use the laundry machines as often as you like by using the card or the app.

There are instructions on how to use the machines in the laundry, however if you are having any problems, please contact reception.

There is a limit of four students in the laundry area at any one time
Please leave the laundry area during the cleaning cycle and collect your laundry once the cycle has finished
Please use hand sanitiser on entering and leaving the area
Please prepare the laundry in your bedroom and do not shake clothes in the laundry area.

Wi-Fi

There is wi-fi access throughout Vine Court, which you can access using your username and password once you’re a registered student.

If you are waiting to be registered and need access to the internet, please contact reception.

Post and parcels

Your postal address is:

Your forename and surname
Vine Court Halls of Residence
Your room number, eg CG001
35 Myrtle Street
Liverpool
L7 7AJ

Please ensure you use the correct address and your full name is clearly marked on all post.

Your post will be placed in your shared post box for you to collect at any time.

Parcels or recorded delivery mail will be delivered to reception and you will receive a message to your University email account, informing you to collect your item.

You must show the email (this can be electronically) and your green student ID card to the reception staff in order to receive your item. Please wear a mask when collecting post and parcels.

Your room

TV Licence

You will need a TV licence if you watch or record programmes on any channel as they are being shown on: TV, any online TV service, or to download or watch BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV on BBC iPlayer. This applies to any device and provider you use.

The TV in your communal kitchen is covered by the University’s TV licence; however you will need to purchase your own licence if you live in a studio room.

Maintenance issues

It is your responsibility to report any faults with your room immediately, through the Accommodation section of your Liverpool Life Portal via the ‘Requests’ tab.

Please be as accurate and detailed as possible when reporting any faults to ensure they are repaired quickly and correctly.

All non-emergency requests will be completed Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm

Drinking water

All water within Vine Court is drinking water unless labelled otherwise.

You will also see some stickers if the hot water is more than 50 Celsius, so please be careful.

Guests

We do allow occasional guests to stay overnight in Halls of Residence but to reduce the impact on fellow residents and for safety and security reasons the following rules must be observed.

All guests must be 18 or over
Guests must be signed in at reception
A student may have one guest in a period of 14 days for a maximum stay of 3 nights.

Consider the impact your guests will have on other residents. Guests that do not treat the community with respect will be asked to leave.

Your attention is drawn to the following clauses in the Terms of Occupancy:

5.3 The Hall Manager or Warden reserves the right to exclude guests/visitors from Halls of Residence should they have reasonable grounds to believe that their presence will adversely affect the good order of the hall.
5.5 The student will be personally responsible, at all times, for the conduct of their visitors whilst on University premises.

Emergency requests

An emergency request is any repair that endangers the safety, health and security of you and your fellow residents or where there is an immediate risk to the structure of the building, for example a water leak.

If you have any requests that may be considered an emergency please report these to Vine Court reception via:

Telephone: 0151 795 9765 / 66
Email: vinect@liverpool.ac.uk.

Heated towel rail

You control when your heated towel rail comes on using the controls on the wall outside your ensuite.

To turn on:

Flick the lower switch on the wall to on
Press the white square
To turn it off, press the white square again.

Cleaning expectations

The Cleaning team will clean all communal areas and kitchens up to three times a week.

Your kitchen waste and recycling bins will be emptied at least twice per week between Monday and Friday by the cleaning team.

The Team will not clean your bedroom, en-suite or studio kitchen.

You are responsible for:

Keeping your room and en-suite clean and tidy during your stay
Washing your dishes
Cleaning and wiping up spillages on the hobs, ovens and work surfaces
Ventilating the kitchen when cooking
Cleaning your bedroom and en-suite when you depart.

Sanitary bins

The grey PHS sanitary bins next to the toilet in your en-suite are for disposing of feminine products only and will be emptied once a month.

Please do not attempt to open the bins or empty them yourself.

A notification email from reception will be sent to you before the bins are changed.

Lighting

If your desk light is a strip light, there are two switches to turn it on. Make sure both are set to on in order for it to work.

Please make sure you check this before reporting a fault.

Heating

Each bedroom is provided with an Air Source Heat pump (ASHP) and a control unit to adjust the room temperature.

Please note that this is not an Air Conditioning unit.

When it is warm outside:

Open a window, close the shutter and either change the fan speed or turn the unit off.

When it is cold outside:

Increase the temperature (between 19-23 Celsius) and change the fan speed.

If the temperature in the room falls below 14 Celsius the control unit will switch itself on and will heat the room up to 18 celsius.

Once the temperature has been achieved, the control unit will switch itself off allowing the room to naturally cool down.

Inspections

To ensure your accommodation is safe, we conduct Health and Safety inspections twice a year, which check for any maintenance issues in your room, ensuite and shared areas. We also inspect your room for any prohibited items such as candles, which will be removed if found.

Inspections take around five minutes and you do not need to be present whilst they are taking place.

A notification email from reception will be sent to you before the inspections are due to take place.

Your safety

Smoke detector

Every room is fitted with a detector to detect heat and smoke. If this is activated reception will be notified.

Do not tamper with this or cover it as you will risk the safety of yourself and fellow students.

Fire alarms

If the fire alarms are sounding in your room, living room and/or corridor you must evacuate the building. If the fire alarms can be heard in other zones of the building, but are not sounding in your area, do not evacuate and remain where you are.

Testing of fire alarms takes place every Wednesday at 10am. You are not required to evacuate the building during this time, unless the alarm rings for more than 30 seconds

If you discover a fire

Go to the lift area, pick up the red telephone, and inform reception
If you cannot contact reception, evacuate the building.

There is a fire action notice on the back of your bedroom door. Please read this information and make yourself aware of the nearest fire exits.

For safety, please keep all doors in Vine Court closed. Wedging fire doors open is not acceptable at any time. These are Fire Doors and cannot operate in an emergency if wedged open.

Fire equipment

There are monthly checks on all firefighting equipment.

To carry out the checks we will need access to all kitchens, including studio kitchens. If you live in a studio, we will need access to your room.

Checks take around five minutes and you do not need to be present whilst they are taking place. A notification email from reception will be sent to studio residents before the checks are due to take place.

Misuse of fire equipment

Tampering with any fire equipment breaches the Universities Health and Safety Policy. It puts you and the other residents around you at risk in the event of a fire. Should you be accused of tampering with fire safety equipment, you will be invited to a Stage One Disciplinary Meeting with the Hall Warden. The outcome of this meeting could be a fine, or potentially a move to another hall of residence.

This relates to the following safety equipment:

Fire doors
Lifts
Emergency phones
Fire blanket
Fire extinguishers
Smoke and heat detectors
Safety notices
Emergency exit signage.

Flammable materials

Items that employ a naked flame (lighters, candles, incense etc) are strictly prohibited within our Halls. Items that can cause a fire hazard are also prohibited. These include but do not exhaust:

Mains operated fairy lights
Halogen bulbs
Chip pans
Deep fat fryers
Electric, gas and paraffin heaters
Block adaptors
Camp stoves/mobile hotplates.

Please also ensure that waste is regularly disposed of to ensure minimum amounts of flammable material.

Emergency situation

In the event of an emergency or you need an ambulance or the police, please call 0151 794 2222.

It is important to call this number rather than 999, so Campus Support can escort the emergency service to your room.

If you do call 999, please call Campus Support on the number above straight after.

If there is an emergency situation that requires action from residents such as an evacuation, you will receive further instructions from University Staff and Emergency Services.

Security

When you are away from your room always ensure your door is closed and locked.

Any valuable items such as laptops and jewellery should be locked away and out of sight when you’re not using them.

We would also advise that you review the Basic Contents Insurance that is included in your Accommodation fee. Although this does cover certain items inside your bedroom against fire, flood and theft up to certain amounts, some items are not covered. Additionally items taken/left outside your bedroom are not covered.

You can review your Basic Contents Insurance policy via our Accommodation homepage. Please also visit the insurance provider (Endsleigh) to extend your cover.

If you suspect any suspicious behaviour, contact reception.

To ensure your safety, the Campus Support team will patrol your accommodation each evening. They may even visit your communal area, so please say hello and highlight any security issues you may have.

The Campus Support team are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Electrical safety

All electrical appliances that plug into the wall must have a fused 3 pin plug and must not use more than 230v. If you have any other plug attached to your electrical appliance you must use the correct adaptor.

Please do not overload extension leads or use block adaptors; which are strictly prohibited within Vine Court.

If there is an electrical fault or the socket is overloaded, the fuse will trip and all of the power will turn off.

If this happens, please contact reception who will reset the power and investigate why the electric has tripped.

If any electrical items are identified as a hazard, you will be required to obtain a PAT test to show the item is safe, or the item will be confiscated and returned to you at the end of your Student Licence.

Environmental sensor

If the environmental sensor alarm has been activated, please exit the room and close the door behind you. Attend the main reception desk of Vine Court and the team will assist with investigating the activation of the alarm.

Your experience

Residential Advisors and Wardens

Residential Advisors (RAs) and Wardens live on site and are responsible for your welfare whilst you live in halls.

During the first few days of term you will be invited to meet your RA who will give you essential information about halls, so it is very important that you attend.

Should you have any personal problems or issues with your halls or university life, please speak to your RA.

RAs also provide an on-call emergency service every evening between 7.30pm-8am Monday-Friday and 6pm-9am Saturday and Sunday. They can be contacted by calling the duty phone for your core, details of which are at the beginning of this handbook.

Discipline process

To ensure Vine Court remains an enjoyable and safe environment for all residents, there is a disciplinary procedure in place for antisocial behaviour. Anti-social behaviour is acting in a manner that is likely to or has caused harassment, alarm or distress. This may include noise disturbances, property damage or conduct towards others.

For further information, read our policies and procedures.

Halls Student Committee (HSC)

Each Halls of residence has a Halls’ Student Committee (HSC) that anyone can be a part of. Each HSC is made up of residents who work together to make sure students opinions are heard at the University and at the Guild of Students. They also have a budget which can be used to improve and enhance the student experience and promote a feeling of community amongst students. This can be for events and trips or to purchase items students decide they need. You will receive more information about this in due course, but if you want to get in touch directly just email: hsc@liverpool.ac.uk.

Halls Life team

Throughout the year there will be virtual and in-person events organised for you by the Halls Life team to help you meet others living in your accommodation. You will also have the opportunity to take part in a variety of free or discounted trips and events through the Halls Give it a Go scheme.

Follow us on Instagram: @livunihalls
Join the official Facebook group for your hall.

Visit the Halls Life website for more information.

Sustainability

We are passionate about creating opportunities for students to live with us in If there is an electrical fault or the socket is overloaded, the fuse will trip and all of the power will turn off. If this happens, please contact reception who will reset the power and investigate why the electric has tripped. If any electrical items are identified as a hazard, you will be required to obtain a PAT test to show the item is safe, or the item will be confiscated and returned to you at the end of your Student Licence. a sustainable way. There are recycling bins in your kitchens that we encourage you to use, ensure you switch your lights off when not using areas, as well as initiatives and competitions run by the Halls Life team and the Green Guild throughout the year to raise awareness. You’ll hear more from us on this throughout the year.

Student Support

Working alongside the Wardens and Residential Advisers is a fantastic Student Advice and Guidance Team. Located in the Alsop Building (just off University Square), there are dedicated services for all students including:

Wellbeing and mental health advisers
Counselling sessions
Money advice and guidance
Disability support
International advice and guidance.

In addition to this, there is a wealth of self help and guidance documents, leaflets and courses available online. There are also links to external services and charities who can help too.

You can find out more about Student Services and how to get in touch.

Contacts

Accommodation office

0151 795 0319
accommodation@liverpool.ac.uk

Campus support

0151 794 3252
Emergencies only: 0151 794 2222

Out of hours and duty RA

Cores A, B, C: 07812 238364
Cores D, E, F: 07812 238363

Reception

0151 795 9765 / 66
vinect@liverpool.ac.uk

Student Experience

hallslife@liverpool.ac.uk