Information for people new to Manchester
In case of Emergency

This section contains information on what to do and who to contact in a range of emergency situations.

Quick links to information in this section:		Main Contents
Emergency services Role of the police Role of the ambulance service Role of the fire brigade Racial harassment Housing/Nuisance neighbours Household emergencies People to talk to Food Parcels Contacts		Local Information Getting Advice Keeping in Touch Information Services Transport Shopping and Money Household Services Health and Wellbeing Sports and Leisure Education and Training Work Women and Children Emergency

 

Emergency Services: Police, Ambulance & Fire Brigade

back to top

If you are involved in, or see, an emergency such as a crime, fire or accident, you should phone 999 immediately. Calling 999 from a home telephone, public telephone or mobile phone is free. When you phone 999, the operator will ask you which service you need: Fire, Police or Ambulance. They will also ask your name and the place where help is needed: even if you are not sure exactly where you are, try to describe what you can see around you, and try to keep calm.

 

If you do not speak very good English say the name, in English, of  the language you want to speak (eg "French" "Arabic") and you will be connected to an interpreter.

 

The Role of the UK Police

back to top

The job of the police is not only to deal with crime, but also to help and protect the public. If you are a victim of a crime either:

 

Ø      Ring 999 (in an emergency)

Ø      Ring 0161 872 5050 (if it is not an emergency person - for example to report a smashed window or noisy neighbours. Be patient, as it sometimes takes a long time for calls to be answered.

Ø      Go to the nearest police station and report the incident in person.

 

Reporting a crime to the police will not affect your asylum claim.

 

The role of the Ambulance service

back to top

The job of the UK ambulance service is to attend medical emergencies and accidents, to ensure prompt  medical treatment on the spot and to transport patients in a critical condition to hospital. If you have a medical emergency:

 

Ø      Take the patient to the accident and emergency department of your nearest hospital if this is possible.

Ø      Take the patient to any GP surgery  (all GPs must treat any patient in an emergency).

Ø      Call 999 and ask for  "ambulance".

 

The role of the Fire Brigade

back to top

The job of the fire brigade is to ensure public safety.  The fire brigade attend fire emergencies, major car accidents and other incidents that require their specialist expertise and equipment. In the event of a fire:

 

Ø      Call 999 and ask for the Fire brigade.

 

 

 

Racial Harassment

back to top

Refugees have the same right to legal protection from racial harassment as any other UK resident. Even if you are in the process of claiming asylum, you should report racial harassment to the police or another authority, and if you are living in NASS accommodation it is very important that you let your accommodation provider know that you are being harassed, so that they can make a decision about how to protect you or whether to move you to a different area. Reporting racial harassment will not affect your asylum claim and you can be confident that action will be taken.

 

 

 

 

To report racial or hate crime, call the Crime and Disorder Team on 0161 234 3388 or go to a police station. You can also call the Racist Incident Report Line. If you are worried about reporting racial harassment directly to the police, you could go instead to Refugee Action or the British Red Cross, which are both reporting centres for racial harassment.

 

You can get further, local support and advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN), Manchester Council for Community Relations (MCCR), and Victim Support.

 

The Commission for Racial Equality and the Racial Equality Council can give advice too: see below for contact details.

 

Not every criminal act against a refugee is racial harassment, but it should still be reported.

 

Housing / Nuisance Neighbours

back to top

If you have problems with your neighbours such as excessive noise or harassment.

If you are in NASS accommodation - report the problem to your landlord or NASS.

 

You should also report the problem to your local Neighbourhood Office. The Neighbourhood Office look after housing, community safety and environment  issues in any neighbourhood.

 

If you have problems with rubbish build up, blocked drains, flooding, broken glass, pests such as mice of cockroaches etc. Contact the Neighbourhood Office or ring Manchester City Council Operational Services who should be able to sort out the problem.

 

Ring the number in the contacts list to find out where your local neighbourhood office is.

 

 

Household Emergencies

For information on dealing with household emergencies, including gas and water leaks and electricity problems, see section on "Household Services".

 

 

People to talk to

back to top

If you are feeling very lonely, upset or frustrated, it may help you to talk to some friendly people who understand your situation. There are a number of regular drop-ins in the city which exist to provide informal help in a supportive environment, some of these are run by asylum-seekers or refugees who are familiar with some of the problems you may be facing. See the Health and Wellbeing Section for a list of drop-ins.

 

If you are feeling distressed or desperate and want to talk anonymously, you can call a free and confidential helpline called the Samaritans. This service has experienced volunteers who can just listen to you are discuss your problems if that's what you want them to do.

 

Food parcels

back to top

You may find yourself in the situation of having your NASS support stopped, either because of a mistake, because of Section 55 rules, because your asylum claim has been fully determined with a negative result, or because you have been given leave to remain but it is taking a long time to get the paperwork you need to access social services support. If you have no money or alternative source of support, there are a few places in Manchester which provide free food parcels, including the British Red Cross, Mustard Tree, the Methodist Central Hall, East Manchester Community Forum, Gorton Oasis and Revive in Salford. You can find the contact details for these organisations below: when you collect the parcel you may need to show your letter from NASS which tells you that your support has been stopped.

 

 

Contact details

back to top