Coronavirus Covid-19 information and advice

As you are aware, the University has put in place alternative teaching, assessment and academic support for you as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – to protect both our students and staff, while still enabling you to gain the award you came to Solent to achieve.

The new teaching, assessment and support arrangements have been designed to provide you with the opportunity to achieve the same learning outcomes you would normally, and to ensure the value and quality of your award remain unchanged.

We are implementing a no detriment approach to assessment, so your academic results will not be disadvantaged as a result of the current situation. We have been working closely with the Students’ Union who have been really helpful in providing feedback. Once these have been finalised we will provide further information on SOL.

In the meantime, you are strongly advised to focus on your assessments (both coursework and exams), to meet the learning outcomes for your course. Unless you are submitting extenuating circumstances, you should continue to complete and submit all assessments.

Late submissions without extenuating circumstances have also been extended to 14 days (including weekends).

The extenuating circumstances procedures have been changed to cover the impact of Covid-19.

We recommend you read the new arrangements for taking exams online as soon as possible, and certainly in advance of your exam period. As you know, exams require planning and preparation and we want to ensure you have every chance to succeed, so please do read the exam preparation guidance we have developed for you.

Assessment dates have now been updated in SOL to reflect the extensions previously communicated to you. Please contact your module leader if you have any queries relating to these dates. The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team: student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also all still ready to provide any advice you may need, so do get in touch for further support.

If you have any questions about accessing disability learning support remotely, please contact access@solent.ac.uk.

As you are aware, University has put in place alternative teaching, assessment and academic support for you as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – to protect both our students and staff, while still enabling you to gain the award that you came to Solent to achieve.

The new teaching, assessment and support arrangements have been designed to provide you with the opportunity to achieve the same learning outcomes you would normally, and to ensure the value and quality of your award remain unchanged.

We are implementing a no detriment approach to assessment, so your academic results will not be disadvantaged as result of the current situation. We have been working closely with the Students’ Union, who have been really helpful in providing feedback. Once these have been finalised we will provide further information on SOL.

In the meantime, you are strongly advised to focus on your assessments (both coursework and exams), to meet the learning outcomes for your course. Unless you are submitting extenuating circumstances, you should continue to complete and submit all assessments.

Late submissions without extenuating circumstances have also been extended to 14 days (including weekends).

The extenuating circumstances procedures have been changed to cover the impact of Covid-19.

We recommend you read the new arrangements for taking exams online as soon as possible and certainly in advance of your exam period. As you know, exams require planning and preparation and we want to ensure you have every chance to succeed so please do read the exam preparation guidance we have developed for you.

Assessment dates have now been updated in SOL to reflect the extensions I previously wrote to you about. Please contact your module leader, if you have any queries relating to these dates. The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team: student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also all still ready to provide any advice you may need, so do get in touch for further support.

If you have any questions about accessing disability learning support remotely, please contact access@solent.ac.uk.

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on Tuesday 17 March. Supervision will be via email, Skype, etc. Vivas will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Face-to-face lectures, seminars and tutorials ended on on Tuesday 17 March. We will work with you and your employers to ensure you can continue your off-the-job training. Course leaders and heads of subject will provide precise information on your structured programme of learning and virtual progress reviews to align with potential home-based working. All information will be on your SOL pages.

If there is any change in your employment, in most circumstances you can continue your apprenticeship and we can put in a support plan to assist you in finding another apprenticeship role.

If you are coming up to end point assessment, we will be in contact with you to confirm arrangements. We are incontact with our end point assessment organisations to establish their plans to enable this part of your apprenticeship to continue.

All forms of assessment, where feasible, are being adapted so they can be undertaken off campus and outside the UK. There will be no assessment tasks for the remainder of this academic year, ie, until 31 July, that will require you to be on campus or submit manually. Any assessments required to be on campus will be rescheduled for your return or for the next phase. We will be working with the MNTB and the MCA to minimise the impact.

We appreciate that this situation may impact on your sea time. We will be working closely with sponsoring companies, training managers, the MNTB and the MCA to minimise the impact on you.

MCA oral exams: The MCA has suspended all oral exams, but is exploring conducting them in alternative ways, eg, Skype plus online assessment. We would look to prioritise Officer of the Watch (OOW), Engineer Officer of the Watch (EOOW), and Electro-Technical Officers (ETO) to allow them to gain their first CoC and start working as an officer.

All forms of assessment, where feasible, are being adapted so they can be undertaken off campus and indeed outside the UK. There will be no assessment tasks for the remainder of this academic year, ie, until 31 July, that will require you to be on campus or submit manually. Any assessments required to be on campus will be rescheduled for your return. We will be working very closely with the MCA to minimise the impact on you.

All assessment deadlines are being extended to recognise the difficulties this situation has caused and in reponse to student feedback. The new dates will be available on SOL pages by Thursday 26 March, sooner where possible.

We appreciate this situation may impact on your sea time. We will be working closely with companies, training managers and the MCA to minimise the impact.

As you may already be aware, the MCA has suspended oral exams until further notice. We will ensure you receive support to be fully prepared for your orals once this service resumes.

Short courses at Warsash will cease from Monday 30 March, unless otherwise directed.

We've added some new learning resources that you will find useful as you continue your studies remotely.

• A succeed@solent SOL page has been created to help with learning at a distance.
• A new virtual helpdesk is availbale where you can video chat with an e-learning expert - open 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Your lecturers and course leaders remain fully available to you, so do let them know if you have any questions or concerns.

Yes. If you are having to look after dependents due to circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic (for example due to school closures), you can cite ‘Covid-19 circumstance’ on the extenuating circumstances form. You will not be required to provide evidence for this and will be allowed a 14-day extension or a deferment. You can submit a single form covering all affected modules and assessments.

In order to safeguard the wellbeing of our students and staff, their families and our visitors, and in line with evolving Government guidance, our School of Art, Design and Fashion has taken the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Summer Showcase, which was due to take place in June.

However, plans are already underway to develop alternative ways to showcase the culmination of three years’ hard work by students and staff alike –  more information on this will be available soon. 

As a result of campus closure, Adobe has provided temporary at-home access for impacted students and staff, so you can continue your work remotely. Please follow the instructions below to enable access to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps on your personal device:

1. Visit https://creativecloud.adobe.com and use your school credentials to sign in.

2. If prompted, select Company or School Account and then enter your password. Or provide your credentials in your school’s login screen.

3. From the Creative Cloud website, browse for and download your desired app. Click Apps on the top of the page to view all apps.

For more information on how to download or install apps, see Download and Install Creative Cloud apps.

To help students to continue to develop their skills, Adobe is also offering free 'Daily Creative Challenges'. These are guided projects where participants receive creative prompts and connect with pros, mentors, and other students for feedback and support. Click on the app name to learn more: Photoshop, XD and Illustrator. Also, for inspiration and over-the-shoulder learning, watch pros share their creative process on Adobe Live daily at www.behance.net/adobelive.

For staff seeking to engage students during campus closures, Adobe has curated resources to help them discover inspiring projects, best practices, and new ideas so they can continue to drive valuable learning in virtual environments. For more information on Adobe’s distance learning resources please click here.

To ensure we are best protecting the health and welfare of our Solent community, and in line with the latest Government social distancing guidelines, there will be no teaching or assessment activity for the remainder of this academic year that will require students to be on campus.

Assessment dates have now been updated in SOL to reflect the extensions given previously. If you have any queries in relation to these dates please contact your module leader.

We are implementing a no detriment approach to assessment, so your academic results will not be disadvantaged as result of the current situation. We have been working closely with the Students’ Union who have been providing feedback. We will provide further information on SOL when these have been finalised.

In the meantime, you are strongly advised to focus on your assessments (both coursework and exams), to meet the learning outcomes for your course. Unless you are submitting extenuating circumstances, you should continue to complete and submit all assessments.

Late submissions without extenuating circumstances have also been extended to 14 days (including weekends).

The extenuating circumstances procedures have been changed to cover the impact of Covid-19.

We recommend you read the new arrangements for taking exams online as soon as possible and certainly in advance of your exam period. As you know, exams require planning and preparation and we want to ensure you have every chance to succeed so please do read the exam preparation guidance we have developed for you.

The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team: student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also all still ready to provide any advice you may need, so do get in touch for further support.

If you have any questions about accessing disability learning support remotely, please contact access@solent.ac.uk.

Exam dates have now been updated in SOL. If you have any questions relating to these dates, please contact your module leader.

We recommend you read the new arrangements for taking exams online as soon as possible and certainly in advance of your exam period. As you know, exams require planning and preparation and we want to ensure you have every chance to succeed so please do read the exam preparation guidance we have developed for you.

We are implementing a no detriment approach to assessment, so your academic results will not be disadvantaged as result of the current situation. We have been working closely with the Students’ Union who have been providing feedback. We will provide further information on SOL when these have been finalised.

In the meantime, you are strongly advised to focus on your assessments (both coursework and exams), to meet the learning outcomes for your course. Unless you are submitting extenuating circumstances, you should continue to complete and submit all assessments.

Late submissions without extenuating circumstances have also been extended to 14 days (including weekends).

The extenuating circumstances procedures have been changed to cover the impact of Covid-19.

The Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk, Solent Futures: solent.futures@solent.ac.uk and the student funding team: student.funding@solent.ac.uk are also all still ready to provide any advice you may need, so do get in touch for further support.

If you have any questions about accessing disability learning support remotely, please contact access@solent.ac.uk.

If you have not indicated a preference, please note that your School will identify modules for you.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the University has put in place alternative teaching, assessment and academic support to that which we would normally provide to students on our courses.

These changes have been made to ensure we protect both our staff and students, while still enabling students to gain the award they came to Solent to achieve. The replacement teaching, assessment and support have been designed to provide students with the opportunity to achieve the same learning outcomes they would normally, and to ensure the value and quality of their award remain unchanged. 

Throughout this time, students continue to have access to the complaints and appeals processes. If a student considers that the alternate provision has not been adequate, they are able to submit a formal complaint explaining why they consider this is the case. 

Where the University receives a complaint about the Covid-19 teaching provision, the stage 1 investigation will include an assessment of the academic provision by the relevant head of subject or other senior academic within the School. The outcome of this assessment is considered to be the 'academic judgement' of the senior academic. 

We will be releasing undergraduate student results at the end of August and re-sits and resubmissions will take place at the beginning of September. We then plan for continuing students to move on with their studies as planned.  

Final year students will receive their final results in early September and will graduate from their courses as normal. This year’s graduation ceremony will be postponed to a later date.

You can access Solent Futures Online through the Careers tab on the Portal where you’ll find advice and guidance on all aspects of career planning, as well as video and interactive content to help you plan your future.

You can also sign up for email alerts for both graduate and part-time jobs. If you have any questions, please email solent.futures@solent.ac.uk.

There is also still support available for any students who are considering starting their own business, including online workshops and the opportunity to take part in a virtual pitching panel for seed funding to get your business idea off the ground. Please email enterprise@solent.ac.uk if you’d like to know more.

The University has made the decision that it will not be furloughing Campus Jobs, or any staff, as a significant part of the University's income is generated by public funds and therefore means we are unable to apply under the Job Retention Scheme.

Our Campus Jobs students who have had regular hours of work over the 12 months that were scheduled to continue up to, and including, 31 July 2020 will continue to be paid. If you have any queries, please contact your manager in the first instance.

While many students have already travelled home, Government advice is now that students remaining at university in England should now stay where they are and not attempt to travel. If you are a resident in one of Solent's halls of residence and this affects you, please contact the accommodation team (accommodation@solent.ac.uk) to advise if you now plan to remain living in halls.

We also understand that some of our international students are hoping to travel home and we are in touch with them to provide support where we can.

We can confirm that:

• There will be no teaching or assessment activity for the remainder of this academic year that will require students to be on campus.
• No students should visit any of the University's campuses.
• Students unable to return home (for example if you are a care leaver, an international student, are self-isolating, or have vulnerable relatives at home) should contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk or the Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk to advise of your specific situation, so we can ensure you’re getting the support you need. Full advice for students in our halls of residence can be found immediately below this FAQ.
• We do ask that students remain in contact with the University and course leaders as much as possible to minimise any disruption to your learning experience.

The Student Hub team also remain available for help and advice via email: student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

Leaving halls

While many students have already travelled home, Government advice is now that students remaining at university in England should now stay where they are and not attempt to travel. If you are a resident in one of Solent's halls of residence and this affects you, please contact the accommodation team (accommodation@solent.ac.uk) to advise if you now plan to remain living in halls.

If you are unable to return home (eg, you a care leaver, an international student, are self-isolating, or have vulnerable relatives at home) please contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk or the Student Hub: student.hub@solent.ac.uk to advise of your specific situation, so we can ensure you’re getting any support you need.

If you have already moved out leaving belongings in your room, please be assured these items are safe, and there is no need for you to return to collect at this point. We will keep you updated should this position change.

Social distancing in halls
For those students who need to remain in halls, it is really important that you follow all Government guidance around social distancing in order to protect yourselves and your fellow students, as well as staff members and the wider community. You can find all the information on what you should be doing here: www.gov.uk/coronavirus,

Rents and refunds
All our halls of residence remain open and fully operational in order to provide support for those students who need to remain on site. However, regardless of whether you remain on site or move out:

• The University will not be collecting any further rent payments for this academic year from today’s date.
• You will not be charged for any accommodation fees after 1 April.

If you have any further queries, please contact the accommodation team: accommodation@solent.ac.uk, or the Student Hub student.hub@solent.ac.uk, who will be happy to help.

We know you may have suddenly left your room in residences to return back home and, as a result, may not have taken all your personal items with you. Endsleigh Insurance will continue to cover any items left in your room up to the policy limits, even though you’re not living in residences, until 1 July 2020.

As an additional benefit, when you’re travelling (in the UK only) you’ll also be covered for any personal items you carry with you against theft for up to £500 per bag.

If you should need to make an insurance claim or check your cover under your Endsleigh Policy, the policy number is HH1179.

• Claims can be registered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by reporting them online via www.endsleigh.co.uk.
• Endsleigh’s claims service is open five days a week, Monday to Friday 9am - 5.30pm, tel: 0800 923 4042.

Does my private hall have to release me from my tenancy?
No. Private halls are not currently legally required to release you from your contract. Private accommodation providers have different approaches. A small number of private halls in the city have agreed to terminate fixed term contracts early. We recommend contacting your provider directly in writing for clarification of their procedure.

Can I leave my tenancy with a private landlord early because of coronavirus?
You can leave your contract early if:

• Your contract has a break clause
• You negotiate an early end date with your landlord

If you want to leave as soon as possible you'll probably have to negotiate. Your landlord may be sympathetic to your request to leave if they understand your reasons. For example, if you need to move urgently because you or a family member are sick or need support.

I'm worried about rent arrears. What should I do?
The student funding team can provide financial advice and guidance, contact them at: student.funding@solent.ac.uk.

You must speak to your landlord if you're struggling to pay rent. They could be sympathetic if you've lost your job or seen your income reduce suddenly. They might agree to a rent reduction or to accept rent late. Get any agreement in writing.

Buy-to-let landlords may get mortgage payment holidays if their tenants have financial problems due to coronavirus. Your landlord's mortgage payments will normally increase after a payment holiday.

What if I need to move home during the lockdown period?
The Government's stay at home guidance makes it clear that people should stay in their homes for the next three weeks, except in very limited circumstances.

Additional guidance on moving home during the coronavirus outbreak says that renters should follow public health advice and delay the move where possible.

If you're renting privately and planned to move during this time, you'll probably need to:

• postpone the move
• negotiate with your landlord regarding the end dates of your contract.

Your current tenancy will usually continue as a periodic tenancy if your fixed term contract ends as long as you still live there.

Landlords, agents and tenants will need to work together and show goodwill in order to comply with the public health guidance over the coming weeks.

Can my landlord evict me straight away because of coronavirus?
It's illegal for your landlord to evict you without following the proper steps.

Illegal eviction is a criminal offence - coronavirus doesn't change this.

It's likely to be an illegal eviction if your landlord:

• makes you leave without notice or a court order
• locks you out of your home, even temporarily.

You can get help from the council or the court if your landlord prevents you accessing your home.

If you are at risk of eviction, email private.housing@solent.ac.uk for advice.

What if I've had notice from my landlord?
You should stay in your home.

Evictions take time and you don't have to leave at the end of your notice.

Most tenants who get a notice between 26 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 will be entitled to three months' notice before their landlord can apply to court.

This includes:

• private tenants who get a section 21 or a section 8
• secure, introductory and flexible council tenants
• housing association tenants
• regulated tenants.

If you still have a housing query, you can get further advice and guidance from the University's housing adviser by email: private.housing@solent.ac.uk

It’s important you are prepared for the different situations that could arise due to the coronavirus, Covid-19.

• If you have non-medical help (NMH) eg, a specialist mentor or specialist study skills tutor, please contact your support provider to ask what their plans are in the event of your mentor being unable to attend your sessions or the University being closed.
• If you have personal care or other care support, please contact your provider to discuss plans for any situation that may arise due to the coronavirus.
• If you have a health condition or disability that you think makes you more vulnerable if you catch the virus, please make sure you have discussed this with a medical professional.
• It’s important you consider whether there are any situations that would mean you would need to go home for health reasons.
• If you have any questions or difficulties making plans, please contact Access Solent by email access@solent.ac.uk.

Any current students who need an updated end of course date confirmed by the University to the Disabled Students Allowance team should email access@solent.ac.uk.

Please don't worry, and please don't try to get evidence from your doctor, as we know they are exceptionally busy at the moment and that the Government have advised us all to stay at home. In these exceptional circumstances (from 24 March 2020 to 31 July 2020) we will accept an application for extenuating circumstances without medical evidence. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

Students and staff are continuing to attend University and placements but we are aware that this is a fluid situation and that there is a need to respond to local decision-making processes within placement agencies. 

We are aware that the COVID-19 response may encompass changes to working practices and the potential for reduced direct access with people with lived experience and/or wider service provision within your areas of practice. 

If placement agencies continue to operate a meaningful, safe and proportionate service - then it is anticipated that students will continue to attend placement and work in line with agency guidance (National Guidelines will inform this) 

If agencies operate a policy for home working and you have appropriate mechanisms in place to support your continued activity from home, please continue in line with the guidance of your Practice Educator/Supervisor or Placement Agency Line-manager. 

Should your placement agency undertake measures to close your placement setting – as a temporary response - please discuss the potential for research activity and/or project work that may be relevant and achievable while working from home.

If opportunities for practice are severely curtailed it may be necessary to suspend your placement. The University will liaise with placement providers and Social Work England to draw upon relevant guidance and ensure the best support for your continued studies.

Throughout this period we ask that students, practice educators and practice supervisors retain a log of placement days and notify the Practice Learning Coordinator and individual tutors if placements need to be suspended.

If you have concerns, please liaise with individual tutors, the Practice Learning Coordinator and/or the Student Hub by email: student.hub@solent.ac.uk

If I am on a healthcare placement and there are suspected cases of coronavirus (Covid–19) what should I do?

All placement areas have protocols to manage the situation and will be linking with infection control teams and Public Health England (PHE). You will therefore be following these procedures in the same way you would for other placement activities.

Key things to remember: 

• Adherence to infection control procedures remains paramount. 
• Continue to maintain confidentiality and not discuss details outside of expected parameters. 

You should follow procedures outlined for the general public if you are unwell  https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

If I am on a healthcare placement and there are confirmed cases of coronavirus what should I do?

It is not expected that you would be required to provide clinical care for a person with confirmed coronavirus as there will be healthcare professionals with specialist training for this.

I’ve had contact with somebody who has travelled to one of the affected countries – can I go to placement / university?

Follow Public Health England’s advice on their website

If you are still unsure or concerned, you can speak to the member of staff in charge on placement, the education lead for your placement, your academic adviser or programme leader. 

If a student on placement overseas is quarantined with the coronavirus and then has to fly home, would the travel insurance pay for an additional ticket and/or refund the cancellation of the existing ticket?

Any additional costs to return home early or later than the original ticket can be submitted for the insurers' review, but first check whether you can get a refund for the existing ticket.

If a student on placement becomes unwell and incurs personal costs due to being quarantined with the virus, would these costs be covered?

Medical expenses incurred while on an insured trip are covered, there are no COVID-19 exclusions in place. Students (or staff) should contact our assistance company (details are on the Portal and on the emergency medical assistance card and app) as soon as symptoms are present, or they feel unwell, to enable a swift co-ordinated response for treatment and cost reduction accordingly.

If a student on placement becomes unwell and incurs medical costs from being treated in hospital with the virus would these costs be covered?

Medical expenses incurred while on an insured trip are covered. There are no COVID-19 exclusions in place. Students (or staff) should contact our assistance company (details are on the Portal and on the emergency medical assistance card and app) as soon as symptoms are present/feeling unwell to co-ordinate any treatment and reduce costs accordingly.

Student loans
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has confirmed it is planning to make term 3 tuition fee payments as scheduled and that you will continue to receive maintenance payments on the scheduled dates, whether or not campuses are closed or learning has moved online.

Student funding advice
The student funding team are available via email for any funding related enquiries from UK, EU and International students. 

We will now accept all grant* applications (with their evidence as per the application form) by email to student.funding@solent.ac.uk

Students must ensure they have provided their UK bank account details via the portal using this secure link: https://bit.ly/2kDS38g

Support grant applications will continue to be assessed on a case by case basis, for example loss of employment, unable to return home. Students will be notified directly via their university email.

Forms and information are on our Portal pages.

*Please note if you are applying to the ‘unpaid placement support grant’ please check your placement is still going ahead before applying.

Please be aware that the University therapy and mental health team are working remotely. We will be offering telephone appointments in place of face-to-face sessions, and can receive and respond to emails and submitted self-referral forms.

All students currently on our waiting list are being contacted to offer them the option to have telephone appointments.

If you would like an appointment please complete our online self-referral form.  If you have any difficulties with the online link, please use the Word version of the form, which you can find on the self-referral form Portal page.

Mental health support

Due to the limited support we are able to deliver as a service, our mental health adviser’s role will be restricted to liaison, advocacy and signposting support. In order to ensure students that are not already working with the mental health adviser are still accessing the appropriate level of support available to them, we are introducing a triage service in the form of a 'call back request'.

Students who want to have contact with the mental health adviser need to FULLY complete the call back request form and submit this to therapy.mh@solent.ac.uk. Their call back request form will be assessed in regards to priority and students will receive a call back during the 'call back service' set timings - this will run for one hour every day between 2pm and 3pm.

Call back request form

Self-help resources

Understanding your feelings or diagnosis, and finding coping strategies is a really important step in improving your wellbeing. We have lots of leaflets, books and self-help resources to help you. Here are some useful links to websites and apps which you may wish to look at:

Websites

Mind - the mental health charity; lots of information and support advice for mental health issues, as well as a handy 'I need urgent help' section

Student Minds - the student mental health charity

Students against depression - tailored advice for students

The Mix - essential support information on all aspects of life for people under 25

Blurt - increasing awareness and understanding of depression - great social media presence on Facebook and Twitter

Anxiety UK - Advice and support on an array of anxiety disorders

Apps

For mindfulness - Try Headspace, The Mindfulness App, Calm, MoodSpace

To help manage self-harm and suicidal thoughts - Stay Alive, DistrACT, Calm Harm

Mood trackers and digital diaries - Youper, Gratitude Journal

Creative Apps for taking time out - Color Touch, Fraksl, My Oasis, Alpaca World

Disclaimer: these websites and apps are externally owned and managed, the University is not responsible for their content.

International students are permitted to travel home and this will not affect your Tier 4 visa status. 

We know that many of our international students have travelled home and we hope you are now safe and well with your families. 

If you are still in the UK, please seek travel advice in advance. Please see the FAQ below: 'I am in the UK but wish to return to my country of nationality/permanent residence, where can I seek travel advice' for more information.

As well as seeking guidance directly from the airline and/or travel agent, check the website of your Embassy/High Commission for any information on returning overseas from the UK, as well as the official travel advice from local government authorities in your country of nationality/permanent residence.

Students can also check the website for their Ministry of Education, or equivalent office, which may post specific guidance for students.

No, at this stage you do not need to inform the University if you have left or plan to leave the UK.

Depending on developments and Home Office guidance, we may need to request information regarding your departure in the future.

Government advice is that no charge is made to an overseas visitor for the diagnosis or treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). All overseas visitors, including anyone living in the UK without permission, should be aware that:

1. No charges apply to testing for COVID-19, even if the result is negative, or to any treatment provided for COVID-19 if the result is positive or up to the point that it is negatively diagnosed. The same is true of most other infectious diseases.
2. NHS trusts have been advised that no immigration checks are required for overseas visitors that are known to be only undergoing testing or treatment for COVID-19.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitlements-migrant-health-guide

If you are unable to leave the UK due to travel restrictions or due to having Coronavirus symptoms please see advice below - we will update with more information as the Home Office publish further guidance.

If you're in the UK and your leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 May 2020
Your visa can be extended to 31 May 2020 if you cannot leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to Covid-19.

If the above applies to you, you must contact the coronavirus immigration team (CIT) to update your records if your visa is expiring.

You should provide:

• Your full name
• Date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
• Nationality
• Your previous visa reference number
• Why you can't go back to your home country, for example if the border has closed.

The Home Office will let you know when you request has been received and when you visa has been extended.

Tier 4 visa holders needing to extend their visa to complete their course in the UK
If you hold a Tier 4 (General) visa and need to extend your visa to continue your course of study, please complete the CAS request form on the Portal. Please note, if you are a Tier 4 (General) visa student who has completed their course, please see the guidance above.

Due to no face-to-face lectures, tutorials and seminars taking place your physical attendance will not be monitored. However, as a Tier 4 sponsor the University is required to continue to monitor Tier 4 visa students to ensure they are still engaged with their studies. Therefore, it is essential that Tier 4 students continue their academic work.

We are putting a range of measures in place to support studies and your lecturers and course leaders will continue to provide learning, teaching and assessment using technology rather than in person. They will be in touch with you directly, but it is also really important you check your SOL pages regularly for further advice.

If you experience any problems accessing SOL from outside the UK, please email ltu@solent.ac.uk for help.

Please remember you can access our library material remotely through the Portal.

In order not to affect the status of your visa, please engage with your studies as directed by your course leader. 

Although no face-to-face lectures, tutorials or seminars are taking place, you remain in term time, except for official vacation periods at Easter and, for undergraduate students, during the summer. Therefore, your restricted working hours, as stated on your BRP, still apply.

View term dates and holidays

Students with immigration and visa related queries can contact the International Support team by email: internationalsupport@solent.ac.uk

In addition, the UK Council for International Students (UKCISA) has created a frequently asked questions page, which contains information and guidance for international students.

The Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP has written a letter of support for international students attending British universities. The letter containts information and guidance from the British Government to international students and is available here. Solent University remains fully committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our international students, and we continue to encourage any international students in need of support to contact the Student Hub at student.hub@solent.ac.uk.

As countries start to open up their borders, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk if you need financial help to travel home.

The University is now fully remote working.

All of our campuses have been locked down and are not accessible to any members of staff or students, except for essential and directly involved estates and facilities staff.

Since our move to remote working, we have shared lots of information and guidance to support you during this time. To ensure all of this information is easily accessible, we have created this remote working support for staff page on Solent Online Learning. The course pulls together guidance and resources on health and wellbeing during remote working and also development that can be undertaken from home.

We recognise and appreciate how well everyone has adapted to remote working during this interim period.

Any additional needs for IT and other DSE equipment will need to be considered as part of the University’s planning for our return to work, particularly where remote working is likely to continue. In the meantime we would ask that you do not purchase or make expense claims for additional items. If you should have a specific need, please speak to you manager in the first instance.

You may be eligible to claim tax relief (subject to HMRC rules) for some bills you have to pay, because you have to work at home on a regular basis. You will need to do this directly with HMRC by completing the online check and following the instructions. You will not normally be required to keep records of claims of up to £6 per week (£26 per month), subject to HMRC guidance.

As a result of campus closure, Adobe has provided temporary at-home access for impacted students and staff, so you can continue your work remotely. Please follow the instructions below to enable access to Creative Cloud Desktop Apps on your personal device:

1. Visit https://creativecloud.adobe.com and use your school credentials to sign in.

2. If prompted, select Company or School Account and then enter your password. Or provide your credentials in your school’s login screen.

3. From the Creative Cloud website, browse for and download your desired app. Click Apps on the top of the page to view all apps.

For more information on how to download or install apps, see Download and Install Creative Cloud apps.

To help students to continue to develop their skills, Adobe is also offering free 'Daily Creative Challenges'. These are guided projects where participants receive creative prompts and connect with pros, mentors, and other students for feedback and support. Click on the app name to learn more: Photoshop, XD and Illustrator. Also, for inspiration and over-the-shoulder learning, watch pros share their creative process on Adobe Live daily at www.behance.net/adobelive.

For staff seeking to engage students during campus closures, Adobe has curated resources to help them discover inspiring projects, best practices, and new ideas so they can continue to drive valuable learning in virtual environments. For more information on Adobe’s distance learning resources please click here.

Here are some simple but important steps you can take to help protect the health and safety of your people and be prepared for any developments:

• Direct people to this Covid-19 page (www.solent.ac.uk/covid-19) for latest updates and advice.
• Ask people to check their full contact details, address and other personal details are up to date on MyView.
• If you have any further staff queries, please escalate them to your Business Partner.

If you are at home and are unable to work due to self-isolation, self-isolation with symptoms, or diagnosed with Covid-19, you are required to inform your manager, then email absence.reporting@solent.ac.uk or leave a voicemail on 023 8201 3895 stating your name, department, manager and reason for absence. 

It is also important that you record your absence on MyView. Please use the table below for advice on recording your absence on MyView:

Reason	Duration to record on day 1	Pay
Elected self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Directed self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay
Confirmed coronavirus	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Coronavirus symptoms	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay
Urgent family leave	Days as required up to 10	Normal pay

Your usual sick leave and pay entitlements apply if you are required to self-isolate. Normally we would require a sick note authorising your absence, however we recognise that this may not be possible where you are required to self-isolate. In this case an exception can be made, please make sure your manager is aware.

For further advice please see the Covid-19: Stay at home guidance from PHE: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance

If you need to be absent from work you will need to let your manager know as soon as possible and record your absence as normal on MyView.

If your absence relates to Covid-19 (Coronavirus), please use the table below for advice on recording your absence on MyView:

Reason	Duration to record on day 1	Pay	Record absence as
Elected self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay	Other absence
Directed self-isolation	7 to 14 days	Normal pay	Other absence
Confirmed coronavirus	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay	Sickness
Coronavirus symptoms	7 to 14 days, or as required	Occupational sick pay	Sickness
Urgent family leave	Days as required up to 10	Normal pay	Other absence

If you are still working on campus and feel unwell, please let your manager know as soon as possible and:

• Remain at least 2 metres (7 feet) away from other people, ideally in a well ventilated area or separate room.
• Avoid touching anything.
• Only cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin. If you do not have any tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
• Use a separate bathroom from others, if and where possible.
• Use your own mobile phone to call NHS 111 for advice, or alternatively 999 if you are seriously ill and explain which country you have returned from.

We want to continue to support your health and wellbeing at this time, and would therefore strongly encourage as many staff as possible to take their holiday before the end of the current holiday year, 31 August 2020.

We also need to carefully manage holiday requests in preparation for our return to campus operations in the future. However, at this time we appreciate it may not be possible for everyone to take all of their holiday by this date. With prior approval from your manager you may be able to carry holiday entitlement over to the next holiday year, but only where you have not been able to take leave due to operational requirements. The University’s holiday booking procedure normally allows you to carry over up to five days per year. However, should you be unable to take more than five days of your holiday by the end of the holiday year, again with prior approval by your manager and providing your leave has not been able to be taken due to operational requirements, you may be able to carry over more than five days to next year.

In the meantime, holiday should continue to be booked in the usual way through MyView for your manager to authorise.

If you think you may not be able to take all of your annual leave, please let your manager know in advance.  

You are entitled to reasonable time off work to help someone who depends on you in an unexpected event or emergency. For example, if you have children and you need to look after them due to a school closure or because they are sick. 

You should contact your manager in the first instance if this is the case, who will discuss options available such as a period of urgent family leave, flexible working or other leave options. Your P&D Business Partner can advise on further guidance if necessary. You will need to record your absence on MyView as normal.

Childcare vouchers
If you are currently a member of the University’s childcare voucher scheme through EdenRed and wish to reduce your contributions as an interim measure at this time, you will need to log in to your EdenRed account in the normal way at www.mychildcarevouchers.co.uk. You will need your membership number and 4-digit pin. It is not advisable to leave the scheme completely, but to reduce your contributions instead. To do this, please select the Join/Amend/Leave option from the menu and amend your contributions to no less than £1. Depending on the date you submit the change, it may not take effect in the current payroll month but will do so in your following month’s salary. 

Travel/season ticket loans
Train companies have confirmed that they will be refunding unused season tickets, however you will need to check directly with your train company on how to do so. For those using South Western Trains you may find this link helpful: https://www.southwesternrailway.com/contact-and-help/refunds-and-compensation/refunds. Solent will continue to deduct the monthly repayment from your salary during this time. If you have any further queries, please contact your P&D business partner.

The University is suspending all staff parking permit fees from 1 March 2020.

Members of staff paying in instalments, will have their March and April payments refunded in the May payroll. No further deductions will be taken at this time.

Staff paying for the year in full through the online shop will receive a pro-rata refund of April to September (inclusive) charges in the May payroll.

You will be notified of future arrangements regarding staff parking fees once details of the return to campus based activities are confirmed. If you have any questions, please email parking.facilities@solent.ac.uk

Volunteering is an important part of our commitment to the Civic Charter and people experience. If you wish to volunteer for the NHS or other organisations at this time, you should speak with your manager in the first instance.

The current policy entitles all employees to request to volunteer for one day a year on a paid basis. At the current time, it may be possible to increase this, but this would depend on the nature of the role being undertaken and current operational requirements. Employees wishing to volunteer should complete the form and risk assessment attached to the policy and send the completed form to their business partner.

If you wish to make a request to take unpaid emergency volunteer leave, in line with the recent emergency legislation by the Government, please contact your P&D business partner to discuss the arrangements relating to this.

If you require wellness support, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider, Health Assured, provides a staff helpline and counselling service, as well as helpful webinars and medical information. Please visit the Portal for contact details and more information.

If you’re feeling anxious about coronavirus, you can find advice and tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing, as well as plans for if you have to self-isolate, on the Solent Mind website.

If you are working from home for the foreseeable future, please follow these DSE guidance tips on staying safe while working remotely.

More helpful resources are available here:

• World Health Organisation's Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 OutbreakMental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak 

• UK Government guidance on social distancing

• UK Government advice on mental health and wellbeing

• Managing mental health during Coronavirus - experts around the world share insights

• NHS advice on mental wellbeing while staying at home
• Meditations, sleep and movement exercises from headspace

If you have any other queries regarding your mental health and wellbeing, please contact your Business Partner.