Pastoral support for international recruits

You can expect to have been informed by your employer of your schedule for the first week after arriving.

When you arrive

Take time to become aware of your surroundings in your accommodation, find out where the fire exit and nearest emergency points are.  You may find you are living with other international recruits, or your employer may have identified a buddy to support you whilst settling into your accommodation.

Day 1 or 2

As part of your package, you will normally be supplied with a welcome pack on arrival which will include some essential provisions, but you may want to locate your nearest shop to supplement these items.

Arriving at work

Try and ensure you know where to go when you start work - you may want to consider having a trial run as transport can be difficult if you are not working in the same site/location to your work.  Some employers will arrange to meet you on your first day to take you to your place of work.

Depending on when you arrive in the UK the weather can be changeable, and you may want to ensure you have a raincoat or warmer layers of clothing if arriving in the winter months as the temperature is likely to be cooler than normal.

You may find your surroundings feel different to what you are used to which is normal when you first arrive in the UK.

Your employer will support you to ensure you have a suitable bank account if you do not have one already to ensure that your pay can be allocated. However, we do suggest that you consider bringing some money with you until your first pay date to ensure you can afford essentials such as food and transport when you first arrive.

Car

You'll still be able to drive with your full valid licence for up to 12 months after you became a UK resident.

If your licence was issued in a 'designated country', you'll have the choice to exchange your foreign licence for a British one without taking a new driving test. That's because 'designated countries' have agreements with the United Kingdom for their citizens to drive in the UK without taking a new test. Licence holders from those countries have 5 years from when they became residents to exchange their foreign licence for a British one. But, it's important to remember that the foreign licence will only be valid for the first 12 months.

Designated countries are: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

Those who got their driving licence from countries outside of the designated countries list and the European Economic Area can drive with their foreign licence for up to 12 months from the day they became UK residents. After this period, they will need to pass a British driving test. To do so, the first step is to apply for a provisional British licence on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency website.

Please use the below link to see if your license is valid - https://www.gov.uk/exchange-foreign-driving-licence

We strongly advise you to start your driving application process as soon as you arrive as it can take time to complete all the require elements to obtain a UK license.

You may also want to consider having additional lessons with a driving instructor to support you learn the UK regulations and have supervised practice of driving on UK roads.

Understanding the rules of the UK roads will support you when you first arrive these are known as the Highway Code you can a copy online: The Highway Code - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Public transport

Depending on where you are based in Lincolnshire bus and train travel accessibility will differ.  However, most of the larger towns do have good transport links.

Stagecoach – https://www.stagecoachbus.com/about/east-midlands

Brylaine – https://www.brylaine.co.uk/

East Midlands Railway - https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/

Bike/Walk/Taxis

You will find local information specific to your area in your accommodation/work area.

Your employer will normally arrange or support you to arrange your accommodation when you first arrive, but you will need to consider your options for long term accommodation:

Renting

The quickest way to find property is online, on property search websites. A few examples of popular property search engines are:

www.rightmove.co.uk

www.onthemarket.com

www.zoopla.co.uk

Local letting agents will typically list their properties on the above websites, however, it is worth visiting their websites directly.  You will need to consider your next accommodation up to 12 weeks before it is required as there is high demand for rental properties across Lincolnshire.

It may be possible to rent a room from a homeowner, or as a house share. You should confirm whether the person owns their home or is renting it. 

DEPOSIT REPLACEMENT

Sometimes you might be told about a deposit replacement scheme as an alternative to paying a deposit as a single sum of money at the start of your tenancy.

Instead of the traditional upfront deposit, tenants instead pay a non-refundable monthly or yearly fee. This means that securing a new property may have less impact on your immediate cash flow.

The landlord cannot make you use this scheme, and you should always be given a choice between a traditional deposit and a deposit replacement service.

They are often cheaper than paying a large deposit at the beginning. But then you must carry on paying and you do not get the money back. You may still be liable for damages or unpaid rent at the end of the tenancy.

GUARANTOR

Some landlords will ask for a guarantor for your rent. This means someone else will agree to pay the rent and any damages if you do not pay. If you don’t have a guarantor, you can ask Shelter for advice.

WHAT CAN THE LANDLORD ASK YOU TO PAY FOR?

• Rent. 
• A refundable deposit. 
• One week’s rent to hold the property (refundable).
• To end the tenancy early or change the agreement. 
• Bills. 
• Money if you pay your rent late. 
• For new keys if you lose yours.

THE LANDLORD CANNOT ASK YOU TO PAY MONEY TO:

• Look round the property. 
• Set up the tenancy. 
• Leave the property. 
• Cover something the landlord should pay for.

FIXTURES AND FITTINGS

Properties can be offered on a furnished or unfurnished basis.

Fixtures like cupboards are usually included when you rent a property. Fittings like pictures or mirrors might not be included.

When you look around, check what will be included before you move. You may need to buy furniture, the costs for which need to be accounted for.

SAFETY / REPAIRS

Before you move in, make sure the property is safe for you to live in.  Things you may want to consider / ask your landlord about include:

1. Is there at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the house? 
2. Is there a carbon monoxide alarm if you have solid fuel appliances like wood burning stove, gas or open fire?  Have you seen the gas safety certificate? 
3. Have you got an Energy Performance Certificate that says how much it costs to heat and run the property? 
4. Is there a report to say the electricity is safe?
5. Does the water and the heating work? 
6. Do you know what to do if there is a fire? 
7. When is rubbish and recycling collected? 
8. Do things like toilets and windows work?

The law says landlords must fix things like:

• Really bad damp. 
• Problems with drains or toilets. 
• Problems preparing food or washing up. 
• Buildings that are not safe or too hot or cold. 
• Baths, showers, or other places where you could trip or fall.

RULES

You might want to ask if there are rules about things like smoking, pets, keeping a bike, rubbish, and recycling. This is especially important if you are renting a room or sharing with colleagues to ensure you all can live together, and you don’t disagree.

Registering at a GP

Anyone in England can register with a GP surgery to access NHS services. It's free to register.

You do not need proof of address or immigration status, ID or an NHS number.

GP surgeries are usually the first contact if you have a health problem. They can treat many conditions and give health advice.

You can use the Find a GP service to look for a surgery.

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp

Dentist

Dental surgeries will not always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients. You may have to join a waiting list, look for a different dentist who is taking on new NHS patients, or be seen privately.

Once you find a dental surgery, you may have to fill in a registration form at your first visit, which is just to add you to their patient database. But that does not mean you have guaranteed access to an NHS dental appointment in the future.

You can use the link below to find your nearest Dentist:

Find a dentist - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Lincolnshire offers a wide level of social activities including sports, entertainment, historical attractions, nature and much more.

The visit Lincolnshire site is a good place to start looking:

Things to do in Lincolnshire - Visit Lincolnshire

Communication/Local dialect

When you first arrive you may find words that do not directly translate or are local to Lincolnshire, we hope the list below will support you with some of the most commonly known phrases.

“Yellow belly” someone who is from Lincolnshire.

“Duck or Ducky” a term of endearment to someone.

Local locations –

Cowpit – Cub – bit

Louth – Lou-worth

Wyberton – Wib-er-ton

Burgh le Marsh – Burr- le – Marsh

Aslackby – Az-lel-by

Horsington – Oss-ing-ton

Food –

Toast – is Bread that has been grilled.

Plum bread – A local fruit bread/loaf

Poacher – A strong cheddar cheese

(stuffed) Chine – A cold stuffed pork joint normally sliced thinly and served cold.

Lincolnshire sausage – A herby flavoured pork sausage which can be fried, grilled or oven baked.

Toad in the hole – Cooked sausages in a batter.

Shepards pie – minced lamb with a potato topping.

Cottage pie – minced beef with a potato topping.

Home Environment -

House – A building in which people live normally has more than one floor.

Bungalow – A building on one level.

Flat – Part of a larger building which is self-contained.

Bedsit – A single room within a shared property.

Duplex – Similar to a flat but normally has two floors.

Detached – A property which is not connected to any other house.

Semi – A property which shares one connected wall with another property.

Terraced – A property which shares two or more connected walls with other properties.

Sofa – A chair where more than one person can sit.

Divan – Is a type of bed normally with a solid base or with draws.