Before the night out
- Plan the journey home. Check the last bus or train, a licensed taxi backup and the pickup point.
- Charge your phone. Save your campus security number, trusted contacts and the venue address.
- Set a budget. Protect the transport cost so it cannot become another round.
- Choose your limits. Decide your drink limit and leave time before the event begins.
- Share the plan. Tell a roommate, housemate, friend or family member where you are going and when you expect to be back.
At a pre-party, bar or club
- Eat before drinking and have water during the night.
- Stay with people you know and agree not to leave someone behind without a plan.
- Do not leave any drink unattended, including soft drinks.
- Do not accept a drink you did not see being prepared.
- Keep your phone, keys and payment method secure.
- If you feel uncomfortable, tell a friend, venue staff or security. Some venues use a code-word scheme for discreetly asking staff for help; the name varies by country and venue.
If someone may have been spiked
Take it seriously. Tell venue staff or security immediately, stay with the person, get medical help and report it to local police. Do not let them go home alone. Reporting and support routes vary by country; the UK Government spiking factsheet is one official explanation of signs and immediate actions.
Getting back to campus accommodation or home
Leave with enough time for the transport you planned. Verify any taxi against the booking details. Wait in a bright, busy or staffed place. Avoid walking alone and avoid isolated shortcuts. If plans split, confirm how each person is getting back rather than assuming.
Police Scotland advises planning how you will get home, keeping your phone charged, staying with people you know and using a trusted taxi company or pickup. The practical checklist is useful internationally, but transport licensing and emergency procedures vary by country. Read the full safe nights out guidance.
Set the student night out plan in HeelClick
Add the venue, target leave time, hard stop, budget, drink limit and journey preference before going out. During the night, check-ins can help you notice a change early. Safety Mode gives quick access to directions, a trusted contact and Maps sharing actions.
HeelClick is a planning and accountability tool. It is not monitored and does not replace campus security, venue staff, police, medical help or emergency services.
Download HeelClick free ↗Check what your campus services actually cover
A saved security number or a mention of a night bus is not a complete plan. Use your college, university or students' union's official website to check what is available for the date and place you are going.
- Hours and area. Check when the service operates, where it picks up or responds, and whether an off-campus venue is covered.
- Access and booking. Check whether you need student ID, a booking, payment or an app. Keep any confirmed pickup details, not just a screenshot of a service advertisement.
- The right kind of help. Save the campus security contact separately from welfare or counselling contacts. Check which is intended for urgent incidents and which offers support afterwards. Do not wait for an office to reopen in an emergency.
- A fallback. Decide what you will do if the service has finished, does not cover your address or is unavailable. Keep a checked transport alternative and its fare.
Services vary between institutions and can change. This checklist does not mean your campus offers any particular service. HeelClick records your personal plan; it does not confirm campus service hours, arrange transport or dispatch help.
If the group changes venue or splits up
For example, some friends want to go to another club while you want to head back. Before separating, confirm who is travelling with whom, the actual pickup or departure and how you will let each other know you have arrived. If someone cannot look after themselves, ask venue staff or local emergency services for help rather than sending them off alone. A shared location link is not a substitute for that help.
Moving venue can change the journey time and pickup point. Recheck the route and leave time rather than carrying the old plan forward. Our journey-home guide covers cancelled transport and phone problems. The free night-out plan builder makes a written plan you can copy; add campus service details and agreed contacts to your own notes. It does not book transport or provide the app's reminders.
Read the safety-app explanation for the difference between planning tools, sharing and monitored assistance. If you need help with HeelClick settings, use the app's support questions.
When to call emergency services
Contact your local emergency services if someone is in immediate danger, seriously unwell, unconscious, having difficulty breathing or if a serious crime is happening. Put safety before the group’s plans, embarrassment or the cost of the night.