February 7, 2024February 7, 2024Methods & Solutions

8 ways to get great immigration advice in the UK

The world of immigration can be incredibly complicated at the best of times, especially when you are dealing with legal issues that could dramatically affect the future of you and your family.

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of support available to help you through the process. Understanding who can offer assistance is the first step to achieving your immigration goals. Here’s an overview of the key sources of support:

Immigration Lawyers and Solicitors

Immigration lawyers and solicitors specialise in immigration law and provide advice, assistance with applications, and representation at tribunals or courts. They are experts in the field, keeping abreast of the constantly evolving immigration laws and regulations. When choosing an immigration lawyer, look for those regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or, if they’re not a solicitor, ensure they’re accredited by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC).

The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)

The OISC regulates immigration advisers, ensuring they meet certain standards. Advisers registered with the OISC can offer advice on a range of immigration issues. The OISC website offers a search tool to find regulated advisers based on their location and the type of advice you need.

Legal Aid

For those who cannot afford legal representation, legal aid might be available for certain types of immigration cases, such as asylum applications or cases involving domestic violence. Legal aid can help cover the costs of legal advice, representation, and tribunal fees. Eligibility depends on your financial situation and the nature of your case.

Charities and Non-Profit Organisations

Several UK charities and non-profit organisations offer free or low-cost immigration advice and support. These can be invaluable resources, especially for vulnerable groups such as refugees and asylum seekers. Organisations like the Refugee Council, Citizens Advice, and the Migrant Rights Network can provide guidance, support, and sometimes legal representation.

Community Organisations and Religious Groups

Local community organisations and religious groups often have resources or contacts that can help with immigration issues. They may offer practical support, advice, and sometimes financial assistance for those struggling with the immigration process.

Trade Unions

If you’re in the UK on a work visa, your trade union may offer legal advice and support for immigration matters as part of their membership benefits. Some unions have legal teams or partnerships with law firms that specialise in immigration law.

Educational Institutions

International students in the UK can often receive immigration advice from their university or college. Many institutions have dedicated international student support services or legal advisers who can help with visas and other immigration-related questions.

Crowdfunding and Community Support

For those facing significant legal fees to secure the best immigration lawyer possible, crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe have become a popular way to raise funds. Additionally, community support, whether through local networks or social media, can provide both financial assistance and moral support.

Whether opting for a private immigration lawyer, seeking out legal aid, or turning to charities and community organisations, there are multiple avenues of support available to guide you through the complexities of the UK’s immigration system.

May 3, 2023May 3, 2023Blog

Is a thread lift better than Botox?

Diminishing the signs of aging in our own appearance, particularly in the face, is a common goal that many of us share.

When it comes to smoothing wrinkles and fine lines, smoothing skin, and retaining the elasticity of youth, injectables are by far the fastest way to achieve your goals.

If you are looking for extremely long-lasting results, a full surgical facelift might be worth considering but with results just as impressive, very few potential side effects, and taking under an hour in most cases, injectables are fast becoming the go-to choice.

If you asked the average person to name an injectable than can be used to tackle wrinkles in the face, they would almost certainly say Botox, understandable given this has been the most popular choice for this purpose for many decades now.

However, PDO threads are a slightly lesser-known treatment that has taken the market by storm in recent times, another injectable that is more customisable and can be used to achieve a broader range of different aesthetic effects.

But which is actually the better choice, Botox or PDO thread lifts?

In this blog, we will help you to decide just that, looking at all the benefits, and potential downsides, of both treatment options, allowing you to make a more informed decision.

What are the differences between Botox and a thread lift?

Both Botox and thread lifts are minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedures that reduce common sings of aging in the face.

This is where the similarities end, however, and these are actually two very different procedures that can be used to tackle very different things.

What is Botox?

Botox is a toxin that when injected into a muscle will paralyse it. This means that when you make an expression such as smiling or frowning, this muscle will have reduced movement and the wrinkles that the movement would normally create will be diminished.

Botox is fully approved for cosmetic use, has been used for many decades now, and is widely considered one of the safest cosmetic treatments.

What is a thread lift?

A thread lift involves the injection of small dissolvable threads into the face to pull skin tight, eliminating wrinkles ad fine lines and lifting sagging skin. There are a variety of different threads that can be used depending on the desired results including suspension threads that lift sagging skin, barbed threads for subtle lifting, and monofilaments that strengthen the skin and promote collagen production.

This collagen producing effect is one of the biggest benefits of a thread lift as it means that the results will continue to improve long after the threads have been inserted.

Collagen and elastin are the naturally occurring substances that are responsible for the strong, smooth, and elastic skin we associate with youth and a fall off in the amount of these substances that are produced is the most common cause of many of the signs of aging people choose to tackle via cosmetic surgery.

By reinvigorating production of these valuable elements, you can give your skin the boost that it needs to begin reviving itself, leaving you with a stunning, smooth, and refreshed aesthetic that is sure to attract attention and will have you glancing in the window at every possible opportunity.

Which is better?

There is no one clear answer to the question of whether Botox or PDO threads are a better cosmetic treatment. They both have their place, and the best choice for you will depend on the results that you are looking for.

When it comes to tackling dynamic wrinkles caused by movement there are very few treatments that come close to matching the effectiveness of Botox. On the other hand, Botox will do nothing to tackle fine lines, rough skin, and static wrinkles that are present when your face is at rest.

This is where thread lifts come in, tightening the skin itself rather than simply immobilising the muscle. Pulling the skin will smooth the fine lines that you are so keen to get rid of and can even be used to reduce signs of sagging skin around the cheeks and jowls.

Another area in which thread lifts have an advantage over Botox is that the results last significantly longer. Although the threads themselves dissolve over time, the collagen production that is stimulated by their injection remains. Results of a thread lift will continue to improve in the weeks and months following treatment and only begin to fade around the 12-month mark.

In comparison, Botox only lasts for around 3-4 months, at which point you will need to get a top up to retain the effects.

What about cost?

A single Botox Glasgow injection costs around £200 per treatment, making them a lot cheaper than thread lifts which come in at around the £2,000 mark. That said, you do need to factor in the fact that you need to get 3-4 Botox treatments to last as long as threads and they tackle very different things.

July 10, 2022July 10, 2022Blog

What is a waking watch service?

What is Waking Watch

Waking watch is a service provided by many security companies that involves actively monitoring a property for signs of a fire and raising the alarm if required.

This service is conducted by highly trained fire marshals who will patrol multiple occupancy buildings 24 hours a day, on the lookout for potential fire hazards or signs of an active fire.

The main goal of waking watch is to give residents of a building early warning of potential hazards and allow action to be taken to help guard against tragedies such as the Grenfell tower disaster from taking place.

Why is waking watch needed?

Since the Grenfell tragedy, there has been heightened awareness of the need for more effective fire alert systems and swift action plans should a fire occur.

Despite the fallout from Grenfell, and other apartment block fires, many high-rise buildings in the UK are still equipped with unsafe cladding that can cause fires to spread at a terrifying rate.

A waking watch will involve highly trained individuals patrolling your property day and night, monitoring all areas for signs of any possible fires, and helping to implement the existing fire evacuation plan should the worst happen.

Given the cost of manned patrols, waking watch is usually considered a temporary measure whilst steps are taken to bring the existing fire alarm system up to the required standard or whilst work is done to ensure the building itself complies with the latest building safety regulations.

What do waking watch officers do?

The role of a waking watch officer is to pro-actively search for fire hazards in a building, alert residents should a fire be detected, and ensure that the correct evacuation protocols are implemented.

During a 24hr period, marshals will conduct patrols of the entire building at regular intervals, producing real-time reports detailing their observations.

Residents are able to request to see these reports, giving you peace of mind that a thorough inspection is being conducted and that you will be quickly alerted to any potential incident.

Should any signs of fire be detected, it is the responsibility of the Waking Watch to ensure that established fire evacuation protocols are followed, to alert the fire service, and to liaise with them once they arrive.

If a fire alarm is triggered in the building, a fire marshal will quickly check the location of the alert using the central control panel and direct their fellow marshals to the area.

Once there, marshals will search for any signs of a fire and either instigate fire evacuation procedures and alert the authorities or reset the system in the case of a false alarm.

In order to carry out their duties effectively, Waking Watch marshals will carry torches, whistles, and other devices that can be used to quickly raise the alarm if the fire alarm system malfunctions or is not operational at the time.

How to get rid of waking watch

A waking watch service is highly effective, but it can also be very expensive given the high cost of hiring one or multiple fire marshals for 24/7 surveillance and should therefore only ever be a temporary measure.

It is currently estimated that waking watch is costing leaseholders in the UK as much as £3 million a month collectively and finding an alternative has become a national priority as a result.

Unfortunately, there is often no choice but to have the service in place, and it may be a legal requirement if your building is deemed to be at a higher risk of fire or there is not a working, integrated fire alarm system installed.

The only alternative to waking watch, for buildings found to have safety issues, is to install a common fire alarm or have the problematic cladding replaced, but given the expense of the latter, alarm installation is often the only realistic option.

In an attempt to help replace the need for costly waking watch in as many buildings as possible, the Government has introduced a £30 million waking watch relief fund designed to cover the installation of an alarm system in those properties with unsafe cladding installed.

A fire alarm has relatively low ongoing costs in comparison to waking watch, and typically saves residents around 50% in the first year, factoring in the cost of installation, and significantly more in the years to come.

Contact v360 today

Waking watch is a huge responsibility, and you should always ensure that the service is being provided by a respected and professional fire and security firm.

V360 are one of the UK’s leading providers of waking watch services, with our highly trained fire marshals providing an expert eye for detail developed over many years experience in the industry and undergoing extensive bespoke training specifically for the role.

Our waking watch hourly rate is also below the median rate and for every single shift completed by one of our waking watch marshals, we will donate £5 to a charity of your choice.

For more information on our waking watch services contact v360 today on 0345 319 8333, or email us at info@v-360.co.uk.