![Unite Students Accommodation Matters](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL.jpg)
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Accommodation Matters brings sector experts together to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. Join hosts Jenny Shaw and Jen Steadman each month for a lively round table chat with university student accommodation leaders from across the UK, national policy experts and subject specialists. Focusing in on topical issues, we’ll explore student accommodation and the student living experience within its broad context, talk about what’s happening right now and look at what might be coming over the horizon.
Episodes
![S08E05: What the 2024 General Election means for student accommodation](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
S08E05: What the 2024 General Election means for student accommodation
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Political decisions can reshape the whole Higher Education landscape – so no doubt you’re keeping an eye on the 2024 General Election campaign. But what does it mean for Higher Education and student accommodation? In this episode, we’ve enlisted an expert panel and host Jenny Shaw to tell us just that.
Our guests look at party manifestos, how universities should respond to these commitments (or lack of), what we might expect from further devolution and HE’s relationship with Further Education, and – most importantly – what students, Higher Education and the property sector need from an incoming administration.
If you want to be prepared for what’s in store over the next five years, you won’t want to miss this episode. Our panellists include:
- George Blake, Policy and Networks Officer at London Higher
- Dani Payne, Senior Researcher at Social Market Foundation
- Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy at the British Property Foundation
- Megan Haskins, Policy and Research Manager at University College London Students’ Union
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 19th June 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
Manifestos by the Labour Party, Conservative and Unionist Party and Liberal Democrats are available to download from their respective party websites. [June 2024]
The National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 will be published on Wednesday 10th July 2024 on the Office for Students (OfS) website. 2023’s NSS data is available on the OfS website.
The Student Academic Experience Survey 2024 report can be downloaded from HEPI’s website.
‘Four futures: Shaping the future of higher education in England’ by Professor Sir Chris Husbands can also be downloaded from the HEPI website. [June 2024]
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan can be downloaded from the NHS England website. [June 2023]
The Centre for Cities’ ‘Climbing the Summit: Big cities in the UK and the G7’ report can be downloaded from the Centre for Cities website. [June 2024]
Information about the Australia Universities Accord can be found on the Australian Government Department of Education website. [Last updated June 2024]
The Russell Group Students’ Unions ‘Student Cost of Living Report’ can be downloaded from their website. [March 2023]
![S08E04: Emerging trends in student mental health](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday May 14, 2024
S08E04: Emerging trends in student mental health
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Tuesday May 14, 2024
Content note: This episode contains discussion of sensitive topics including suicide. If you need support with the topics discussed in this episode, there are organisations such as Mind (0300 123 3393), Samaritans (116 123) or Student Minds that can help you in complete confidence.
More and more students are seeking support for their mental health, and in response, we’ve seen a whole host of new initiatives to better meet that need. The creation of a Higher Education Student Support Champion. The Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. A suite of guidance on suicide-safer universities. An innovative scheme in which Manchester’s universities collaborate with the NHS to improve student mental health outcomes.
But what are these initiatives, where have they come from and what do student accommodation teams need to know? We’re getting into it in this month’s episode of Accommodation Matters.
Our expert guests aren’t just talking about the work that’s happening to support student mental health – they’re leading the work themselves. Hosted by Jenny Shaw, this month’s panel includes:
- Professor Edward Peck, Vice Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University and the Government’s Higher Education Student Support Champion for England
- Professor Jo Smith OBE, Emeritus Professor in Early Intervention and Psychosis at University of Worcester
- Dr Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience at University of Manchester
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 30th April and 1st May 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
You can find out more about the role of the Higher Education Student Support Champion here, and the Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce here.
The University Mental Health Charter can be found on Student Minds’ website.
Universities UK’s Suicide-safer Universities guidance document can be downloaded here.
Read more about the Greater Manchester Universities Mental Health Service here.
Learn more about R;pple’s suicide prevention technology from their website.
A number of mental health and suicide awareness charities are referenced during the episode – we have listed links to their websites below:
![S08E03: How do we solve the student accommodation supply problem?](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
S08E03: How do we solve the student accommodation supply problem?
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for…
An explosion in student numbers. A contraction in houses of multiple occupancy (HMO). Challenges to building new developments. Any one of these could have created a PBSA supply issue – but together, they’ve created a crisis in many cities.
Our expert panel looks at how this came about, the ways in which this is playing out in some of those cities, what the data is telling us for a longer term picture and - most importantly - some of the potential solutions to this issue.
Hosted by Jenny Shaw, this month’s panel includes:
- Sarah Jones, Partner at Cushman & Wakefield
- Iain Garfield, Director of Estates and Facilities at Newcastle University
- Simon Jones, Group HE Director at Unite Students
- Eleanor Whitford Kelly, Market Intelligence Manager at Unite Students
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 15th April 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Student Accommodation Report for 2023 is available to download from their website.
Unipol’s 2023 Ten Cities Rent Survey can be downloaded from the Unipol website.
UCAS’ 2024 cycle applicant figures can be found on the UCAS website.
More information about the joint venture between Unite Students and Newcastle University is available on Unite Students’ website.
![S08E02: How can Higher Education end student loneliness?](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
S08E02: How can Higher Education end student loneliness?
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
Tuesday Mar 26, 2024
The 2023 Student Academic Experience Survey showed that 1 in 4 students feels lonely most or all of the time – and that number is growing. With loneliness carrying the same health risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and having a substantial impact on mental health, academic performance and student retention, this month we’re asking: how can Higher Education end student loneliness?
Our expert panel discusses which student groups are most at risk of loneliness (and when), what support exists for students who are lonely, how to help students integrate into the student community, and how the sector can mitigate contributing factors such as the cost of living crisis and proximity to campus.
Host Jen Steadman, Senior HE Communications Executive at Unite Students, also shares her personal experience of loneliness at university.
This month’s panel includes:
- Nicola Frampton, Insight Manager at Student Minds
- Sarah Djuric, Residence Life Manager at the University of Leeds
- Jenny Dalzell, Regional Student Support Manager at Unite Students
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 11th March 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
Student Minds’ Student Space website provides students with support information, advice and tailored resources, as well as signposting to university services.
Wonkhe’s student loneliness research, ‘Only the Lonely’, is available to download here. [2019]
Unite Students’ Applicant Index, Living Black at University and neurodivergence reports are all available from the Research section of the Unite Group website. [2022/2023]
The Student Academic Experience Survey can be found at HEPI’s website. [2023]
Information about Student Minds’ research with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is available on the gov.uk website. [2023]
You can learn more about Unite Students’ Resident Ambassador programme on the Unite Group website. [2023]
![S08E01: What the Building Safety Act means for student accommodation](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
S08E01: What the Building Safety Act means for student accommodation
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Tuesday Feb 20, 2024
Grenfell Tower (2017). The Cube student accommodation fire, Bolton (2019). Two disasters that reshaped the landscape for building safety in student accommodation, and led to stringent new legislation in the Building Safety Act.
But what does the Building Safety Act actually mean for purpose-built student accommodation? How can we trust that students are safe in our buildings? And how can you make sure you’re compliant with the regulations? We’ve got you covered with our 40 minute deep-dive into the issue.
Our expert panel discusses the benefits and challenges thrown up by the Act, the practical stages of compliance, who’s accountable for what, what it all means for students, and what the future holds for building safety.
Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, the panel includes:
- Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy at British Property Federation (BPF)
- Ian Bamforth, Head of Estates & Facilities at Unite Students
- Abi Yeo, Performance Quality & Systems Manager at Unite Students
Special guest Jo Blair, Head of Quality & Standards at Unite Students, also shares how we put together a resident engagement strategy to keep 70,000 students informed about building safety, as required by the Act. All of Unite Students' buildings are safe to live in.
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 9th February 2024 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
The British Property Federation’s Building Safety video series can be found at their YouTube channel.
Unipol are running an in-person training event called ‘Getting up to speed with the Building Safety Act’ on Thursday 29th February – find out more from the Unipol website.
Unite Students’ Home Charter is available on our student website, along with more information about the Building Safety Act and our resident engagement strategy.
![S07E03: The future of social impact in Higher Education](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
S07E03: The future of social impact in Higher Education
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
It’s the final episode in our series on the future of sustainability in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA)! The festive season is a season of giving, and so this time we’re looking at social impact – giving back to local communities by making a positive difference.
Our guests dive into their own social impact initiatives, as well as student engagement, their experiences of ‘town and gown’ tensions, and what the future might look for social impact within Higher Education and PBSA.
Hosted by Jen Steadman, Higher Education Comms Executive at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:
- Kimberly Eyre, Residential Life Manager at Queen Mary University of London
- Mike Leonard, Residential Property Manager at the University of Leeds
- Rebecca Rymsza, Head of Brand and Communications at the Unite Foundation
- Ivy Yarrow, Social Impact Manager at Unite Students
Special guest Darren Way, founder of youth intervention charity Streets of Growth, also joins us to talk about how the charity has benefited from finding a stable home at Unite Students’ Hayloft Point property in Aldgate, London.
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 7th December 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
The 2023 Applicant Index report is available to download now from the Unite Students website.
To find out more about the Unite Foundation's scholarship project, please visit the Foundation website; the All of Us community for care-experienced and estranged students can be found here.
2021/22 report 'The Economic and Social Impact of Queen Mary University of London' can be downloaded from the Queen Mary university website.
You can learn more about the North Hill Well Wood project, run by the University of Leeds and Unite Students, here.
For more information on Streets of Growth, visit their website now.
![S07E02: The future of race and inclusion in student accommodation](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
S07E02: The future of race and inclusion in student accommodation
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Hot off the launch of the new Living Black at University Commission report, we’re continuing our focus on the future of sustainability within purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) with this month’s episode on race and inclusion in student accommodation.
With Black students being the UK’s fastest-growing student demographic, greater inclusion of Black students is increasingly important for those who own and operate purpose-built student accommodation.
Our guests explore the impact of student accommodation on the awarding gap, what steps the purpose-built student accommodation sector has made towards greater race equity since Living Black at University was published in February 2022, and how universities and accommodation providers can make further strides towards race equity in future.
Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:
- tara leach, Senior Advisor (Equality Charters) at Advance HE
- Rebecca O’Hare, Interim Deputy Director of Residential Services at University of Leeds
- Sam Kingsley, Head of Belonging and Engagement at Unite Students
Jenny also shares some interview clips from March’s Living Black at University Conference, speaking to Andy Owusu, former Office for Students Mental Health Project Officer for Black Students at London South Bank University, and Osaro Otobo, Consultant at Halpin Partnership and project manager on the original Living Black at University report.
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 10th November 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
Resources
The Living Black at University Commission report, published on 14th November 2023, is available for download now: https://www.unitegroup.com/living-black-commission-report
The original Living Black at University report, published in February 2022, can be found at the Unite Group website: https://www.unitegroup.com/living-black-at-university
More information on Advance HE’s Athena SWAN and Race Equality Charters is available at the Advance HE website: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/charters
‘Meeting the needs of neurodivergent students’, a March 2023 report on neurodivergent students’ needs in student accommodation, can be downloaded from the Unite Group website: https://www.unitegroup.com/neurodivergent-students-report
The Unite Students Commission on Living Black at University website, featuring downloadable Commission resources, can be found here: https://www.unitegroup.com/unite-students-commission-on-living-black-at-university
![S07E01.5: What does sustainable construction of student accommodation look like?](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Monday Nov 06, 2023
Monday Nov 06, 2023
Unite Students has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon organisation by 2030 – with new developments in particular being targeted for a reduction in carbon. But what does a sustainable new development look like in practice right now, what solutions are there to key sources of embodied carbon, and what are some of the challenges being faced when it comes to building sustainable new developments?
Building on our recent ‘The future of sustainability in student accommodation’ episode of Accommodation Matters, we’re now sharing our full interview with Nicholas Pigula, Sustainability Construction Manager at Unite Students.
Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, tune in now to find out:
- What we’re currently focusing on to create more sustainable buildings
- How we’re targeting reductions in embodied carbon
- His favourite examples of net-zero developments
- What sustainable features have been built into our newest property, Nottingham’s Morriss House
- What we’re focusing on next in our drive for net-zero
Our Sustainable Construction Framework is coming soon – sign up here to be updated when it’s live.
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 13th October 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.
![S07E01: The future of environmental sustainability in student accommodation](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
S07E01: The future of environmental sustainability in student accommodation
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Accommodation Matters is back for its seventh series! For this series, we’re focusing on the future of sustainability within purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
First up is what most people would think of when hearing the word ‘sustainability’ – environmental sustainability. Our panel of experts explores how to tackle net-zero in PBSA, engaging students on sustainability within accommodation, how sustainable accommodation can improve the student experience, the possibilities of AI and much more.
Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:
- Simon Hooton, Director at Ash Futures
- Sarah Canning, Co-Founder at The Property Marketing Strategists
- James Tiernan, Head of Sustainability at Unite Students
We’re also joined by special guest Nicholas Pigula, Sustainability Construction Manager at Unite Students, who shares some insights on the challenges of sustainable construction and some of the ways that Unite Students are approaching this on new developments.
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded on 13th October 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.
![S06E07: Innovations and inspiration for 2023/24](https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9601583/AMPod_Waveform_FINAL_300x300.jpg)
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
S06E07: Innovations and inspiration for 2023/24
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
With a new academic year rapidly approaching, we wanted to know what new and exciting initiatives are being rolled out in Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) around the UK – so we asked you, our listeners, to submit their own contributions about what they’re doing differently for the 2023/24 academic year.
This month, we’re sharing your ideas and innovations for the year ahead to inspire our audience, including enhanced student arrival comms, new initiatives to better support Black and care-experienced students throughout the year, and using names as a tool to deliver an elevated student experience in accommodation.
Hosted by Jen Steadman, Higher Education Comms Executive at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:
- Laura Maclean, Head of Accommodation and Customer Services at University of Kent
- Shauna Scott, Communications Manager at University College London
- Jo Blair, Head of Quality and Standards at Unite Students
- Paula Goodband, Senior Residential Experience Manager for Wellbeing at University of Nottingham
- Tobi Adeleke, Intern at Unite Students
- Nanu Viatoshir, Intern at Unite Students
Accommodation Matters brings together sector experts to discuss the Higher Education sector’s key issues through the lens of student accommodation. This episode was recorded throughout August 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.
Resources
The Living Black at University research report is available to download from the Unite Students website. [February 2022]
The Unite Foundation website can be found here.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the personal views of individual guest speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unite Students and/or Unite Group plc.