Unite Students Accommodation Matters

S08E01: What the Building Safety Act means for student accommodation

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 29^th 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

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 7^th 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

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 10^th 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 14^th 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?

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 13^th October 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.

S07E01: The future of environmental sustainability in student accommodation

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 13^th 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

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.

S06E06: What do we know about the class of 2023?

In September, a new cohort of students will be walking through the doors of universities up and down the UK. So, in this month’s episode of Accommodation Matters, we’re looking at what we’ve learned about this cohort through our 2023 Applicant Index research, what universities are doing to accommodate and support these students when they arrive at university, and some of the challenges that might come with that – such as mental health, finances and building an inclusive community for LGBTQ+ and international student populations.

Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:

• Tony Moss, Pro Vice Chancellor (Education & Student Experience) at London South Bank University
• Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy & Advocacy at HEPI
• James Greenwood, Head of Residential Life at London School of Economics, Chair of Residence Life at CUBO, and Global Initiatives Chair Elect for ACUHO-I

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 11^th July 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.

 

Resources

Unite Students’ 2023 Applicant Index is available to download from the Unite Students website. [July 2023]

HEPI’s latest Student Academic Experience Survey is available to download from the HEPI website. [June 2023]

 

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.

 

S06E05: Supporting students through the cost of living crisis

Last year’s cost of living episode of Accommodation Matters proved to be the most popular yet – but more than a year on, how has the cost of living crisis moved on, and what does the cost of living picture look like for students in 2023?

Our expert panel explores a wide range of talking points including food inflation, student maintenance loans, stigmas around seeking help with financial issues, challenges with student accommodation, and what university and accommodation teams can do (and are doing) to support students at this tough time.

Hosted by Jenny Shaw, HE External Engagement Director at Unite Students, this episode’s guests include:

• Vivi Friedgut, CEO at Blackbullion
• Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor of Wonkhe and host of the Wonkhe Show
• Becca Hayhurst, Head of Student Support 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 12^th June 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.

 

Resources

The Student Cost of Living report is available to download from the Russell Group Students’ Unions website. [January 2023]

The findings from Savanta’s cost of living research for Office for Students (OfS) are available from the OfS website. [March 2023]

The 2023 HEPI and Advance HE Student Academic Experience Survey can be downloaded from the HEPI website. [June 2023]

 

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.

SE06E04: Supporting international students’ mental health

International students make up a substantial proportion of the UK’s student population, but how do their mental health needs differ from those of home students? That’s the question we’re looking to get to the bottom of in this month’s episode of Accommodation Matters.

Host Jenny Shaw oversees an expert conversation that covers some of the factors that have a particular impact on international students’ mental health – including finances, visas and cultural competency in student support – and how other countries’ approach to mental health can influence students’ own views on seeking support, as well as how mental health issues might present for students from different cultures.

This episode’s guests include:

• Jamie-Lukas Campbell, Postgraduate Officer at Queens University Belfast Student Union
• Dom Smithies, Influencing and Advocacy Lead at Student Minds
• Andy Winter, Director of Student Support Services at University of Sheffield

Special guest Bernadette Cochonat, Head of International Sales and Partnerships at Unite Students, additionally shares her insights into some of the specific factors and cultural background impacting on students from key markets China, India and Nigeria.

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 17^th April and 5^th May 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.

 

Resources

Understanding Student Mental Health Inequalities: International Students, a report by Student Minds, is available from the Student Minds website. [2022]

Unite Students’ Living Black at University report is available from the Unite Students website. [2022]

 

S06E03.5 What is the ‘Journey To A Million’?

Following on from our latest Accommodation Matters episode ‘What does 1 million applicants mean for student accommodation?’, we now share Jenny Shaw’s full interview with Ben Jordan, Head of Policy at UCAS, about the UCAS ‘Journey To A Million’ essay series – sponsored by Unite Students and Knight Frank.

In this short 10-minute primer, Ben shares:

• What the core ‘Journey to a Million’ concept is
• Where the projection of a million applicants for UK universities comes from
• Key themes of the campaign
• Some of the major players in responding to applicant growth

Jenny and Ben also delve into some of the potential outcomes and implications of a growth in applicant demand, including further education, university choices, international students and the wider student experience.

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 17^th April 2023 and produced by Ed Palmer.

 

Resources

The UCAS Journey To A Million essay collection, sponsored by Unite Students and Knight Frank, can be found at the UCAS website.

Further essays will be added to the site in the coming weeks, including the Unite Students and Knight Frank co-authored essay on student accommodation - coming Thursday 18^th May.