Unite Students Accommodation Matters

They’ve made headlines and opened up a whole new opportunity for the future of student accommodation… so, in this very special episode of Accommodation Matters, we’re exploring joint venture (JV) partnerships. This half-hour episode will tell you everything you need to know about JVs – why universities are choosing JVs, the benefits to universities, students and the local community, and the challenges of implementation. Join host Jenny Shaw and this month’s expert panel: * Joe Lister, Chief Executive at Unite Students * Jane Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Engagement and Place at Newcastle University * Dr Stephen Bloye, Director of Campus Services at Manchester Metropolitan University 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 17th and 19th June 2025 and produced by Ed Palmer. If you’d like to discuss joint venture opportunities with Unite Students, please get in touch with Moray Notman (moray.notman@unitestudents.com [moray.notman@unitestudents.com]). 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.

Every building needs a refresh at some point. Whether it’s adapting amenity spaces to meet changing student needs or refreshing the look of bedrooms, a refurbishment can unlock significant improvements in student and employee satisfaction. But balancing budgets against quality and student expectations is easier said than done. So, this month’s episode is a deep dive into refurbishments – how to do them right, and their hidden benefits. The conversation covers: * When to refurbish a property * How to deliver in-occupancy refurbishments * How refurbishments drive value for money * Making your refurbished buildings more sustainable * How to future-proof a refurbishment Hosted as ever by the inimitable Jenny Shaw, this month’s expert panel includes: * Nikki Todd, Managing Director at Fortis Vision * Karan Khanna, Chief Operating Officer at Unite Students * Roscoe Chubb, Head of Asset & Fund Management 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 13th and 14th May 2025 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 Want to see what the refurbished properties mentioned in the episode look like? Check them out on our student website: * Sherren House, London [https://www.unitestudents.com/student-accommodation/london/sherren-house] * Cedar House, Liverpool [https://www.unitestudents.com/student-accommodation/liverpool/cedar-house] * Station Court, London [https://www.unitestudents.com/student-accommodation/london/station-court] * Stapleton House, London [https://www.unitestudents.com/student-accommodation/london/stapleton-house] Follow Unite Students on LinkedIn to hear about all the latest refurbishment and development updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unite-group-plc/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/unite-group-plc/]

In an increasingly competitive student market, understanding the drivers of student satisfaction has never been more important. This month, we’re getting into what student satisfaction looks like in 2025. Hosted by Jenny Shaw, our panel covers what satisfaction surveys tell us about student needs, the role of quality, wellbeing and value for money, and what might drive satisfaction for Generation Alpha when they arrive at university in a few years. This month’s expert panel includes: * Sarah Ead, Head of Insight at Global Student Living * James Greenwood, Head of Residential Life at London School of Economics and Political Science * Paul Watson, Group Operations Director 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 10th 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.

‘Compassion’ is the word of the moment in the HE sector. But why, and what does that look like in practice? Join host Jenny Shaw and an expert panel for a deep dive into how compassion is shaping new approaches across UK Higher Education, in student support and beyond. This lively discussion covers how compassionate communications can enhance the student experience, how to integrate compassion into your organisation’s policies and procedures, and examples of this in practice across accommodation and university functions. Our expert panel includes: * Dr Kathryn Waddington, Emeritus Fellow in Psychology at University of Westminster * Julia Hunt, Mental Health Clinical Lead at University of Central Lancashire * Katy Lemmon, Accommodation Manager at University of Liverpool * Becca Hayhurst, Head of Resident Experience 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 Monday 24th February 2024 and was 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 Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce (HEMHIT)’s Compassionate Communication Statement is available to download from Nottingham Trent University’s website: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/2526771/Compassionate-Communication-Statement.pdf [https://www.ntu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0030/2526771/Compassionate-Communication-Statement.pdf] Read more about Unite Students’ CARE service philosophy on our website: https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-resident-experience [https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-resident-experience] Find out more about Unite Students’ Support to Stay framework on our website: https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-to-stay-unite-students [https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-to-stay-unite-students] Learn more about the Nurture-U and Compassionate Campus initiatives at the Nurture-U website: www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk [http://www.nurtureuniversity.co.uk]   Dr Kathryn Waddington is currently writing a book called 'How to be a Compassionate Academic' and would love to hear stories from listeners where compassion has been brought to life through small acts of kindness. These will be used with permission and anonymised in the book, for more details please email Kathryn at: k.waddington@westminster.ac.uk [k.waddington@westminster.ac.uk] with 'BOOK' in the subject line.

Season 9 launches with something a little bit different. To celebrate four years of Accommodation Matters, we took the show on the road to GSL Live and recorded a live episode! Join host Jenny Shaw for a lively panel discussion about designing community within student accommodation – including how the physical design can support community-building, the role of accommodation teams, whether themed accommodation works, and how to measure the success of community-building events. Our panel includes: * Jo Blair, Head of Specification at Unite Students * Paul Mercer, Director at Kaplan Living * Vanya Campbell, Engagement Manager at the University of Essex 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 Thursday 17th October 2024 at GSL Live and was produced by Ed Palmer. Thanks to Hannah Colbran and Sarah Ead at Global Student Living for helping to organise the session, to James King for providing technical assistance on the day, and to our GSL Live audience. 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 Read more about the support that Unite Students offers on our website: https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-resident-experience [https://www.unitegroup.com/articles/student-support-resident-experience]