Research, insight & updates

We caught up with Leeds-based Residence Life Warden Jan Spalek about his experience of living alongside students at Clarence Dock Village, his insights into creating community through student events, and the clamour for in-person events following the disruption of Covid-19.

The latest episode of Accommodation Matters is now live, and this month, we’re sharing a very special episode: a takeover by the Unite Foundation, in which the panel discusses the university experiences of estranged and care-experienced students.

We look back over some of Unite Students' most-read articles of 2021 and what they say about Higher Education's priorities across the year.

Jenny Shaw, our Higher Education External Engagement Director, attended and spoke at this year’s Property Week Student Accommodation Conference. Here are her key takeaways from the event – as well as three insights we shared.

2021 marks Unite Students’ 30th anniversary. From humble beginnings in Bristol to the UK’s largest provider of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), based in 25 cities across England, Scotland and Wales, it’s been quite a journey. We've put together a list of 30 milestones we’re most proud of over the last three decades, and spoken to three former residents to find out what it was like to live with us and what they’ve gone on to do since graduating.

Ahead of the launch of our net-zero carbon pathway, James Tiernan - Head of Energy and Environment at Unite Students - shared some of our plans for decarbonising hot water at CUBO’s Winter Conference 2021.

In our feature series A Day in the Life Of…, we introduce some of our people on the front lines at Unite Students, working to make students’ accommodation experience the best it can be. Chaquile Damoah, a London-based Service and Sales Advisor, tells us more about his role, as well as some stories from his time on reception.

Our latest episode of Accommodation Matters is now live. This month, we’re taking a deep dive into the role of parents within Higher Education, how this has changed over time, and what this means for students, universities and accommodation providers.

15-19 November is Transgender Awareness Week. Garnet Fox, Service and Safety Advisor in Liverpool, shares their experience of being a trans employee at Unite Students, the current risks they face, and the very real consequences that discrimination can bring.

We caught up with Sam Kingsley - our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing Manager - to find out about her work at Unite so far.

We’ve launched a pilot of ‘Look after your mate’ workshops for students, to guide them on what to do if a friend is struggling. Jenny Dalzell, Student Support Manager, shares more about this initiative, including what it involves, why we’re doing it, and how we’re doing it.

Find out what the Unite Foundation's scholarship students have to say about their experience of university during the pandemic, what improvements they’d like to see, and what it’s been like living in Unite Students’ buildings.

Unite Students launched its student ambassador scheme in 2016. This year, we’ve overhauled and rebranded it as the resident ambassador scheme; Intrapreneur Pin Yiong shares what the new-look initiative looks like.

In our feature series A Day in the Life Of…, we introduce some of our people on the front lines at Unite Students, working to make students’ accommodation experience the best it can be. This time, our interviewee is Jenny Dalzell, the Student Support Manager for Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham, who has been with us for two and a half years.

Accommodation Matters, our accommodation-focused podcast for the Higher Education sector, is back for a third series. This time, we’re looking back at the 2021 admissions cycle and what it’s meant for students, universities and accommodation providers – as well as what it might mean for the future.

Ensuring students get the support they need is a priority for us at Unite Students. Student Support Manager Jenny Dalzell explains what Mental Health First Aid is, how it’s embedded into our support service, and how we’ve seen it work in practice.

Unite Students recently shared the stark findings of its research on Empty Nest Syndrome. But what is Empty Nest Syndrome, and why is it important for Higher Education to take notice?

Unite Students has today shared the findings of its research into Empty Nest Syndrome: the heightened sense of extreme grief that parents and carers may feel when their children leave home for the first time, which may be felt more strongly following an intense time spent with one another during the pandemic.

Social opportunities are a key part of students’ university experience and, when held in their accommodation, offer the opportunity to foster a sense of community within their building.

During 2021's welcome week, we spoke to our teams in Leeds – where we operate 11 properties – to find out how they’re going above and beyond to keep students safe as they adapt to living independently and making the most of their student experience.

With the return to campus well underway for the new academic year, and a majority of Covid-19 restrictions having been lifted across England, Scotland and Wales, Unite Students has adapted its approach to Covid for the year ahead.

Jenny Shaw considers the key messages from the Universities UK National Conference 2021, and what these might mean for student accommodation heading into the new academic year and beyond.

Rebecca O'Hare of the University of Leeds shares her insights on the Residence Life sector, some of the revelations that have emerged from the pandemic, and how it might shape it going forwards.

Jenny Shaw, Student Experience Director, outlines more details about what we're doing to upgrade and clarify our student support offer, which complements the services offered by our university partners.

Alex Bloor shares her experience of what goes on behind the scenes in our properties in order to prepare for the start of a new academic year, and how check-in has evolved over the years.

With the new academic year rapidly approaching, three Unite Students employees share their experiences of going to university for the first time: what their check-in experience was like, how they adapted to being away from home for the first time, and what's changed since they were freshers.

Unite Students is trialling an offer aimed at meeting postgraduate students' needs. Here's all you need to know: why we're doing it, where it's being rolled out, and what it means for postgraduate students living with us.

We look back over what the last year has brought for Unite Students, and some of the key announcements, research, initiatives and blog posts we've put out in that time.

Mike Lewis, Insight Manager at Unite Students, shares how we take on board student feedback to improve the service we provide to our residents.

Unite Students employs young people as part of the Kickstart scheme. We speak to some of our new Kickstart employees.

Ahead of the new academic year, Unite Students is proud to share the Return to Campus Partner Pack for 2021/22. This pack offers insight and information into how we are preparing for the new academic year, the welcome experience that students will receive on arrival, and some of our key priorities for the coming year.

Last month's Accommodation Matters episode laid out the needs, concerns and expectations of incoming students – so in the second episode of this two-parter, we find out how the Higher Education sector is planning to welcome these students, support the particular needs of this cohort, and settle them into their new home.

This month, we find out how the higher education sector is planning to welcome students in 2021

Pin Yiong, one of the intrapreneurs working to develop the service we offer at Unite Students, outlines how we’re developing our international student orientation, as well as his own experiences of arriving to study in the UK as an international student.

Kerry Watson shares Unite Students' updated support animals policy, as outlined at the AMOSSHE National Conference 2021, and how university partners will be kept involved in the process.

We’ve shared our research into incoming students, and behind the scenes at Unite Students we’re using these insights to shape our plans for 2021/22. One thing we’re in no doubt about is the importance of a great welcome to ensure students get off on the right foot in their Home for Success.

June's episode is the first of a two-parter on preparing for September, with this instalment focusing on the incoming student cohort, to share our learnings with the sector.

With the particular challenges faced by the class of 2021, we wanted to delve deeper into what they need and expect from university, so in June we hosted a round table with experts spanning the Higher Education sector.

This month we talk about the experience of the incoming 2021 university cohort

Jenny Shaw summarises what we can expect to see from those students coming to university in the autumn, based on the findings of our recent applicant survey and expert round table.