THE UNITE GROUP PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2024 86 GOVERNANCE BOARD LEADERSHIP AND PURPOSE continued GOVERNANCE HOW THE BOARD OPERATES AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The Board meets eight times per year with an agenda of items for the forthcoming year built around our strategic objectives. The Board’s meetings are split between strategy (considered in light of principal and emerging risks, opportunities and the approval of specific investments and disposals above certain thresholds, as well as ESG and longer-term sustainability) and routine operational, property and financial updates (providing context for the strategic discussions as well as governance oversight of in-year activity). Meetings usually take place throughout the UK or in our operating cities and enable the Board to meet our people and learn about their experiences and culture at Unite Students. Meetings were held in person this year with the flexibility of hybrid meetings to allow for increased participation from across the business, including senior leaders who are regularly invited to attend meetings and present to the Board. These meetings provide the Board, and in particular the Non-Executive Directors, with direct and open access to leaders throughout the Group and helps build a culture of openness and directness. In addition, subject matter experts are also invited to present to the Board to give the Directors a broader and independent perspective and to increase knowledge and development. WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT AND THE ROLE OF OUR DESIGNATED NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Board has designated one of its Non-Executive Directors to help ensure the views and concerns of the workforce are brought to the Board and taken into account following the framework of listen, reflect and represent. Ilaria del Beato held this role during 2024 with Angela Jain taking over from 1 January 2025. The Board considered that allowing another Non-Executive Director with a different perspective to lead employee engagement efforts going forward would be informative and enhance capabilities and experiences amongst the Board as a whole. As Director of Unscripted, UK at ITV, Angela is in-touch with the needs, wants and behaviours of young people. Angela is well placed to understand current challenges faced by employees. Her role includes: • attending the Culture Matters forum to understand concerns and share these with the Board, so appropriate steps are taken to evaluate the impact on the workforce of proposals and developments • monitoring employee engagement surveys and actions • soliciting employee views on remuneration structures and processes • collaborating with our Group People Director, the Head of People Development & Experience, the Belonging, Equity and Engagement team and the wider People team. We continue to consider this engagement mechanism to be the most appropriate and effective for our Group as it facilitates an insightful two-way dialogue between employees and the Board. Workforce engagement continues to shape the Board’s decision- making which was primarily focused on safety, our people and supporting belonging, equity and engagement during 2024. Our engagement resulted in the following: • Launch of My Impact, our new performance enablement framework. This framework was developed after listening to employees and provides opportunities to grow and devleop • The creation and launch of new guidance including; Supporting our People (reasonable adjustments and accessibility at work) • Launch of Executive sponsorship and mentoring for our five Employee Networks: Unite Women; People of Colour Unite; Disability and Neurodiversity; Keeping uS Well and Unite LGBTQ+. The Board, through the detailed work of the Remuneration Committee, also monitors pay and practices across the wider workforce with the Group People Director attending these meetings to update on workforce initiatives and offer an employee perspective. See more on page 112. Investment in workforce The Company invests in our people, conscious that we can only deliver our Home for Success purpose through our people. Our people are a key stakeholder and how we engage with them and measure this is set out on pages 11 and 90. The Company is a fully accredited Real Living Wage employer and provides recognition through pay awards, annual bonuses, Round of Applause awards and our annual Stars Awards. All employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s SAYE scheme and senior leaders are eligible to participate in the long- term incentive plan. My Impact provides the opportunity for meaningful employee performance conversations, helping to align goals with the company’s priorities. Employees also have access to our learning catalogue through The Academy which provides employees with a tailored learning experience. The Board also considers diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and wellbeing across the workforce, by considering our gender and ethnic diversity throughout the Group as well as our gender pay gap. How we engage with our investors The Board values effective communication with shareholders and other providers of capital to the business and welcomes their views on the Group’s approach to corporate governance. The Board creates sustainable value for our three types of investors: institutional, retail and debt.