Q: WHAT WERE THE OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR UNITE STUDENTS IN 2025? A: We continued to work closely with our university partners and delivered new technology to our operations and central support team, to build a clearer picture of the resident experience and better predict students' needs, while also enhancing our maintenance performance. We've added functionality to our student app, which allows residents to connect with each other and log requests with us. It was fantastic to see the app ranked as the number one PBSA app in 2025. Q: WHAT OPERATIONAL CHANGES DID YOU IMPLEMENT IN 2025 AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? A: We’ve continued to invest in our estate to improve the product quality for our students and to deliver ongoing fire and security enhancements, as part of our building safety commitments. We've further enhanced our digital platforms to give students access to better information and resources, which allows us to focus more on community mental health and wellbeing support. In the summer, we introduced simpler recycling, a game-changing sustainability initiative that will reduce our general waste and increase our recycling. Q: HOW DID UNITE STUDENTS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS IN 2025? A: There are three main ways we’ve improved the resident experience in 2025. We’ve invested £44 million in our existing accommodation to enhance students’ bedrooms and amenity spaces. Secondly, we’ve focused on developing our Resident Ambassador programme to give individuals the skills and tools they need to really shape the communities in which they live. Finally, we’ve expanded our mental health and wellbeing framework, Support to Stay, by launching Prepare to Stay. This is about ensuring that our future residents know what to expect and what to do before arriving, so that they have the best possible start to student life. Q: WHAT HAS THE FEEDBACK BEEN FROM STUDENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR? A: The feedback this year has been really positive. Our outgoing cohort helped us to secure our first ever Gold Award in the Spring Global Student Living Index survey, which we retained in the Autumn survey. We also surveyed university applicants about what they’re expecting from their university experience to inform our check-in experience, and the support we provide to students in their first six weeks. 86% of students were satisfied with their overall, check-in experience. The comments from our newest residents have been overwhelmingly positive (96%) reflecting the warm, friendly welcome they receive from colleagues on arrival and the positive first impression from seeing a clean, well-maintained property. Product quality shaped by student experience “ We’ve continued to invest in our estate to improve the product quality for our students...” Q&A with Paul Watson, Group Operations Director THE UNITE GROUP PLC Annual Report and Accounts 2025 27
Home for Success: Unite Students Annual Report 2025 Page 28 Page 30
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