PART 1 - WHAT SERVICE PROVIDERS NEED TO KNOW FROM THE 2021 STUDENT ACCOMMODATION COSTS SURVEY
Every three years, Unipol and NUS undertake a survey that explores the current state of student accommodation throughout the UK and Ireland.
Supporting the key recommendations of this survey is critical for the many third-party contractors and suppliers who support the student accommodation industry.
The Survey
The survey is the most comprehensive of its kind, with responses from 80 institutions (predominately universities) and 62 private and charitable accommodation providers. Those 142 organisations represent 68% of the purpose-built student accommodation sector and 473,684 beds.
The full report is available here and makes for fascinating reading, especially given the impact of the pandemic over the last two years. At 105 pages long, though, it's not for the faint-hearted!
Supporting Clients
The report surfaces three groups of recommendations:
Increasing Sector Unity
Addressing Affordability
Policy Changes
In this short article series, we want to explore the impact of these three recommendation groups and how third party suppliers can support them.
Increasing Sector Unity
One of the key recommendations from the survey is the need to increase sector unity.
The report acknowledges excellent examples of collaboration between private and university accommodation providers, but there is still more to be done. Especially in the case of the private providers housing 150k students who said they had no relationship with universities.
Outlined in the report is the ever-growing requirement for private accommodation to take on roles traditionally aligned with the University provider. These include the following:
Greater social provision
Better mental health awareness
The avoidance of student isolation
Better services for those with disabilities
Greater social provision
Furthering social provision requires a proactive approach from private sector providers with social events set and run internally. We've seen several of our clients increase events on their sites, and they enjoy a hugely positive reaction. Social events can come in many forms, from parties to more low-key games and quiz evenings to ensure that the entire demographic of the student population has access to events and activities that appeal to them.
Some of the best events have aligned with celebrations of key calendar events from students studying from outside the UK. At NGS, we have collaborated with individual site managers to ensure that events run smoothly. We've also ensured that the more low key events have the resources and materials needed when happening out of hours.
Better mental health awareness
The last report in 2018 outlined recommendations for private providers to increase mental health awareness. Since then, the need for this has become increasingly apparent through the COVID period, where feelings of isolation and concern have been exacerbated with the various levels of restriction in place.
The survey suggested several responses to mental health and wellbeing issues, such as:
Mental Health First Aid training (MHFA)
Tenant support from dedicated staff
Activities to build more supportive resident communities
Referrals to university student services
Recording info about student cases
Information about NHS/GP services
Mental Health First Aid Training (MHFA) is one of the best and first steps to better mental health provision, but the report commented:
“In 2021, 42 per cent of university respondents reported that all staff who interacted with tenants had received Mental Health First Aid training. At 24 per cent, the private sector is well behind, although the gap has narrowed since 2018. This progress reflects a new requirement for training in this area under the Unipol/ANUK National Code.”
For the staff from NGS, we ensure that all operatives are now receiving mental health awareness training. This training gives them a set of tools to recognise and deal with occurrences in the first instance. But, again, coordination with the accommodation provider on a site level is crucial to ensure that any action plans required for the individuals involved are in place.
The avoidance of student isolation
Student accommodation providers are continuing to make efforts to help tenants feel engaged. Many are providing better and better residential life programs to reduce the chances of isolation and loneliness.
For service providers, this means that having an approachable and proactive team on-site 24/7 will need to become a top priority going forwards. In addition, students must feel comfortable speaking with any staff member on the site concerning a considerable range of issues.
For example, with the out of hours teams we provide, we always look for a blend of friendly character and professional approach.
Better Services for those with Disabilities
As the student population grows and becomes more varied, so will the requirements of some individuals.
“Student accommodation types are becoming more varied with an increasing need for adaptable rooms, quiet rooms, alcohol-free blocks, and adaptations for neuro-divergent students.”
There is a healthy and robust expectation for accommodation providers to excel in meeting the impairment-related needs of tenants. Including neurodiversity needs, vision impairments, hearing impairments and mobility/ambulatory needs.
One of the best ways third-party service providers can support this diversification of needs is through disability awareness training. We deliver Disability Awareness training for our operatives to ensure that they can recognise requirements that may be needed. We have also found it helpful to engage with consultants from the SEN sector to ensure that the company culture reflects this growing requirement.
Working together
The role of third-party service providers to both universities and private student accommodation providers is a crucial aspect moving forward. Both parties will be looking to ensure that the quality of the service provided is in line with the increasing expectations of the student population. This, combined with rent increases that continue to exceed inflation levels, further drives the expectations of quality from the student customer base.
Key Takeaways
Recommendations from the survey suggest greater collaboration between private PBSA providers and universities.
Accommodation providers need to continue to take a more proactive role in student welfare.
Mental health training and support is a key need for the sector going forward.
Third-party providers must align their service delivery with this more intimate client landscape.
