Five star success for Unite Students

Unite Students - the UK's largest owner, manager and developer of purpose-built student accommodation, providing homes for over 50,000 students throughout the UK - underwent a comprehensive, quantified and robust evaluation of its occupational health and safety policies, processes and practices. The audit process included documentation review, interviews with senior management, employees and other key stakeholders, together with sampling of operational activities.

The audit measured performance against key health and safety management best practice indicators and a detailed review of over sixty component elements. Unite Students was awarded a five-star rating following the audit which is reflective of a best practice organisation.

Richard Smith, chief executive of Unite Students said, “We’ve been working with the British Safety Council since 2016 and achieving the highest rating of five stars, further proves our commitment to providing safe and secure homes for students while they live with us. It’s also a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our people, in cities across the UK, to do what’s right and put our organisational values into practice”

David Parr, policy and technical services director at the British Safety Council, said, “The award of a five-star grading following our occupational best practice Health and Safety Audit is an outstanding achievement and is reflective of a proactive organisation which is committed to continual improvement in its health and safety arrangements and managing risks to workers’ health, safety and welfare.”

“Unite Students should be very proud of this achievement.“