Residential Services Student Accommodation Survey 2012

Customer satisfaction is vitally important and nowhere could this

be truer than in student accommodation. As well as continuous
modernisation of our stock of properties, there are many
improvements that weve made in recent years as well as
numerous planned improvements for the forthcoming future.
Of course, improvements we make are as a direct response to
what our tenants are feeding back to us through the student
accommodation survey. Weve been running the survey for the last 7 years and during that time
have built up a bank of robust, detailed customer feedback. This summary gives an overview of the
key issues, as seen by students, as well as those improvements, past, present and future that are
uppermost in our planning.
1. Information before arrival
Our students say:
They want us to continue to improve information on our web site and in the accommodation guide.

We have:
Redeveloped our Accommodation website to provide a more interactive service to our
residents, prospective students and stakeholders.

Provided more details about residences to enable students to make an informed choice.

Improved our maps to show distances from campus more realistically.

Introduced an online interactive induction programme, giving all new students all the
information they need before moving in.

Introduced Facebook pages for each Residence, to allow students to begin to make contacts
with each other prior to the forthcoming year.

We will:
Maintain and improve the online interactive induction programme, giving new students all the
information they need before moving in.

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2. Internet provision
Our students say:
Internet provision within their rooms is the most important amenity we provide.
We have:
Cabled all our sites through the university network, enabling high speed internet access and
IPTV.
We are:
Working to provide further coverage by Wi-Fi
networks at residence sites by September
2013.

3. The reception experience

Our students say:
Arriving at, being welcomed and moving into their accommodation is a positive experience.
We have:
Worked with the International Office to improve the transition
for international students between temporary and permanent
accommodation.
Improved the arrival experience (condition of grounds
maintenance and re-sited and improved residence offices).
Improved the welcome and information we extend to late
arrivals and semester 2 arrivals.
Increased staffing and provided security, porterage and an
increased presence of wardens and sub wardens.

Resourced and standardised improved welcome meetings.

Reduced bottlenecks on arrivals weekend by extending the reception period and introducing
an arrival booking slot system.

We will:
Continue to work to improve the arrival experience for our International Students, by
providing temporary accommodation at residences that can offer good communal facilities
and catering facilities.

Continue to improve our induction for students with disabilities.

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4. Clothes washing facilities

Our students say:
They would like us to further improve the reliability and availability of
clothes washing facilities at our sites.
We have:
Increased satisfaction with clothes washing and drying facilities significantly by increasing
the number of washing machines at a certain number of locations.

Increased the cleanliness and maintenance in washing rooms, along with ensuring our
chosen maintenance contractor is as responsive as possible.

Overcome the issue of residents & staff failing to report faulty machines by taking advantage
of opportunities offered by new technology machines. These have self diagnostics and
internet connections which will reduce down time & also allow users to check machine
availability.

Installed washing machines and dryers in student kitchens in the new Storm Jameson Court.
Development.

Become one of the first universitys to provide a web-based on-line, cashless vending, selfreporting launderette system that can be monitored from students rooms.
Provided three vend settings highlighting the most eco-friendly setting as the cheapest
programme.

We will:
Continue to install washing machines and dryers in flats at new developments e.g.at St
Marks Residences in 2013.

5. Common room facilities & Hall Executive Committee development

Our students say:
They expect a social environment and ways to interact with each other
We have:
Provided a new common room facility at
Sentinel Towers.

Provided gym facilities at Bodington,

Devonshire and Oxley.

Continued to work with the Halls

Development Coordinator to support
committees in the delivery of student
events.

Continued to develop a program of intro events at residences.

We will:
Build on last years experience to improve the residences Intro. activities.

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Provide common room facilities not only in the new build developments like St. Marks, but
also, where possible, at existing sites.

6. Security
Our students say:
Security is s concern for a minority (6.8%) of residents, who are not completely satisfied and would
like to see it improved.
We have:
Improved upon previous student satisfaction results
and continued to maintain a high student satisfaction level with
security overall.
Witnessed reduction in key crimes such as burglary
and theft.
Implemented security enhancements, which have
included the installation of improved security gate access at
Lupton, Montague Burton, and Sentinel Towers.

Increased secure cycle storage at Devonshire Hall, Lupton, North Hill Court, Henry Price,
Lyddon Hall, and Sentinel Towers.

Installed new laminate double glazing at Montague Burton.

Improved the CCTV system at Sentinel Towers.

Been recognised for the pro-active work that we do in the management of security at
University Residences, with the award of the national Secured Environments accreditation in
March 2012 (approved by the Association of Chief Police Officers in England and Wales,
previously also awarded in 2009).

Continued to work with the Knowledge student safety campaign (www.knowledge-leeds.ac.uk)

and local partners on the Leeds Universities & Colleges Crime Reduction Partnership, which
achieved a certificate of merit for its work on reducing student victimisation, in the national
Tilley Awards, held at The Houses of Parliament in December 2011.

We will:
Seek to identify the reasons why a small number of students still feel vulnerable at
residential sites we know to be safe.

Take initiatives to promote a better level of satisfaction with security and a feeling of being
safe amongst the nervous few.
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Target harden & provide additional measures to deter crime at sites where recorded levels
and fear of crime is higher.

7. Repairs & maintenance (communication)

Our students say:
They want to know when repairs will be started and finished.
We have:
Provided high standards of repair and an excellent rating for
the courtesy of maintenance staff.

Improved residents satisfaction with the levels of

responsiveness and communication about repairs.

We will:
Continue to maintain the standard of our accommodation through long-term refurbishment.

Closely monitor temperature settings and student satisfaction.

Seek to improve response to queries raised on the on-line inventory system.

Seek to further improve feedback as to when the repair is going to be done & when it has
been completed.

In the longer term, seek to provide residents with an application that will enable them to
report repairs, receive progress reports, monitor progress and also provide satisfaction
feedback when a job is complete.

8. Catering
Our students say:
They would like us to provide more choice to catered residents and where possible central refectory
dining.
We have:
Extended opening times in the refectory, for
catered students living on campus and
worked to provide a greater and healthier
variety and choice of meals.

Residents now have more choice about what

and when they eat.

Achieved our highest student satisfaction rating at Devonshire Hall in 4 years.

We will:
Implement an action plan for further improving catering at Devonshire and look at ways to
extend meal times at this residence.

Continue to improve our catering options in line with what our residents tell us they want by
asking them for regular suggestions and feedback.
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9. Travel distance to Uni.

Our students say:
They want reduced travel times to the Uni.
We have:
Developed new accommodation on campus at Charles
Morris Hall.
Begun the development of new accommodation close to
campus, St Marks Residences, which is due to open in 2013.
Announced the closure of Bodington Residence and will
provide new accommodation closer to campus.

Negotiated with First Bus to restore a longer evening service. Negotiated with Centrebus to
extend the service provided by their 93 bus service to include journeys to and from Liberty
Dock.

We will:
Not develop new accommodation that will require students to travel long distances to
campus.

Continue to share student satisfaction results with transport providers e.g. First Leeds Bus
Service.

10. Recycling
Our students say:
We need to provide them with more opportunity to recycle and encourage them to use the facilities.
We have:
Provided recycling facilities in every kitchen.

Implemented the use of clear biodegradable bags for

recycling to prevent contaminated waste ending up in landfill.

Provided residents with information about recycling

initiatives.

Ensured that emptying of recycled refuse is supported where

we employ our own domestic staff.

With LUU, recruited Green reps for each residence site and have encouraged them to
promote sustainable living at the sites.

Provided all residents with the Living it Green Guide 2012-2013, which highlights the little
things that can make a BIG difference.

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Launched the Living it Green behavioural campaign to support the work of Green reps and
to identify key sustainability messages throughout the year.

Introduced an eco-vend setting on all Circuit washing machines.

Implemented an installation programme for push-button heating & PIR lighting controls to
limit the waste of energy.

Continued to increase the provision of secure cycle storage facilities, to reduce crime &
promote alternative means of transport than reliance on cars.

We will:
Continue to promote recycling and raise awareness with our residents.

Continue to work with organisations such as LUU and Green Streets to promote recycling at
the end of student tenancies

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