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privacy policy

This privacy policy sets out how and why Abodus Limited (registered in England with company number 08433108 and as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office under register number ZA139985) with its registered office at 5 Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RD (we, us or the Company), acquire and use personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the GDPR).

If you would like more information about us, please contact us on [email protected]. The site www.abodusstudents.com(the Site) is operated by Abodus Limited.

How we collect your personal data

If you are a student registering on the Site and applying for accommodation (a Student), we collect personal data directly from you via the Site, including:

a) your name, date of birth, gender, university, university ID, course, home and mobile telephone number(s), email address, level and year of study, home address and nationality; and

b) information about you which we collect through the use of cookies (please see “use of Cookies” below for further detail).

We also ask you to upload a profile picture and collect information relating to your health. We collect this information from you when you enter it through our website and through your use of our website.

If you are a guarantor (a Guarantor) and/or emergency contact (an Emergency Contact) of a Student registering on the Site, we collect personal data from the Student via the Site including: your name, home address, home, work and mobile telephone number(s), your relation to the Student and email address.

We obtain this information when the Student provides it to us through our website and it does not come from publically accessible sources. If you are making a payment on the Site (Payee), we will collect your personal data via the Site including your name, billing address, bank details[ and email address].

We obtain this information when the Student provides it to us through our website and it does not come from public-ally accessible sources.

How we use your personal data

you are a Student, we use the information we collect about you in order:

a) to register you on the Site;
b) to process your application for student accommodation;
c) to contact you in relation to any queries that arise from your application;
d) to carry out our obligations arising from any contract entered into between you and us (including your tenancy agreement);
e) to ensure that content from our Site is presented in the most effective manner for your and your computer;
f) to administer, monitor, support, improve and develop our Site; and
g) for analytical and statistical purposes. We ask for your profile picture for identification purposes when you move in and during your stay.

We request (with your explicit consent) information about your health, which is a special category of personal data under the GDPR, so that we can cater to your medical needs during your tenancy.

If you are a Guarantor, we use the information we collect about you in order to contact you in relation to your obligations as a guarantor and to request payment from you if necessary.

If you are an Emergency Contact, we use the information we collect about you in order to contact you if an emergency situation arises involving the Student for whom you are an Emergency Contact.

If you are a Payee, we will use the information we collect about you in order to process payment of the deposit for the Student’s application for student accommodation and to contact you.

Our legal basis for using your personal data

If you are a Student, your personal data on the basis that it is necessary for the performance of our contract with you (your tenancy agreement) or to take steps at your request prior to entering into your tenancy agreement or on the basis that we have a legitimate interest in using your information, so that we can identify you in order to maintain the security of our premises.

We use data relating to your health on the basis that you have given your explicit consent for us to do so (by way of a ‘tick box’ affirmation).

You do not have to provide your information but (with the exception of data relating to your health) if you do not, we will not be able to process your application or allocate student accommodation to you.

If you are a Guarantor, your personal data will be processed, where necessary, for:

a) the performance of our contractual agreement with you or to take steps at your request prior to entering into an agreement with you; and
b) our legitimate interests, for example in contacting you in relation to your obligations as a guarantor and recovering payments from you if necessary.

If you are an Emergency Contact, your personal data will be processed, where necessary, for our legitimate interests or to protect the vital interests of the Student, for example in contacting you where there has been an emergency situation involving the Student for whom you are an emergency contact.

If you are a Payee, your personal data will be processed, where necessary, for our legitimate interests, for example in administering and processing your payment of the deposit for the student accommodation and in contacting you.

Where we process information on the basis that you have given your consent for us to do so you can withdraw your consent to us processing that information at any time by logging on to your account on our website at www.abodusstudents.com and changing your preferences or emailing us at [email protected]. This will not have any effect on the lawfulness of any processing we have carried out before you change your mind.

Who do we share your information with?
  • Other members of our group of companies; and
  • Third parties which supply us with products and services, hosting our databases and collecting payment information and optimising our website.

We may also share your information with third parties where:

a) where we need to share the information to provide a service you have requested;
b) where we need to send the information to persons or organisation who work on our behalf to provide a product or service to you but such persons or organisations may only use this information in order to provide such product or service and not for any other purpose;
c) if we, or substantially all of our assets, are acquired by a third party, in which case Personal Data held by us about Students, Guarantors and Emergency Contacts will be one of the transferred assets; or
d) if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal or regulatory obligation, or in order to enforce or apply any agreements with you, or to protect the rights, property or safety of our Company, customers or others.

Storing your personal data

If you are a Student or a Guarantor we will retain your Personal Data for six years after the expiry of any tenancy agreement between us and the Student.

If you are an Emergency Contact we will retain your Personal Data for the duration of time the Student for whom you are an emergency contact is resident in one of our properties.

If you are a Payee, we will retain your Personal Data for one month from the data we return any amount of the deposit to you after the end of the Student’s tenancy agreement with us.

Transferring your personal data

The personal data that we collect from you will not be transferred to, or stored at, a destination outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).

Access to information, complaints and amendments

You have a right to access the personal information we hold about you and ask us to update it. Please contact us on the details above.

You may also ask us to stop or restrict our processing or delete your personal information or to transfer your personal information to a third party in certain circumstances.

If you have a complaint, please contact us on the details above or contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. www.ico.org.uk.

Use of cookies

We may obtain information about your computer and general internet usage, including your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration purposes. In most cases we will need your consent to collect this information from you. Cookies are small files containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) saved to your computer’s browser or hard drive that track, save and store information about your interactions and usage of the Site. This allows us to provide you with a tailored experience by remembering information about your usage and preferences.

Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by you before the expiry date. A session cookie on the other hand, will expire at the end of your session, when the web browser is closed.

Below provides more information about the cookies we use and why:

Name of cookie Owner Purpose for the cookie Google Analytics
This is a web analytics service provided by Google Inc which uses cookies to track visitor usage. It will save a cookie to your computer’s hard drive in order to track and monitor your engagement and usage of the website, but will not store, save or collect personal information.

Other cookies may be stored to your computer’s hard drive by external vendors when this website uses referral programs, sponsored links or adverts. Such cookies are used for conversion and referral tracking and typically expire after 30 days, though some may take longer. No personal information is stored, saved or collected. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you wish to decline the use and saving of cookies, you should take the necessary steps within your web browser security settings. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of our Site or accessing certain parts. For further information about cookies and how to disable them please go to http://www.allaboutcookies.org/

Contact & communication

If you have any questions, want to exercise any of your rights or make a complaint please contact us at ABODUS, 2nd Floor, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BD or email at [email protected].

External Links

This policy extends only to our Site and does not cover your use of, provision of data to and collection of data on any other website.

Although this Site only looks to include quality, safe and relevant external links, you are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking on any external web links mentioned throughout this Site.

We cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked website despite their best efforts. You should always check the privacy policy before you submit any personal data to any third party website and we do not accept any responsibility or liability for any damages or implications caused by visiting any third party website via our Site.

Social media platforms

Communication, engagement and actions taken through external social media platforms we participate on are subject to the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies of each social media platform respectively.

We may use social media sharing buttons which help share web content directly from our Site to the social media platform in question. Users are advised before using such social media sharing buttons that they do so at their own discretion and note that the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page respectively through your relevant social media account.

Changes to this privacy policy

This policy may be reviewed and amended from time to time. As a result of improvements we make to our services, changes in the law or developments in technology, we may change the information we hold about you and the method and purposes for which we process such information. If we make any substantial change in the way in which we use your personal information we will notify you by email.

Personal data protection

Request for information/to be forgotten

Data Protection

Your personal data is important to Abodus Student Living.

Description of processing
The following is a broad description of the way this organisation/data controller processes personal information. To understand how your own personal information is processed you may need to refer to any personal communications you have received, check any privacy notices the organisation has provided or contact the organisation to ask about your personal circumstances.

Reasons/purposes for processing information

We process personal information to enable us as to carry out property management services; promote and advertise our services; maintain our own accounts and records, and support and manage our employees.

Type/classes of information processed

We process information relevant to the above reasons/purposes. This may include:

  • personal details

  • family details

  • lifestyle and social circumstances

  • employment and education details

  • goods and services

  • financial details

  • all information contained in references

We also process sensitive classes of information that may include:

  • racial or ethnic origin

  • religious or other beliefs

  • trade union membership

  • physical or mental health details

We process personal information about:

  • customers

  • tenants

  • professional advisers and consultants

  • complainants, enquirers

  • suppliers

  • landlords

  • employees

Who the information may be shared with

We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual themselves and also with other organisations. Where this is necessary we are required to comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (the GDPR).

What follows is a description of the types of organisations we may need to share some of the personal information with for one or more reasons.

Where necessary or required, we share information with:

  • Business associates

  • Suppliers of goods or services

  • Financial organisations

  • Credit reference agencies

  • Debt collection and tracing agencies

  • Local and central government

  • Police forces

  • Security organisations

  • Current, past and prospective employers

  • Employment and recruitment agencies

  • Educators and examining bodies

  • Other companies in the same group

CCTV for crime prevention

CCTV is used for maintaining the security of property and premises and for preventing and investigating crime, it may also be used to monitor staff when carrying out work duties. For these reasons the information processed may include visual images, personal appearance and behaviours. This information may be about staff, customers and clients, offenders and suspected offenders, members of the public and those inside, entering or in the immediate vicinity of the area under surveillance. Where necessary or required this information is shared with the data subjects themselves, employees and agents, services providers, police forces, security organisations and persons making an enquiry.

Transfers

It may sometimes be necessary to transfer personal information overseas. When this is needed information may be transferred to countries or territories around the world. Any transfers made will be in full compliance with all aspects of the data protection act.

CANCELLATION & LEAVERS POLICY

Can I cancel my booking before I move in?

Any bookings made after January 24 will adhere to the 24/25 Terms and Conditions.

We offer a ‘cooling off period’ of 7 days upon receipt of your Advance Rental Payment.
If an Advance Rental Payment is not required, the 7 days ‘cooling off period’ starts when your booking confirmation email has been sent.
If you cancel within the cooling off period, you will no longer be liable for the contractual obligations set out in the tenancy agreement and we will refund your Advance Rental Payment.
If you have already checked in and collected keys, please see the section relating to cancellation after check in.

What if I want to cancel my booking after the 7-day cooling off period?

If you wish to cancel your booking after the 7-day cooling off period, you will remain liable for the contractual obligation set out in the tenancy agreement.

Exceptions to this may be considered if proof is offered under the following circumstances:

  • Your UK Visa application has been denied;
  • You have failed to obtain the required qualifications to get into your first University of choice or;
  • Extenuating circumstances e.g. ill-health, family circumstances

If you have failed to obtain your grades or your UK visa has been denied, then you must provide proof emailed to site within 72 hours. Upon receipt of the proof your booking will be cancelled, and we will refund your Advance Rental Payment. You will no longer be liable for the contractual obligations in your tenancy agreement.

If your reason for cancelling is extenuating circumstances, then proof must be emailed to site and then your request to cancel will be considered. Please be aware we are under no obligation to cancel under extenuating circumstances, and these will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

If you fail to send the proof within the 72-hour timescale, your Advanced Rental Payment will be retained.
If you fail to tell us until after the tenancy commencement date you will be liable for the full contract.
If you hold an AST or PRT through a university nomination, this may vary, please check with your accommodation team at site.
All requests to cancel a booking must be made in writing via email to the site you have booked.

Can I cancel my booking after I have moved in?

After you have checked in and collected your keys you lose the right to cancel your tenancy. You are liable for the full rent unless a suitable replacement is found to take over your tenancy agreement.
Only when a suitable replacement has been found and they have completed their tenancy and paid any rent due, will you be released from your tenancy liability, and we will refund your deposit provided the room was returned in an acceptable condition.
If you have withdrawn from university due to extenuating circumstances, then please speak to your site Operations Manager for further advice.

What happens if I want to move rooms?

If you want to change your room booking prior to the tenancy start date we will try and accommodate any changes subject to availability, please contact the site directly to discuss your booking.
If you want to move or swap rooms after your tenancy has started, we will try and accommodate your move subject to availability and your rent account being up to date. There is a £50 admin charge payable to move or swap rooms.
Please contact your site direct if you wish to discuss a room move or swap. Individual contact details for our sites can be found here. 

You can find all documents relating to our cancellation policy below:

Modern Slavery

This statement covers the activities of Abodus Student Living and is our Modern Slavery statement required under the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the “Act”).

Modern slavery in all its forms of slavery and servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking is a heinous crime and we will not tolerate any such activities within our own operations or our supply chain. We are committed to stamping out modern slavery and are taking the appropriate steps to ensure that everyone who works for Abodus Student Living benefits from a working environment in which their fundamental human rights are respected and anyone that we do business with also upholds these principles.

The information in this statement details policies, processes and actions we have taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our supply chains or any part of our own business.

Our Policy Aims

Abodus Student Living operates in the UK providing high quality student accommodation to both private rentals and in partnership with universities. We do this by combining our talent, creativity, and innovation with sector knowledge and proven skills and expertise.

We recognise that Abodus Student Living supply chain is critical to the company’s success; the quality, speed and value we need to be competitive are founded on equitable supplier relationships. Our suppliers range from large-scale facilities suppliers to small local business, we actively encourage supplier diversity and a number of our supply base is classed as small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Abodus procurement team strives to continuously improve and support our businesses to have effective oversight of our supply chain. All goods and services procured by Abodus go through this central team, which is responsible for assessing the suitability of the suppliers and ensuring the relevant due diligence checks are conducted. For larger suppliers, who supply goods or services across Abodus, a preferred supplier list is maintained to encourage the use of associated contractual terms where possible. Preferred suppliers are also highlighted on Abodus purchasing platform and employees are made aware that no further tendering is required if a preferred supplier is selected.

The Abodus procurement team is responsible for maintaining awareness of preferred supplier relationships across the business.

Our Policy in relation to modern slavery

The following company policies support us in ensuring that modern slavery is not taking place in our supply chains or business:

Human Rights Policy: ensures appropriate procedures are in place to prevent any breaches to The Human Rights Act which is a UK law passed in 1998. It lets you defend your rights in UK courts and compels public organisations – including the Government, police and local councils – to treat everyone equally, with fairness, dignity and respect.

Procurement Policy: sets out our strategic approach and the key principles and priorities that apply to all Abodus procurement activity ensuring we have control over our external expenditure and effectively manage our supply chain risks. The policy is complemented by our Procurement Standard and Supplier Requirements Standard.

Supplier Requirements Standard: sets out our expectations of suppliers in terms of ethical procurement, financial soundness, information technology and data security and governance. It details the due diligence and risk assessment that is conducted on all suppliers ensuring compliance to relevant legislation including the Act.

Ethical Code Statement: is our guide to employees on how to conduct business responsibly treating everyone fairly, equally and being inclusive.

These policies apply to the whole of Abodus and are available to all employees via our Policy Portal. The policies are managed by relevant functional heads, and our company-wide risk management framework and reporting processes support the escalation of policy issues and management where identified in our business.

Tackling modern slavery – our people

To ensure that we recruit and treat employees fairly, avoiding modern slavery at all costs, our human resources (HR) policies set out our procedures on how we:

  • Recruit and select employees in a fair, lawful and professional manner, both for internal and external candidates

  • Treat all employees fairly during their employment and, if there is an occasion when an employee does not feel that they have been treated fairly, there are procedures in place to raise a grievance or involve local trade union, where they exist, or where this is a legal requirement to do so

  • Manage the exit of an employee from the business in a fair and consistent manner.

Our Human Rights Policy details our commitments to labour and workplace rights. We provide fair working conditions for all our employees including terms and conditions of employment, remuneration, working hours, health and safety, resting time, holiday entitlements and benefits. These are applied according to territory-specific statutory requirements.

Our employees’ pay will not be lower than that required by local law or, in the absence of a law, the level paid generally within that industry. Hours of work will be in line with local law or, in the absence of a law, the norm within that industry, and shall not be excessive.

Employees shall not be contractually required to work more than 48 hours per week and overtime will only be worked on an optional basis. Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited. Employees will not be forced into involuntary labour and coercion at work is not acceptable. Financial penalty as a disciplinary sanction is prohibited. The employment models deployed will be in line with territory-specific law and practices. Under these practices there will not be excessive use of alternative models, such as sub-contracting or labour-only contracting.

All staff are required to read and abide by our Ethical Code Statement, which details how employees can raise ethical concerns through our Open-Door Policy and Speak up Policy. Concerns about slavery and human trafficking would be considered to be an ethical concern and employees can raise these concerns openly and at any time in confidence.

In addition to this, we seek feedback from employees through regular surveys where we gauge how our people feel about working at Abodus. This helps leaders and human resources teams to identify potential issues around culture that could lead to a failure of ethics, controls or governance before they occur. Slavery and human trafficking would be picked up as a potential issue through this assessment.

Tackling modern slavery – Our supply chain

We seek to partner with suppliers who uphold our high standards of social, environmental and ethical conduct providing safe working conditions, treating workers with dignity and respect, acting fairly and ethically, and using environmentally responsible practices where practicable.

Analysis of our supply chain suggests that the likelihood of any infringements to the Act is limited as the severity and frequency of infringements is lower in the procurement of services, which represents most of our supply chain, than in the procurement of goods.

Given the robust UK legislative framework, the risk of infringement for our suppliers based in the UK is low. Nevertheless, we recognise our responsibility to identify and address potential infringements linked to the goods and/or services we procure.

Therefore, we have taken steps to strengthen our ability to prevent and manage the risks of modern slavery in our supply chain, updating our Procurement Policy, Supplier Requirements Standard and Supplier Contract Terms and Conditions to reference the obligations of the Act.

Abodus procurement team works with colleagues and suppliers to ensure that all necessary due diligence checks are undertaken, and continually improving our procurement solution. These checks assess suppliers’ approach to human rights, data protection, modern slavery and environmental issues and are not only necessary to comply with the Act but are also good practice for any responsible organisation. If risks are identified, we work with suppliers to address them.

Once a supplier is approved, employees are free to make contact to discuss their needs. Alongside the due diligence of our material suppliers, all suppliers are required to complete a series of corporate responsibility questions, which assess their response to human rights, social and environmental issues.

All suppliers are expected to comply with our Supplier Requirements Standard and Abodus reserves the right to terminate a relationship with a supplier or third party that is unable to demonstrate compliance or progress towards the eradication of modern slavery within its organisation and supply chain.

Training and communication

To make employees aware of the Act and the drivers of modern slavery, as well as the possible indicators, we share this statement with all employees through our internal communication channels and a copy of this statement is available on the Abodus Portal. We are rolling out relevant training to procurement teams to make them aware of the Act and our associated due diligence processes. In addition, we are ensuring all employees are aware of, and have read, our Ethical Code Statement.

Plans for the next year

 Over the next 12 months we will continue to strengthen our approach to managing the risk of modern-day slavery within our business and supply chains. We also intend to carry out work in the following specific areas:

  • Roll out training to relevant procurement teams to make them aware of the Act and associated due diligence processes we have in place.

  • Increase the proportion of the material suppliers that we audit against our ethical standards.

  • Conduct a risk assessment of all our suppliers in terms of their country of origin and industry. This will enable us to identify suppliers who are located in high risk countries and industries of modern slavery.

  • Extend our definition of material suppliers to include the high-risk suppliers as identified above. We will look to apply our enhanced due diligence assessment to these suppliers.

  • Maintain effective and continued focus on employee awareness of how we expect employees to conduct business responsibly, focusing on treating people fairly and equally, acting lawfully and the process involved to raise ethical concerns.

Board Approvals

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Act, has been approved by the Directors of Abodus and will be updated annually in line with the Act’s reporting requirements.

complaints

What if I have a Complaint?

At Abodus Student Living we receive a lot of feedback from our customers, most of which is positive. However, from time to time problems arise and our customers may wish to express concern or dissatisfaction with aspects of the accommodation or the quality of services we provide.

If for any reason we fail to meet your expectations in resolving your complaint, then you can follow our simple complaints procedure.

So, let’s get started?

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction requiring a response. This may relate to the standard of our accommodation, maintenance either by one of our in-house team members or a third-party contractor or any other service we provide to our residents or partners.

What can I complain about?

You can complain about things like:

The quality and standard of any service we provide

  • The quality and standard of any service we provide

  •  Failure to provide a service

  • Unfair treatment or inappropriate behaviour by a member of staff

  •  Failure to respond to complaints about anti-social behaviour by other students

  •  Failure to meet the ANUK code of Standards

There are some things we do not deal with through our complaints procedure as they are best managed by your local Customer Service Advisors.

These include:

  • A routine, first time request for service

  • A complaint about anti-social behaviour by another resident

  • A request to be released early from your contract

  • An issue that is being dealt with by another authority e.g. university, ANUK tribunal, and/or court

We will not normally treat information received via feedback or responses to questionnaires as complaints.

How do I complain?

You can complain in person at any of our receptions, by phone, in writing or by email.

For us to fully investigate your complaint and provide you with a full response, please provide us with the following:

  • Your full name, room number and the building you live in.

  • What service we have failed to provide for you.

  • Where our quality standards fell below expectation.

  • Where you feel you have been treated unfairly or inappropriately by a member of staff.

  • Where you feel we have not responded adequately to problems you are experiencing.

  • An ANUK Code of Standard we have failed to adhere to

Then please tell us how you would like us to put things right and resolve the complaint.

Who can complain?

Anyone who receives, requests or is directly affected by the service we provide can make a complaint to us. This usually means:

  • Our residents.

  • Anyone who has applied for accommodation we manage.

  • A neighbour or member of the public affected by Anti-Social Behaviour where we have failed to respond or follow our Anti-Social Behaviour procedures

We would encourage anyone with a complaint to approach us directly but can also accept a complaint made on your behalf provided you give us clear written authority to liaise with your representative and provided you also give them clear authority to act on your behalf.

Is there a time limit for making a complaint?

It is easier for us to resolve a complaint if we are made aware of it immediately. However, we recognise that this is not always possible, but we would expect the complaint to be raised with us within 4 weeks.

In exceptional circumstances, you may be able to complain after this time limit if you feel it should not apply to your complaint, but you must tell us why.

What will happen if I complain?

There are three stages to out complaints procedure …

STAGE 1

Our onsite staff are here to help and are best placed to resolve and close your complaint quickly. This could mean an on-the spot apology, an explanation if something has clearly gone wrong and immediate action taken to resolve the problem.

If the complaint is not straight forward, the Operations Manager may need some time to investigate before fully responding. We will give you a response within 10 working days. If we need to extend this investigation period, we will contact you with the details and an expected response date.

Complaints about members of staff in your accommodation may go directly to stage 2 of our complaint’s procedure.

STAGE 2

Stage 2 deals with complaints that have not been resolved at Stage 1 or a complaint about staff working in your accommodation. The complaint will be escalated to the Regional Operations Manager who will write to you within two working days advising of the estimated time for resolution and if required will arrange a further call or meeting with you to try and find a resolution.

The Regional Operations Manager will aim to complete their review and respond to you within 10 working days.

STAGE 3

Stage 3 complaints will deal with complaints not resolved at stage two. These complaints will be escalated to the Head of Operations.

The Head of Operations will write to you within two working days confirming acknowledgement and advising of the estimated time for resolution and if required arrange a further call or meeting to try and find a resolution.

The Head of Operations will aim to complete their review and response to you within 10 working days.

STAGE 4

Abodus Student Living is registered with the ANUK Code of Practice. If you feel your complaint is not resolved, has been dealt with unreasonably and we may have breached the Code of Practice, then you can escalate your complaint to ANUK.

You can do this by submitting your complaint online via www.nationalcode.org or in writing to:

The National Codes Administrator

C/O Unipol Student Homes

155-157 Woodhouse Lane

Leeds

LS2 3ED

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCUSION POLICY

Our Policy

Abodus Student Living is committed to encouraging a supportive and inclusive culture amongst our colleagues and students alike. It is within our best interest to promote diversity, eliminate discrimination in the workplace, within our accommodation and allow everyone to be able to reach their full potential.

Our aim as an employer and operator is that our organisation is representative of all sections of society. Each employee, resident and visitor will be respected and valued and able to give their best as a result.

This policy reinforces our commitment to providing equality and fairness to all in our students, colleagues and visitors, sub-contractors and not to provide less favourable facilities or treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, religion or belief, or sex, sexual orientation and any protected characteristics. We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.

The welfare of all students at Abodus is of the highest priority.

Our student support network aims to secure the personal development, physical and mental well-being, and welfare of all students, supporting them in realising their potential and are not in any way disadvantaged because of who they are.

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. Our Policy Aims All employees, no matter whether they are part-time, full-time, or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. When we select candidates for employment, promotion, training, or any other benefit, it will be on the basis of their aptitude and ability. All employees will be given help and encouragement to develop their full potential and utilise their unique talents. Equality is an important part of our recruitment and selection policies and processes, and we require all those undertaking selection decisions to have appropriate and up to date training in support of this. Advertisements, whether internal or external (this includes all media – e.g. printed and online – leaflets, posters, and other aids, visual or non-visual) must not indicate or appear to indicate an intention to unjustifiably discriminate on the grounds we have identified within this policy. We must not confine our advertising to areas or publications which would unjustifiably exclude or disproportionately reduce the number of applicants of a particular age, minority community, gender, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, political opinion, race/ethnicity, disability and/or carer status.

We recognise that globally, people face discrimination, marginalisation, and reduced opportunities because of their socio-economic background. Employment, education and the quality and nature of health care, housing, access to international opportunities and our services, for example, is determined by socio-economic background. We are committed to providing opportunities for people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to be employed and to participate in our programmes, events, classes, and activities wherever possible. We aim to realise this commitment through reviewing criteria to ensure that unnecessary requirements are not in place and seeking opportunities to widen participation in employment and our activities Therefore, the skills and resources of our organisation will be fully utilised, and we will maximise the efficiency of our whole workforce.

Commitments: To create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all team members are recognised and valued. To create a working environment that promotes dignity and respect for every employee.

  • To not tolerate any form of intimidation, bullying, or harassment, and to discipline those that breach this policy.
  • To make training, development, and progression opportunities available to all staff.
  • To promote equality in the workplace
  • To encourage anyone who feels they have been subject to discrimination to raise their concerns so we can apply corrective measures.
  • To encourage employees, visitors & residence to treat everyone with dignity and respect.
  • To regularly review all our employment practices and procedures so that fairness is maintained at all times. Regularly review our booking process and procedures so that fairness is maintained at all times.

Abodus Student Living will inform all employees that an equality and diversity policy is in operation and that they are obligated to comply with its requirements and promote fairness in the workplace.

The policy will also be drawn to the attention of funding agencies, stakeholders, residents, visitors, sub-contractors, and job applicants.

Abodus Student Living equality, diversity & Inclusion policy is fully supported by senior management and has been agreed with trade unions and/or employee representatives.

Our policy will be monitored and reviewed annually to ensure that equality and diversity is continually promoted in the workplace.

Environmental & Sustainability Policy

Our Policy

We lead by example, transforming our own business to be both flourishing and sustainable, and to produce new generations of colleagues and students that are agents of positive social and environmental change. The Environmental & Sustainability Policy supports and applies to all activities and services carried out by Abodus, across all our sites and we will integrate environmental principles into our operations, wherever possible. Where Abodus operates on sites in partnership with other organisations, we will work with them to adopt a policy in accordance with the commitments laid out within this Policy.

Abodus recognises that aspects of our activities have an impact on the environment. We are committed to managing these aspects and impacts to:

  • Reduce our carbon footprint
  • Meet our social responsibilities
  • Meet legislation
  • Prevent pollution
  • Use resources effectively
  • Influence those we work with
  • Enhance our brand
  • Access the benefits of holding an EMS
  • Minimise our carbon footprint
  • Continuously improve our sustainability and environmental management system

We are committed to continually looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and working to prevent pollution. We pay attention to waste minimisation and resource efficiency and ensure we source sustainable materials where practically and economically feasible. We take the Government’s aim to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted very seriously.

In the face of the increasing environmental, social and economic challenges we have been witnessing in recent years, the theme of Social Responsibility, has become the subject of a growing and renewed common interest, resulting from the formation of collective consciousness about the fact that organisations have an impact on society and environment based on their decisions and activities

Abodus is committed to acting in a socially responsible way that maximises its positive and minimises its negative impact on society and the communities in which it is based. Abodus work with our students and colleagues as well as local organisations, schools and businesses to develop resilient partnerships which enhance community and the local economy.

Charity & Fundraising Initiatives

Waste management

We will seek to:

  • Reduce the amount of waste on all our sites through student information and guidance
  • Supply recycling bins at all sites main bin collection area (some also in house)
  • Explore alternative waste collection options to reduce land fill
  • Monitor waste usage across the portfolio to identify spikes
  • Partner with waste management contractors that guarantee maximum recycling of waste

Energy and Water

We will seek to:

  • Reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible
  • Switch off lights & electrical items when not in use
  • Take energy consumption and efficiency of new products into account when purchasing
  • Install and replace equipment to a more energy efficient alternative at end of life
  • Supply information and guidance to Students on energy efficiency

Office Supplies

We will:

  • Evaluate if the need can be met in another way
  • Evaluate if renting or sharing is an option before purchasing equipment
  • Evaluate the environment impacts of any new products we intend to purchase
  • Favour more environmentally friendly and efficient products wherever possible
  • Reuse and recycle everything we can

Sustainable procurement

Adopt a Sustainable Procurement Policy covering all aspects of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic) and including commitments to procure goods and services that minimise energy use, waste, and social impacts.

  • Provide appropriate training and guidance to staff within procurement services and institutions who are involved in purchasing decisions.
  • Develop policies and procedures that promote sustainable procurement and encourage institutions to use these.
  • Undertake a Commodity Impact Analysis to identify priority commodity areas and develop plans for our top ten commodity areas
  • Develop and implement a targeted supplier engagement programme to promote continual improvements by suppliers.

Monitoring and review

  • Bi-annual reports on key performance indicators will be presented to the Estates team
  • An annual Environmental Sustainability Report will be published online providing transparency about our approach and progress.
  • Our performance will be benchmarked annually against national and international peer institutions.

The Environmental Sustainability Policy and Strategy will be reviewed regularly considering our developing understanding of the scale of challenges, our own performance, and emerging opportunities.

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