Chair's Reflection on 2025

Mark Swales, Independent Chair of UUK/GuildHE ACoP Governance Board

With the introduction of a comprehensive new Code of Practice, an enterprise level audit management system, two new websites, our most successful Practitioners’ Conference so far and the vastly increased engagement of you, our members and audit community in development and education, together we have achieved a great deal in 2025. 

Your role, in representing our 141 member organisations and covering over a quarter of a million student bed spaces has been crucial in getting many of these developments to where they are now. We want to say Thank You - we recognise that what we have achieved would not have been possible without your generosity in giving your time, your expertise and your support for the benefit of the entire Code community. 

We also know that the work you do every day on behalf of your organisation, to ensure compliance with The Code and a safe, quality environment for your students can be challenging. With a new Code which rightly incorporates the areas you said should be included during our consultation process, the importance of the annual self-audit gives you the chance to keep The Code right at the heart of your work.  

You’ll then have confidence in knowing that when it is your Triennial audit year, you have a wealth of evidence to provide to your auditors to demonstrate how you consistently comply and improve. This will hopefully make the process less concentrated for you and your colleagues whilst aiming to reduce the amount of time your auditors have to spend on evidence gathering. 

I would like to take this opportunity to communicate to the institutions undergoing the first triennial audits against the revised standards, our recognition that the evidence requirements may initially demand additional time from both auditors and institutional teams this cycle. For members completing future audits and self-assessments with these standards, the process should be more efficient. The new management system and submission process are expected to provide a streamlined and manageable experience. 

During the latter half of this year, The Code team has been diligently organising additional roundtable events, preparing members for their initial audits under the new Code standards across England and Wales. We are pleased to announce the return of Trudy Williams as National Code Manager, and to welcome Tracy Altham from the University of Manchester, who has joined us on secondment. Tracy brings valuable user experience to the team, with an emphasis on preparing the Management System for the upcoming audit submissions. 

In October, we held a productive team development event attended by me, Paul Burns (CASB Chair), Trudy, Tamsin, Fiona, and Tracy. This in-person meeting provided an excellent opportunity to align on our new strategic objectives, which have received approval from the Governance Board for implementation in 2026. Further details will be available in our annual report, due for publication in the new year. 

In parallel with these developments, Universities UK and Guild HE, in partnership with CUBO, have completed a review of the Student Accommodation Code of Practice's administration.  During the last three years the strategy for The Code has been successfully implemented with huge strides in strengthening governance, team resources and visibility of The Code for students and members and completing a review of The Code itself. 

The increasing visibility and impact of The Code, coupled with robust governance, financial stability and strategic ambitions which will benefit both our current and future members, now present The Code with the opportunity to operate wholly as an entity in its own right.  

From 1^st January 2026, The Code will become ACoP, a Special Interest Organisation (SIO) within Professional HE Services (PHES). PHES provide shared services to a number of highly regarded sector organisations including BUFDG, AUDE, UHR and of course CUBO, who administered The Code for a number of years before being formally awarded the management contract in 2022. 

CUBO has provided a foundation for The Code activities and under these proposals CUBO will continue to be an integral part of the sector’s representation on the Governance Board and the Compliance, Assurance and Scrutiny Board (CASB).  

The new SIO will enable The Code to be independent of any sector association whilst ensuring that the interests of students, institutional members, the professional associations and key regulatory bodies are represented throughout its governance processes and most importantly, providing clear evidence of sector statutory compliance and raising standards. 

The team would like to reiterate their commitment to supporting you during this period of transition. Please feel free to contact us via email, participate in a roundtable session, or utilise The Code Discussion Board for guidance and support. 

Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes for a joyful Christmas and a successful 2026.