Lucy Davies, head of social value at Tilbury Douglas, discusses how social value is a priority for the project team delivering the £130m refurbishment of the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil
We are proud to be the lead contractor on the £130m refurbishment of the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, as this project will improve patient care and the working environment for staff by creating a more modern and efficient healthcare setting.
As part of the objectives for the successful delivery of this project, the site team are focusing heavily on social value and ways in which they can positively impact the local community beyond just bricks and mortar.
Supporting education and promoting construction careers
As an industry, we have been talking about the skills shortage for years, and we recognise that to overcome this we need to educate our next generations on what the construction industry really has to offer. By providing education engagements and site visits for students, has enabled us to create interactive experiences and promote employment opportunities, in turn, helping us change industry perception and break down stereotypes.
To date during 2021 – 2022, the project team at Prince Charles Hospital has provided 572 hours of educational engagements and 354 hours of volunteer labour hours. This was achieved by meaningful engagement with six local primary schools, two secondary schools and four colleges. As part of their commitment to educational engagement, the team led by Kelly Edwards, Social Value Manager for South Wales, has provided numerous and varying educational activities. Predominantly focusing on two local primary schools – St. Aloysius and Ysgol Y Graig, the team have built up a great relationship with the staff and students, allowing them to provide ongoing support for the children through their educational journey.
At the primary school sessions, they carried out varied activities including, site safety assemblies, introducing the children to construction sites and the importance of safety. They also delivered interactive sessions where students got to use their imagination to build structures with different materials. Each activity is aimed to support and develop the students’ team building, communication, and problem-solving skills, all of which are needed not just in construction but in day-to-day life. Recognising that we all learn differently, so it is important to incorporate a variety of learning styles into sessions to make the most impact.
At Merthyr College, the delivery of employment support to business students was carried out by holding CV Writing sessions and Interview Workshops. Including mock interviews, which helped the students build confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, and receive useful and constructive feedback to help prepare for future interviews. It also allows us to demonstrate the variety of roles that are available within the industry and challenge the stereotype that construction is not just ‘muddy boots.
Local employment and work experience
Hands-on experience is vitally important for developing skills, building confidence, and gaining experience and insight into a construction site. Having the opportunity to work on a live site creates a wide range of benefits; it allows a window of opportunity to view the wealth of roles available and allows a grassroots view into our world. During the last 12 months, Prince Charles Hospital has hosted 11 work experience placements, 12 direct apprenticeships and 22 supply chain apprenticeships. Two of the work placements came on a six-week programme through the Royal Engineers Clerk of Work Annual work placement programme, as part of their BEng. This saw the team welcome a Mechanical and Electrical Engineer to the site, who quickly engaged with the team and gained additional knowledge and insight to support them moving forward in their careers.
In September 2021, Tilbury Douglas hosted the first ‘on-site’ course in partnership with the Southeast Wales Construction Academy Hub. The hub which is funded by CITB allows participants to gain accreditations to allow them to take their first steps into the industry. Nine delegates were selected from the local Communities 4 Work team, who work with individuals looking to get back into work or training. The candidates spent a week on-site completing the courses with Arc Training, concluding with the Health & Safety test and gaining their CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card.
Candidates also met with the supply chain and carried out mock interviews to discover any local opportunities. One of the candidates, Joseph, was keen to join the team and following the course was taken on as a Technical Trainee through the Kickstart scheme for a six-month period. Upon completion of his placement, Joseph was interested in pursuing a career in Quantity Surveying and after positive feedback from his colleagues, was offered a full-time role as an Apprentice Quantity Surveyor. Joseph will continue to work on-site whilst attending university part-time.
Supporting local communities and supporting our community
When it comes to communities, it can sometimes be said that “it is the little things that create the biggest impact” – at Ysgol Y Graig the team volunteered their time to make alterations to the children’s play area. They laid access paths and built a handmade Mud Kitchen, six giant planters and bird feeding tables, creating an outdoor learning space for the students. The space will make a significant impact on the children and teachers at the school.
Additionally, work has recently been completed at the Covid Memorial Garden in Prince Charles Hospital. With support from Groundwork subcontractor, Darlow Lloyd, and material donations from Hughes Forrest, the garden was created. After an unprecedented two years, this garden bares huge significance for the staff and wider community.
Being conscious that community also extends to our workplace, and the individuals that sit within it, it is important to look after ourselves and each other to ensure that we feel safe and valued. The health and well-being of our staff are crucial to us, which is why the site team have delivered several initiatives over the last year to support staff wellbeing. Events ran included a health bus, and numerous events around Mental Health Week, including quizzes, breakfast mornings and toolbox talks. With several mental health first aiders on site, they are there to support, not just directly employed staff, but also our supply chain and their colleagues. There was also the introduction of Tilbury Douglas’s flexible working policy and the wider company’s ‘Better Together’ diversity and inclusion initiative, which allows staff to have a voice and implement change that will better our working practices.
Charities: going the extra mile
There are a whole host of benefits to working with charities and charitable organisations within our local communities. The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have seen a rise in people seeking support, yet a decrease in funding. In the last year, the site has raised a huge total of £12,061. The money has gone towards Youth Mental Health Day, Ty Hafan, Cradle and Legacy in the Community (LitC), to name a few.
This year, the focus is on our new charity partnership with CRADLE. 2022 saw us launch the first CRADLE pregnancy loss service in Wales at the Prince Charles Hospital and across the wider Health board. This followed the recent launch of Tilbury Douglas’ companywide partnership with CRADLE, which focuses on supporting anyone affected by pregnancy loss, as well as providing resources, training, and support to healthcare professionals. More than 40 NHS Hospitals have a CRADLE early pregnancy loss service across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with Prince Charles Hospital being the first Welsh site.
Tilbury Douglas and LitC will be delivering the CRADLE pregnancy loss Comfort Bag project for The Prince Charles Hospital; the comfort bags are filled with essential toiletries for an overnight hospital stay and are provided to anyone receiving care during or following pregnancy loss.
Through this collaboration and LitC’s strong local links, it will help promote both charities’ work and allow for a greater impact. To strengthen its partnership the team held a recent golf day to raise funding for the charity, with more than £2,000 raised that is being used to set up a local men’s mental health group.
The site has built great foundations over the past two years and has continued to deliver social value through what have been challenging times for all. Through building strong partnerships, and collaborative working, Prince Charles Hospital has made a huge social impact, including;
Key stats:
- 45/45 Consideration Constructors Score
- 102 jobs created
- 926 total Staff hours donated to educational activities
- 2,356 total Pupil Interactions
- 33 total Apprentices
- 832 training Weeks (Apprentices, Work Experience and Graduates)
Whilst we celebrate great statistics, it is easy to forget the stories and the impact that are created for the individuals behind them. The impact that delivering meaningful social value has creates long-term sustainable change that cannot always be measured by a number. The Prince Charles Hospital Team has done a fantastic job in highlighting this and showcasing what great looks like.
