CONSTRUCTION at a brand-new purpose-built residential care home for children has now started on site in Warwickshire, with principal contractor Stepnell putting the first spade in the ground.  The award-winning construction firm has been appointed to help bring the £5.1 million high-quality development to life, which will include four stand-alone residential care buildings as well as associated community facilities and external landscaping works, built around the existing community building and large pond on site.   The state-of-the-art build, named The Forge, has been designed to provide a safe, secure and encouraging place for up to 20 children who are experiencing emotional and behavioural disorders or recovering from early childhood trauma. Located off Plough Hill Road in Nuneaton, the therapeutic community is being developed by children’s home provider Forge Care and has been designed by architects IDP.  The ground-breaking scheme will become a flagship scheme for Forge Care, offering the highest level of care with a strong focus on quality spaces, materials and design principals.  Gavin Miller, director at Forge Care, said: “We are excited to have this flagship project underway, The Forge is a trauma-informed service that evolves as a whole system underpinned by the Sanctuary Model. Within our Therapeutic Community environment the social relationships, structure of the day and activities are all deliberately designed to facilitate learning, and develop people’s personal, social health and wellbeing.  “It has been a pleasure working with our various suppliers, and keeping those suppliers local was an important factor in selecting our team, from our designers and architects to our building contractors, working with companies based in Warwickshire was important for us and we are proud of what we have achieved as a team.”  Stepnell – a family-owned construction firm that has been operating for more than 150 years – has a wealth of experience in residential and educational facilities, and The Forge will be a welcome addition to its large portfolio of both public and private sector clients.  Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stepnell, said: “We’re delighted to be starting on site at The Forge and we are incredibly proud to be involved in a project that will have such a big impact on the local community, particularly vulnerable children looking for a safe and secure place to call home. The scheme is ground-breaking in a number of ways and we are confident that it will have the ‘wow factor’ once finished.  “We are really excited to be on site and get started on this fantastic scheme, and we will be adhering to strict COVID-19 and Public Health England Guidelines throughout the build to ensure that we are keeping everyone safe.”   Each of the four individual buildings at The Forge will incorporate a welcome space, main lounge, kitchen, quiet space, games, and an activity space as well as five en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, to replicate the traditional family home layout. The development has a strong focus on sustainability, using carefully selected materials like timber cladding and zinc, and will provide a variety of green space to promote physical activity and wellbeing.  The communal amenity space will include a games area and a stand-alone art room. Outside, children will have access to large play areas that support mental and physical health – such as yoga and meditation amenities – as well as external dining and BBQ’s for the warmer months. The external spaces will also feature sensory and nature spaces, to encourage residents to grow plants or food and encourage wildlife, while utilising the existing pond to provide a tranquil setting for residents.  Jenny Bachelor, associate architect at IDP, said: “IDP is incredibly proud to have been involved with The Forge since early concept sketches and development of the brief. As a multi-disciplinary practice experienced in quality healthcare design our involvement has embodied architectural design and services, interior design, landscaping, technical delivery and cost consultancy, and we are very much excited to see the homes built as they were intended to be. “It is such a unique and forward-thinking project in its care model and design and it is a real credit to Forge Care and the wider team that this has been made possible.  “The design encompasses a collection of four truly bespoke homes nestled within intimate gardens and individually designed to orientate outlook and maximise connectivity to the beautiful site, all in the interest of aiding recovery. Each en-suite bedroom also has its own window seat towards the main garden and a soft natural and monochrome finish has been used to offer a calming backdrop to the colourful interior design.  “The Forge seeks to provide a safe and nurturing environment very much in tune with the high level of care that will be provided there, yet its playfulness encourages a sense of adventure and intrigue.” As well as the four care homes, there will be 21 car parking spaces, including two disabled spaces and cycle parking for staff. The existing community building is to remain on site.   The development received planning approval from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in 2018 with funding finalised last year from Assetz Capital. The residential development is expected to be completed by Christmas 2021. To find out more about The Forge visit www.forgecare.co.uk.  To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk. Join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.   

G F Tomlinson has been successfully selected as an approved partner for the NHS Shared Business Services PS-Works: Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which launched on 17 December 2020. The framework will provide a compliant procurement route to market for all NHS and wider public sector construction works requirements across the UK, and G F Tomlinson has been appointed to deliver projects up to the value of £5million across the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire regions. Bidding for the framework, which lines up trusted construction partners for the next seven years, started in February 2020, with 82 UK contractors vying for limited places of up to 10 for each regional lot. 41 contractors in total have been selected to work on projects up to the value of £5million across the UK including G F Tomlinson, and projects to be delivered will include healthcare, education, housing, social care, leisure, libraries, blue light, transport, recycling and waste, industrial and commercial facilities, as well as mixed use regeneration projects. As part of the complex bidding process, G F Tomlinson was required to prove innovation and sustainability in its delivery, as well as consistency of engagement with stakeholders. Following its successful appointment to the framework, the contractor must embrace and commit to eight core framework objectives when delivering projects, which include: value for money, collaboration, approved organisation satisfaction, quality, sustainable procurement, social value, modern methods of construction and an integrated supply chain. Additionally, contractors must provide the NHS and wider public sector authorities with pre-approved supply chains with suitable levels of training, experience and compliance for master planning, integrated design and construction works. Providing social value to local communities is a key framework driver, which includes the use of local supply chains to focus on SME impacts and sustainable local outputs, whilst being actively managed to ensure efficiencies and innovation are being delivered. G F Tomlinson has a strong focus on social value, and its policy and processes focus on four key investment areas including: 1. Employment, training and skills 2. Sustainable procurement 3. Environmental protection and enhancement and 4. Community support. In the last three years, the contractor has generated £22.5million of social value, investing £1million in terms of corporate time, expertise and funding to local community projects and charities. 59% of local labour is sourced within a 20-mile radius of recent projects and 89% within 40 miles of sites. The contractor also diverts 97% of all waste from its projects away from landfill. Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very pleased to have been appointed to this major NHS Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which is streamlining the procurement route to market of all NHS and wider public sector construction work requirements across the country. We look forward to delivering significant healthcare and public sector projects for the next seven years. “G F Tomlinson has already delivered in excess of £640million projects through public sector frameworks to date and as a hardworking and tenacious team, we fully embrace the opportunities this provides in extending our reach across the UK, leaving a positive legacy in the regions in which we operate. “With our experienced management team, commitment to high-quality project delivery, collaborative working, together with the provision of social, economic, environmental and sustainable benefits for local communities, we are ideally positioned to deliver projects up to the value of £5million, as part of this NHS Framework.”

Beard has increased its presence in the care home construction sector, after being awarded contracts worth a combined £25million with Signature Senior Lifestyle, to build two of its new developments in the south east. The sites in Caversham Berkshire and Farnham Common Buckinghamshire, are both expected to be completed in 2022, providing luxury care homes and assisted living communities for seniors in need of nursing, respite or dementia care. Beard was chosen to carry out the work due to its track record for innovation, excellence and quality in all stages of the building process. Added to that is the commitment to prompt and faultless delivery on all projects, prompt payment of all of its suppliers and creating a safe, Covid-secure working environment on site. Caversham will comprise 86 apartments, including a number of deluxe units, built over four floors, split across a sloping site with views across to the Caversham lakes. Communal facilities will include a café, restaurant, cinema, lounge areas, activity room, a pub, spa bathrooms, hair salon and therapy room. Farnham Common will also offer luxury assisted living and nursing in 74 studio-style bedrooms with private wet rooms, with the same range of facilities on hand to residents. Pat Hughes, director of Beard, said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to work with Signature Care Homes on these two developments, and to be able to deliver on their vision for the highest quality living spaces for their residents. The excellence in design of the buildings and their positioning in their surroundings at both sites makes these homes particularly attractive. “In terms of the care sector it’s an important market for Beard, as we understand there is increasing demand for the kind of high-quality home and care that Signature provides. “We’re confident we can help to meet that demand, bringing the quality of construction honed over more than 120 years that Beard is renowned for. “While we’re all living and working during this Covid-19 period which is likely to be with us some time to come, we will continue to operate to the highest possible standards. We will ensure both sites are run in line with best practice and government guidance on how to keep all who work there safe and well.” Wayne Pryce, Group Development Director for Signature said: “We are looking forward to working closely with Beard to deliver two exceptional care homes that will serve the people of Caversham and Farnham Common. “Beard was selected because we have shared values and they can deliver the high quality environment that Signature residents expect. I look forward to successfully completing the project together and welcoming Signatures’ residents to their new home.”

Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has commenced works on the new Greenwood House Medical Centre in Burntwood, Staffordshire. Due for completion in September 2021, the new £3.4 million medical facility, located on Lichfield Road, will bring first class healthcare facilities to the community, relieving the pressure of local hospitals. The new single storey centre will consist of 12 consulting rooms, five treatment rooms, a healthcare and phlebotomy room, and a health education space with an adjoining pharmacy unit, and will be built on a site previously occupied by a residential care home, which has been vacant since 2008. “The importance of good quality healthcare is important, now more than ever, and the new medical centre will provide optimised and accessible facilities for the local community which are currently inadequate, meeting the demands of the ageing population in Burntwood. We’re pleased to be partnering with Staffordshire County Council once again to provide vital public service buildings for the wider community, instilling confidence that they have access to good healthcare whenever they need it,” said Chris Flint, director of G F Tomlinson. Providing a much-needed upgrade to the current healthcare facilities, the centre will be replacing services provided by the Darwin Medical Practice – located on Hudson Drive approximately 300 metres away from Greenwood House, ensuring improved and accessible facilities for the area. There will also be 61 onsite parking spaces created and surroundings will be landscaped, with the centre using the existing road entrance for the former care home. The scheme has been funded by NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund, which aims to improve healthcare services for patients across the country with modernised facilities and technology. Procured through the Staffordshire County Council framework, G F Tomlinson has been selected to provide construction works for the site, and this is the fifth project the contractor has procured through the framework since 2016. Recent projects for the framework have included the £3.7 million renovation of King Edward VI Primary School in Lichfield, and the £5 million build of Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth. “Part of the strategy for reducing demand on our hospitals from ageing communities is to provide more facilities and services close to residents. This development, reusing a dormant plot of land that has long been earmarked for the purpose, will provide additional capacity for the local GP practice and means people in Burntwood can look forward to a new, state-of-the-art facility that meets the community’s needs,” added Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council and former cabinet member for health, care and wellbeing. Staffordshire County Council is leading this project, with project management from ENTRUST, G F Tomlinson acting as main contractor, CPMG as architect and Jackson Purdue as structural engineer.

Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has commenced works on the new Greenwood House Medical Centre in Burntwood, Staffordshire. Due for completion in September 2021, the new £3.4million medical facility, located on Lichfield Road, will bring first class healthcare facilities to the community, relieving the pressure of local hospitals. The new single storey centre will consist of 12 consulting rooms, five treatment rooms, a healthcare and phlebotomy room, and a health education space with an adjoining pharmacy unit, and will be built on a site previously occupied by a residential care home, which has been vacant since 2008. Providing a much-needed upgrade to the current healthcare facilities, the centre will be replacing services provided by the Darwin Medical Practice – located on Hudson Drive approximately 300 metres away from Greenwood House, ensuring improved and accessible facilities for the area. There will also be 61 onsite parking spaces created and surroundings will be landscaped, with the centre using the existing road entrance for the former care home. The scheme has been funded by NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund, which aims to improve healthcare services for patients across the country with modernised facilities and technology. Procured through the Staffordshire County Council framework, G F Tomlinson has been selected to provide construction works for the site, and this is the fifth project the contractor has procured through the framework since 2016. Recent projects for the framework have included the £3.7m renovation of King Edward VI Primary School in Lichfield, and the £5m build of Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth. Chris Flint, director of G F Tomlinson said: “The importance of good quality healthcare is important, now more than ever, and the new medical centre will provide optimised and accessible facilities for the local community which are currently inadequate, meeting the demands of the ageing population in Burntwood. “We’re pleased to be partnering with Staffordshire County Council once again to provide vital public service buildings for the wider community, instilling confidence that they have access to good healthcare whenever they need it.” Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council and former cabinet member for health, care and wellbeing, said: “Part of the strategy for reducing demand on our hospitals from ageing communities is to provide more facilities and services close to residents. “This development, reusing a dormant plot of land that has long been earmarked for the purpose, will provide additional capacity for the local GP practice and means people in Burntwood can look forward to a new, state-of-the-art facility that meets the community’s needs.” Dr Gerbo Huisman, GP partner at Darwin Medical Practice, said: “I am delighted that years of collaborative working and planning between skilled and dedicated professionals from local health authorities, the county council and The Darwin Medical Practice are now coming to fruition. “Our patients, as well as the wider community, are now getting what they have asked for so long; a modern, spacious and comfortable health centre from which we, their GP practice, will be delivering high quality, responsive and patient centred primary care services.” Staffordshire County Council is leading this project, with project management from ENTRUST, G F Tomlinson acting as main contractor, CPMG as architect and Jackson Purdue as structural engineer.