Red Kite View

The new facility provides a 16-bed general adolescent ward, a six-bed psychiatric intensive care unit, and a CAMHS S136 unit. These are supported by off ward therapy spaces, an education unit, offices, family visiting areas, green communal-spaces and extensive staff welfare facilities.

The project objective was to address a national crisis for accommodation of this nature through a purpose-built facility to support the mental health of local children and young people who were previously travelling up to 130 miles from home to receive care. This was accomplished by using a collaborative framework to procure and deliver the works, ensuring service users need never be more than 25 miles from home for treatment.

The design and construction of a 3,671m², two-storey, steel framed building on a brownfield site. The BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rated Red Kite View commanded the ingenuity and skills of the whole team and specialist supply chain. To design a safe and calming environment, with a non-institutional aesthetic, for vulnerable young people going through difficult times.

The robust facility included anti-ligature and anti-contraband technologies, whilst ensuring the privacy and dignity  of service users to comply with Health Technical Memoranda, Ofsted, Health Building Note standards and guidance. The building replaces the Trust’s Little Woodhouse Hall facility, providing a service expansion through a modern, fit for purpose therapeutic healthcare building while helping to prevent out of area placements for service users.

We had to overcome several challenges to deliver Red Kite View on a complex community hospital site, within a predominantly residential area and adjacent to a cemetery. Meticulous planning ensured minimal impact on daily operations, local traffic, neighbours and wildlife.

The project was successfully delivered safely during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. We innovated by implementing new working practices and technologies, not only keeping staff and all stakeholders safe at all times but working flexibly to change the design of the new building. We provided £3.5m of additional space and design changes to ensure the facility was pandemic proof.

Red Kite View was also delivered during an uncertain economic Brexit period which caused material and labour shortages. However, we were able to ensure there was little impact on the project, by engaging early with our supply chain partners and using in-house resources and their supply chain relationships. Using collaborative digital tools and providing a golden digital thread to help to drive efficiencies; and proved to be a major benefit during the redesign. Tools including 4Projects and Asta BIM were used to provide 3D models, transparency of costs, faster design decision making and approvals resulting in a seamless handover.

Supported by the use of standardised repeatable framework designs and components to guarantee quality and performance. The use of a collaborative NEC form of contract supported the generation of value engineering client savings.