Securing investment and delivery after years of inaction
The Challenge
The need to improve the Child Development Centre had been recognised for many years. Existing accommodation was overcrowded, fragmented across multiple locations and increasingly unable to support the delivery of integrated services. It created challenges around safeguarding, dignity, confidentiality, capacity and multidisciplinary working, whilst demand for services continued to increase.
Despite several attempts to secure the investment required, a viable route forward had not been established and progress had stalled.
My Approach
I connected a long-standing local issue to a compelling strategic vision, bringing together the organisations whose support was needed and creating the conditions for investment and delivery.
Rather than treating the centre as a standalone estates project, I positioned it as an essential part of the wider strategy for children’s services and integrated care.
Working across commissioners, providers, general practice, clinicians, operational leaders and estate partners, I aligned strategic, clinical and estates perspectives around a shared case for change. This created the confidence, relationships and organisational support needed to secure investment and move the project forward after many years of unsuccessful attempts.
The Result
After three previous unsuccessful attempts to secure investment, a £5 million capital programme was approved, enabling the development of a new Child Development Centre providing a larger, modern and purpose-designed facility for children, young people and families.
The new centre increased capacity, improved access to services and brought previously fragmented teams together in a single location. It created better conditions for integrated multidisciplinary working, strengthened safeguarding, privacy and dignity, and improved the experience of children, young people and families.
Beyond the building itself, the project established a more coordinated and sustainable model of care, providing a stronger foundation for integrated service delivery and supporting growing demand from children and young people with increasingly complex needs.
Perhaps most importantly, the work demonstrated how aligning strategic priorities, clinical ambition and estate investment can unlock progress on challenges that have remained unresolved for many years, creating the confidence and shared ownership needed to move from aspiration to delivery.