As a city Leeds is thriving and has seen a significant growth in its population. This includes an increase in the number of children and young people needing support, particularly in the most disadvantaged groups. The authority was experiencing increasing challenges and considerable change surrounding social, emotional and mental health provision (SEMH). Through early engagement with the Leeds Local Education Partnership (LEP) and all stakeholders, our integrated team have provided added value solutions and resources to deal with these challenges, including:
- Delivering three world class SEMH school facilities to replace ageing inadequate stock, despite the council experiencing year on year financial cuts. Leeds schools reported a total deficit of £5.4m in 2017/18, a record high
- Working on a unique development across three logistically challenging city centre sites concurrently, and finding safe solutions to decant current facilities on a live site
- Breathing new life into redundant sites to regenerate the city, reconnecting the sites with their local communities and enhancing the local landscapes
- Meeting tight timescales, to design and deliver the facilities to ensure 300 pupil places were available locally for the new school term
- Managing and satisfying over ten key stakeholders with different objectives
- Designing learning environments specifically for SEMH provision, the facilities needed to be able to accommodate a wide range of behaviours and be robust and sustainable in operation
- Developing a repeatable cost efficient, fit for purpose low maintenance solution
- Satisfying a vision to redefine the standard of SEMH services to support young people (11 to 16) and provide inspirational facilities to ensure an excellent experience for 300 pupils and over 200 staff
- Deliver a number of aspirational social value outcomes
