Social Value

What is Social Value?

Social Value describes the wider role an organisation plays in improving the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the communities it serves. It's about creating lasting, positive impact beyond the core delivery of services or infrastructure.

Social Value and the Future Hospital Programme

When we talk about building new hospital facilities, the focus often sits on design, bricks and mortar, and cutting‑edge medical and digital innovation. However, major public sector projects today are required under the Procurement Act 2023 (effective February 2025) to deliver more than buildings alone - they are expected to create social value with a minimum of 10% social return on investment.

Through the Future Hospital Programme, our construction partners have committed to a number of key performance indicators which will help to deliver long term benefits for local people, the Plymouth economy and the environment.

Our Strategy

Our Social Value Strategy sets out how we will contribute to economic, social, and environmental improvements. This will be aligned with both our Emergency Care Building vision ‘Delivering modern environments and building a healthier future for our communities’ and with our responsibilities as an Anchor Institution in the city and Plymouth’s Civic Engagement agreement to:

Strengthen Community Well-being: Improve quality of life by tackling social determinants of health and supporting personal and community development.
Promote Sustainable and Inclusive Growth: Drive economic growth that benefits all residents through job creation, skills development, and local investment.
Champion Environmental and Social Responsibility: Embed sustainable practices and maximise social value through shared procurement, planning, and policy.

Social value is not an ‘add-on’ but a way to better focus investment that facilitates positive transformation for our communities, to ensure the programme leaves a legacy for our patients, staff and communities

Raising Awareness of Social Value

Social value is a statutory requirement under the Procurement Act 2023 (effective February 2025), which mandates that NHS tenders maximise public benefit, placing social value at the heart of procurement. The aim is to move beyond awarding contracts based solely on the most economically advantageous tender towards identifying the most advantageous tender overall.

This act requires organisations and their suppliers to look beyond financial cost and consider how the services they commission can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the communities they serve.

Through our Civic Engagement Agreement with our Anchor partners, our social value work is focused on:

Promoting sustainable and inclusive growth by supporting job creation, skills development and local investment
Strengthening local supply chains to maximise benefits within our communities
Enhancing community wellbeing by tackling social determinants of health and supporting personal and community development
Championing environmental and social responsibility by embedding sustainable practices and maximising social value through shared procurement, planning and policy

Despite its importance, social value is not always well understood. A key part of our strategy is to raise awareness of what social value means and the difference it can make. We do this through targeted workshops, regular communications, and the publication of updates and reports that showcase impact, learning and best practice.

We would welcome the opportunity to connect with other Trusts to share best practice and learn more about social value initiatives across the NHS. If you are interested in a conversation, please contact Sharon Tucker, Social Value Lead for the Future Hospital Programme.

Building Lives Academy

As part of our commitment to social value, a pioneering Building Lives Academy was launched during the construction of the new Emergency Care Building (ECB) at Derriford Hospital.

Delivered in partnership with Willmott Dixon Construction and Greenlight Training Ltd, and supported by Sphere Solutions, Seetec and regional recruitment and supply chain partners, the academy is designed to tackle social exclusion and open up career pathways within the construction industry.

The programme offers:

Entry‑level qualifications
Hands‑on work experience
Employability support, including CV writing, job searching and interview preparation

Participants will have the opportunity to gain a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card and recognised qualifications, such as a Level 1 Certificate in Construction Operations or Health and Safety at Work.

Each cohort will support 10-15 local residents, with tailored courses delivered throughout the construction programme. Graduates will be supported into work placements with Willmott Dixon and its supply chain partners, creating clear and uninterrupted pathways to employment.

Since construction began, the project has generated 42 new apprenticeships, delivered 523 training weeks and supported 100 candidates through the Building Lives Academy, leading to 28 apprenticeships with local employers. Twenty-two apprentices are currently working on the project.

For many young people, the project is providing their first real insight into construction careers.

Joshua Tupman, a T Level student from City College Plymouth, said:

"This experience has pushed me beyond my abilities in the best possible way, helping me build skills that I know will benefit me in the future. Overall, this project has helped me not only with my confidence and communication skills but also my understanding of a design management career path."

The project has also created pathways for people looking to enter the industry through non-traditional routes, helping tackle local skills shortages while creating lasting employment opportunities.

Adopt a school initiatives

Adopt a School is a structured, long‑term partnership where University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and its construction partners work closely with local schools to create meaningful, positive impacts for students, teaching staff and the wider community.

The Future Hospital Programme has “adopted” two Plymouth schools:

Construction partners BAM and Millbay Academy, in connection with the Plymouth Community Diagnostic Centre
Willmott Dixon Construction and Notre Dame School, linked to the construction of the Emergency Care Building

A key aim of the initiative is to help develop a future local talent pipeline. This includes:

Supporting school careers events
Delivering mock interviews
Raising awareness of healthcare, construction and support service careers

Linda Jerrett, Careers Lead at Notre Dame School, said:

"The impact of the partnership has exceeded our expectations. Many students are now considering careers that they hadn't thought of previously and others are now more secure in their next steps to achieve their goals."

Read more about the Building Plymouth Adopt a School initiative.

UHP staff attending a careers event at Notre Dame School

Donation Events

Gift donations to children’s wards are a well‑established and valued way of delivering social value. These donations enhance wellbeing, comfort, play, inclusion and family support during hospital stays.

Donations often fund equipment and environments not routinely covered by NHS budgets but which make a significant difference to a child’s experience of care. This can include sensory equipment, play technology and specialist clinical items.

Christmas Toy Donation - Willmott Dixon, BAM and supply chain partners kindly donated toys, books and play and sensory equipment to our children’s wards over the Christmas period. The donations were based on a wish list from Paediatric teams and were gratefully received by ward staff.
Equipment Donation - Read our article about a recent donation of Buzzy devices to the Paediatric Emergency Department.
Donate a Coat - In December, UHP staff donated coats, scarves and hats to support vulnerable people over winter. Alongside donations from Willmott Dixon, the items were delivered to Shekinah Mission in Stonehouse Creek and were very warmly received. We plan to make this an annual event.

an image of willmott dixon staff and childrens ward staff receiving a donation of gifts

Improving our green and wellbeing spaces

Hospitals are places of care, recovery and compassion. Integrating biodiversity into hospital grounds helps create calmer, healthier environments for patients, staff and visitors. Access to green and biodiverse spaces supports wellbeing, offering moments of connection with nature within busy clinical settings.

Our current initiatives include:

Wildflower planting - Volunteers have planted wildflower areas across the hospital site, with full blooms expected over the summer months. These plantings will add colour to the environment while supporting pollinators and increasing on‑site biodiversity.

Hospital pond - plans are in place to restore and tidy the pond area, including repairs to the perimeter fencing.

Herb garden - Plans are underway to transform the Derriford Community Herb Garden into a Herb and Sensory Garden for patients and staff. Shaped by feedback from clinical teams, staff and the Young Persons Patient Council, and supported by our supply chain Partner Services Design Solution and Poole Community Farm, the new space will offer therapeutic and sensory planting, improved accessibility, and quiet areas for reflection. Work is expected to begin in the coming months.

students and staff ready to count plant species image of wildflowers