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 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 Social Value Programme, our construction partners have committed to a number of key performance indicators which will help to deliver long term benefits for local people, from work opportunities, training and improvements to the environment.

Our Strategy

Our Social Value Strategy sets out how we will work collaboratively with our construction partners to co-design 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, 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.

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 also work with our Anchor partners, Babcock, University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Council to understand local need and collaborate on joint projects.

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.

Building Lives Academy students

Adopt a school initiatives

Adopt a School is a Building Plymouth initiative whereby our main construction partners work closely with the Future Hospital Programme social value lead and local schools to create meaningful, positive impacts for students, teaching staff and the wider community.

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

Following a successful clinical work experience week held in May 2026, 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

The Social Value programme has been looking at innovative ways in which we can support vulnerable groups through a variety of donation initiatives, something that is keenly supported by contractors and the supply chain.

Following feedback from clinical staff and community campaigns we have been able to support the following:

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 improving access to green spaces within hospital grounds which helps create calmer, healthier environments for patients, staff and visitors. These green spaces can have multiple purposes including wellbeing areas, play/therapy, opportunities for learning, quiet reflective spaces and staff break areas.

Our current initiatives include:

Wildflower planting - Following on from feedback sought from staff and patients it was identified that more colourful areas of planting were requested. Through the Social Value funding, our main contractor purchased wildflower seeds which were planted across the hospital site, with full blooms over the summer months. These wildflowers added colour to the environment while supporting pollinators and increasing on‑site biodiversity. They have also been a useful learning opportunity for local students to conduct BioBlitzes, the results of which have been used to demonstrate an increase in biodiversity, which is goal in the Trusts' Green Plan.

Hospital pond fencing - Collaboration with our supply chain has meant we have been able to replace the damaged pond perimeter fence, a key step in improving the pond area for the benefit of staff, patients and visitors.

Herb garden - This has been a great example of collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including patient groups, community organisation, construction and supply chain partners, our Young Persons Patient Council and Trust staff. The area will be a multi-use space, which will include active growing zones, a sensory area and quiet, reflective memorial area. This will be used by patients, staff and visitors. Work has been in progress over the last few weeks and is expected to be finished in November 2026.

students and staff ready to count plant species image of wildflowers