Building work begins on Hartlepool Health and Social Care Academy
Turf-cutting ceremony marks construction milestone
A widely-anticipated ‘spade in the ground’ event has marked the start of building works on a new £1.25m Health and Social Care Academy.
The event, held at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, brought together representatives from across the partnership, including North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council, and Hartlepool College of Further Education.
The Hartlepool Health and Social Care Academy, which is part of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust’s Faculty of Leadership, Learning and Improvement, is one of five of Hartlepool Borough Council’s £25m Town Deal transformation projects and secured £1.25m in funding to support its development.
The facility will help kick start the careers of Hartlepool’s next generation of health and social care professionals in an area that accounts for an estimated 20% of the region’s employment sector figures.
The event also included a delegate from building contractor, Vest Construction, which has been instrumental in bringing the academy vision to life.
Neil Atkinson, managing director of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the trust to complement the services we operate out of Hartlepool and to ensure we have the right pipeline of qualified staff working across the health and social care system in the future.”
Councillor Mike Young, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “The new Health and Social Care Skills Academy will have an impressive range of state-of-the art facilities and equipment and it is really exciting that construction work is now underway.
“Helping people to develop the skills needed to secure high-quality jobs is a key aim of Hartlepool Town Deal, and this project represents a major investment in the future of our town, its residents and our local hospital.”
One of a small number nationwide, the academy will feature a bespoke simulation ‘at home’ training suite among its realistic health care settings including a four-bed training bay, an ICT suite, a trainee common room, an immersive suite, and several other flexible training and class rooms.
Building work is set to complete later this summer.