BUILDING SOCIAL VALUE
The housing aspect of the SWBNHST Live & Work scheme has involved taking on an empty unused building, and refurbishing it to offer affordable shared living accommodation in close proximity to Sandwell General Hospital.
between the NHS, local government, and other local partners to deliver shared aims. One of the four key roles of ICSs is ‘helping the NHS to support broader social and economic development’. The management of the NHS estate and how the NHS influences the use of partner estates and wider planning issues will contribute to this.
As a result of the work done, NHS England has grouped the ways NHS estates can add social value, enhance the wider determinants of health, and help reduce health inequalities into 10 key building blocks, and these are the focus of the resource – by splitting each building block down and highlighting what opportunities they bring. 1. Supporting community development. 2. Improving location and access. 3. Supplying healthy communities. 4. Facilitating economic development. 5. Enhancing access to green space. 6. Access to good inclusive employment and training in estates.
7. Improving design. 8. Access to quality and affordable housing.
9. Reducing negative environmental impact.
10. Social value in procurement.
Supporting healthy communities In order to show how this will work, we
will use the building block supporting healthy communities. Through desk-based research and engagement across the NHS it was identified that supporting healthy communities is one consideration that NHS Estates teams can strategically use when implementing their estate plans in order to reduce health inequalities and add social value. These projects could include:
n Providing healthy and affordable food options for patients, visitors, and NHS staff.
n Improving connectivity to wider public services in areas of greatest need.
n Enabling social interactions and reducing isolation through volunteering.
n Inclusive indoor and outdoor exercise facilities, supporting prevention programmes. This resource provides 10 exemplar case
studies that illustrate the potential of NHS estates and their role in helping reduce health inequalities through the service’s role as an anchor and partner in place.
Case study:
Lambeth GP Food Co-op One of the case studies identified as a best practice example is Lambeth GP Food Co-operative. Part of the primary care sector, the Co-op builds gardens on land occupied by GP practices and NHS hospitals. Currently supporting 10
locations, the project allows for people to learn how to grow food in a safe, secure, and supported environment. The gardens provide a space for people to socialise and learn to grow food together. Patients with long-term health conditions are given opportunities to join gardening groups at their local practice. The groups are supported by an experienced gardener to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables, and they will often make new friends.
Addressing isolation issues The work across the Lambeth GP Food Co-op has been linked to three of the 10 essential building blocks that Estates teams can use in order to add social value within their strategies. Working to address isolation issues and support self-care and community resilience, the Co-op can support the reduction of long-term conditions, improve the mental health of patients, and promote physical activity within the community.
Top tips for making an impact The ‘building blocks’ can be used to identify and explore estates opportunities to ensure that they add social value, enhance the social determinants of health, and reduce health inequalities. They can be applied: n to all types of NHS estate. n at any stage of the planning and
Lambeth GP Food Co-operative builds gardens on land occupied by GP practices and NHS hospitals. Currently supporting 10 locations, the project enables people to learn how to grow food in a safe, secure, and supported environment.
January 2023 Health Estate Journal 39
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