CONSTRUCTION


construction can influence these wider factors quickly and effectively, from before the first foundation has been laid, to well beyond opening.


Kierriculum is an education programme designed to bring real- world STEM learning into schools.


procurement owing to PPN/002, is linked to social value performance. With investment of this size, there is a major opportunity to improve public health through a joined-up approach to better places and stronger communities. Prevention is not only good for people, but also for


the economy. Evidence shows that each pound invested in prevention generates returns many times over through improved productivity, reduced welfare reliance, and stronger communities. As NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has noted: “investing in prevention is not just good for patients and improving public health, but also the economy”. A 20 per cent reduction across major preventable disease categories could increase GDP by up to £26bn per year. Healthier populations participate more, earn more, spend more, and rely less on public services, creating a compounding cycle of economic benefit. To reduce illness, we need to create places that help people move more, connect more and live healthier lives – not just receive treatment. Social value is how


The primary purpose in healthcare construction is to deliver high-quality, compliant, and safe facilities. But the sector can no longer be defined only by the delivery of compliant infrastructure. It should also be judged on its contribution to healthier communities, healthier workforces, and healthier futures.


44 Health Estate Journal June 2026


Social value as upstream public health Social value is often underestimated in its power to influence long-term health outcomes. Yet it can be one of the most powerful tools the construction sector has to address the root causes of illness. Construction projects of all sizes can create employment opportunities that improve income security – one of the strongest predictors of health. Training programmes increase lifetime earnings and support economic mobility. Local supply chains strengthen community resilience and reduce deprivation. Youth engagement initiatives offer early-life interventions that deliver astonishing long-term returns. They demonstrate what happens when social value programmes directly target the conditions that underpin long-term health. Kierriculum, an education programme designed by Kier to bring real-world STEM learning into schools through practical, curriculum linked activities, has supported pupils to build early confidence in science, technology, engineering, and maths. In parallel, the Hartlepool Literacy Taskforce sees our social value teams helping to tackle low literacy levels by making learning more accessible for both children and families – simplifying induction documents to a 10-12 year old reading age, redesigning student workbooks, reviewing feedback tools, and developing a ‘book supper club’ to encourage families to read together at home. Improving literacy and confidence at a young age is strongly linked to better health outcomes, higher educational attainment, and wider future opportunities. At HS2, the Operator Skills Hubs have trained over 600 local people in just two weeks, giving many a route into secure employment. In Gloucester, the Learning Quarter at The Forum has provided a free space for training and employability events, helping more than 120 people return to work. These are practical routes into steady jobs – one of the strongest contributors to good health. And they work best when combined with other health promoting activities, such as workplace running clubs, healthy eating programmes, or regular health checks and wellbeing talks. Together, they help people stay healthier for longer by supporting both the conditions that shape health and the everyday choices that prevent illness. This is prevention in action. By improving skills, confidence, education, employability, and community cohesion, social value helps people stay healthier for longer and reduces the pressures that lead to ill health in the first place. When aligned to local needs, social value becomes a practical and measurable way to prevent illness at scale. It stops being a requirement on a


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72