Steel signing event marks construction milestone for the CAMHS Unit

NHS leaders, front line staff, a service user and a local Armley councillor came together yesterday (July 21) to mark a major milestone in the construction of the new West Yorkshire CAMHS unit: the completion of the unit’s steel frame.

The impressive steel structure gives a sense of the scale and shape of the new unit, which will have 22 bedrooms, activity rooms, educational facilities and communal areas both inside and out. The steel outline takes the shape of a figure of eight and in total weighs 257 tonnes.

The group were given a tour of the site by the construction company Interserve, followed by an opportunity to sign one of the building’s huge steel pillars, which will forever be at the heart of the state of the art unit.

Although the signatures will eventually be hidden, they symbolise the teamwork which has driven the Unit’s development and the shared ambition for delivering the best possible health care for the young people of West Yorkshire when the Unit opens in September 2021.

Thea Stein, Chief Executive of Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust which provides the West Yorkshire CAMHS service, attended the steel signing event. She said “I was thrilled to sign the steel frame on behalf of all the people who have been involved in the development of this unit. It’s great to see the progress first hand and I’m excited for the day we can open.”
Dr Sara Munro, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive and CEO Lead for the regional Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism collaborative, also attended the event. She added: “As the building takes shape, we are reminded of what a brilliant asset this unit will be to the young people of West Yorkshire and their loved ones. It’s an important development in the work The West Yorkshire and Harrogate collaborative have been undertaking to provide better care and treatments for young people with complex mental health issues across the region.”

Other attendees at the event included:
Jo St Ange, Senior Staff Nurse, CAMHS service
Niki Eden, Healthcare Support Worker, CAMHS service
Lou Cunningham, Armley Councillor
Bryan Machin, Executive Director of Finance and Resources, Leeds Community Healthcare Trust
Dawn Hanwell,  Chief Financial Officer, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
David Furness, Head of Estates and Capital Development, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Paul Ellenor, Regional Director, Interserve
Anthony Cooper, Project Manager, Interserve

A service user also added their signature to the framework, representing young people past present and future.