Construction work is under way on a new, fit-for-purpose building to serve some of the county’s most vulnerable young people
Councillors from Nottinghamshire County Council have been to see progress on a new family contact centre building being built in Worksop. Work began on the new council building in the summer and is due to be completed in Autumn 2026.
Photo courtesy of Nottinghamshire County Council.
Once open, the family contact centre will be used for the delivery of safeguarding and educational services, including supervised contact visits for vulnerable children, young people and families.
Eventually, the new building will replace the current contact centre – a series of old, residential bungalows near the site which do not best support the needs of those using them, which includes looked-after young people as well as families with infants.
The new energy-efficient building has been designed by the Arc Partnership, which is also responsible for project and cost management. As well as appropriate, purpose-built spaces for family contact to take place safely, the building will include other facilities such as kitchens and two conference rooms.
Construction work is being delivered via construction partner G F Tomlinson.
Another positive is that the development is helping to boost skills and experience for young people in the region. Martha Constantinou, an 18 year-old technical apprentice working on site, says: ‘As part of my apprenticeship with G F Tomlinson, working on the new family contact centre has been a great learning experience and has really helped me to understand how a project comes together on site. It’s been rewarding to be involved in something that will make such a difference to the local community.’
Dan Maher, Managing Director at Arc Partnership, adds: ‘We’re proud to be delivering this much-needed facility on behalf of the county council, which will serve as a welcoming and inclusive space for local communities. From the outset, we’ve worked closely with our partners to design and construct a centre that not only drives real value for the council but also becomes a lasting community asset. We’re grateful to residents for their patience and support as work progresses.’
Cllr Mick Barton, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council says, having visited the construction work: ‘Supporting the most vulnerable children, young people and families in our communities is a key priority so we need to have the right facilities in place to help us do this. The current bungalows being used to deliver these front-line services are old, in need of repairs and just not suitable anymore. This is why this new, fit-for-purpose building is vital as it will provide a welcoming, calm environment with a secure play area. And it’s only a stone’s throw away from the current location.
‘We’ll also be saving money on energy bills thanks to the way this building has been designed. This investment is also good news for the local supply chain, as they’ll be many contract opportunities to help get the building fully ready.’
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