Healthy new life for former school

The former Kimberworth Comprehensive School building is currently swathed in scaffolding but will emerge from its metal shell in January 2011 to become the new integrated children's services campus.

The £2.9 million development will provide a range of specialist services and is being created in partnership between the Council and NHS Rotherham.

Services to be based at the centre include:

• Learning Disability Services including Hearing Impaired Team, Visually Impaired Team, Autism Communication Team and the Special Education Needs Team
• A new Disability Short Break Facility
• Community Children's Complex Health Care Nursing Service
• Looked After Children, Fostering and Adoption services
• Physiotherapy, occupational therapists, speech and language therapist services
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• School Effectiveness Service

All of the identified services work with children and young people from across the whole borough. As well as a service delivery space the centre will also provide an office base for community workers from the identified services.

Cllr Shaun Wright, Chair of the Rotherham Children's Board, said: "Bringing services together under one roof means the care and support that children and young people receive will continue to improve and develop. This investment also means that professionals can work together in the same location to provide a high quality seamless service.

"This project is also helping bring this magnificent building back to life to offer modern facilities which both children and staff will benefit from."

Alan Tolhurst, Chairman of NHS Rotherham, said: "NHS Rotherham is committed to improving the health and well being of all children and young people in the Rotherham area.

"Through co-locating services with key partners from the Council and Voluntary Sector, we believe that this development will offer new opportunities for joint working and service delivery. Once open the facility will create an environment from which children, young people and their families can expect the highest level of service."

The former Kimberworth Comprehensive buildings have been empty for five years since the school and the nearby Old Hall School were replaced by the new Winterhill School.

The construction work is being carried out by Wildgoose Construction and has been designed by the Council's in-house architects.