Agenda item

To receive an update on developments around this initiative.

Following an initial briefing on the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone (TVCHIZ) to the Committee in June 2024, and a second presentation in July 2025, a further update on developments in relation to this initiative had been requested.  The Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (SBC) Head of Policy, Development & Public Affairs and the SBC Assistant Director – Inclusive Growth and Development reported that:

·       The TVCHIZ brought together health and social care providers, academic institutions, and the business community to create a world-class innovation ecosystem.  Developing this alongside one of the largest brownfield regeneration opportunities in the country, Tees Central, would support the continued inclusive growth of the region and strengthen the global position of the UK health innovation sector, as well as helping to tackle the stark health inequalities that existed in the Borough and further afield.

·       The TVCHIZ was not a single capital project.  It was a long-term place-based programme that co-ordinated multiple projects and investment opportunities across the Borough and wider Tees Valley.  Its purpose was to align regeneration, NHS investment, research, education, skills and commercial growth around a common vision.  As a result, Members should expect individual projects to come forward separately through the Council’s normal governance processes, rather than as one comprehensive scheme.

·       Activity supporting the achievement of this long-term vision was structured around three key workstreams, with achievements noted as follows:

o   Research and Innovation: Work had taken place (through CPI and Teesside University) to understand what the local unique selling point (USP) was.  Building on this, focused ‘health’ and ‘care’ workshops saw multiple partners from across the sector come together to understand challenges and establish priorities.  Teesside University had secured resources to develop an ‘innovation brochure’ which would highlight the activity taking place and would help attract inward investment and promote the area’s core strengths / innovation assets.

o   Skills and Workforce Development: Chaired by the Principal of Stockton Riverside College, this group continued to look at opportunities to increase the prevalence of the care and health curriculum within further education.  The creation of new vocational-focused V-Levels would enable skills development in a number of disciplines (as opposed to T-Levels which focused on one particular topic), with the potential to base skills provision next to Neighbourhood Health facilities being explored.  Also, a new SBC Care and Health Recruitment and Training Co-ordinator had been in post since April 2026 (based within the Council’s Employment and Training Hub but operating across the Tees Valley and with other Tees Valley Local Authorities) who was working with local employers and education providers to help increase employment / placement opportunities.  Encouragingly, a recent event saw 110 attendees, 32 of whom had already been shortlisted for roles, with five successfully gaining a new role.  Furthermore, the Care Academy (through the Council’s Employment and Training Hub / Learning and Skills Service) continued to develop recruitment into the care sector.

o   Place and Regeneration: Developments in relation to the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) included input into its now-published Growth Plan (the result of which had seen the TVCHIZ referenced in this document) and ongoing work around the Investment Zone, specifically on shaping the digitisation of the care and health sectors.  The TVCA also participated in considerations around the Tees Central site (a longer-term regeneration project which involved others such as Homes England and Network Rail), with transport-related funding already assigned.  In other matters, the Neighbourhood Health concept continued to be explored (funding was available for associated ‘hubs’), with partners trying to understand what this looked and felt like for all the Borough as a whole.

·       Collectively, the workstreams provided a co-ordinated framework for delivering the TVCHIZ.  By aligning regeneration, research, innovation, skills, workforce development and infrastructure investment, the programme sought to improve health outcomes, reduce inequalities, create high-value employment, attract inward investment and establish Stockton-on-Tees as a nationally recognised centre for care and health innovation.  The programme would be delivered incrementally over the coming years through collaboration between the Council, NHS, academic institutions, Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) and private sector partners.

·       The programme remained in the development and delivery phase.  Progress was expected to be incremental, with projects progressing as opportunities, funding, partner priorities and business cases matured.  The Strategic Programme Board continued to oversee the programme, ensuring that individual initiatives contributed to the overall vision while recognising that delivery would take place over many years.

Thanking officers for this latest update, the Committee focused its initial response on the skills / workforce development element, with Members noting previous concerns relayed to them during a visit to the local Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) about a lack of radiographers.  In response, it was stated that this issue had been raised several times through TVCHIZ-related discussions, and that attempts were being made to link universities more closely with the health sector.

Highlighting the importance of the SBC Director of Adults, Health and Wellbeing having a voice in Neighbourhood Health considerations, the Committee referenced development ‘phases’ which had been included in previous updates, and asked if there had been any engagement with river-users (e.g. Tees Rowing Club) as part of the ‘riverside’ element of the overall TVCHIZ footprint.  Officers stated that some groups no longer existed and that it was more challenging to engage with individual users – however, there was a desire to work more closely with those who utilised the river, something which was widely recognised as being a key asset and a space which had been recently enhanced through the opening of the new Stockton waterfront park.

Closing the item, the Committee welcomed progress made over the last year, though also urged partners to be mindful of those who were not able to access services digitally.  Members once again requested more regular feedback on the TVCHIZ, reiterating that it was appropriate for this Committee to be sighted on developments in a timely manner.  It was subsequently noted that assurance had recently been given that a further report would be provided to the next Committee meeting in September 2026.

AGREED that the Tees Valley Care and Health Innovation Zone update be noted.