Capability Scotland has partnered with Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS) to rewrite how care is provided to those with complex needs.

Capability Scotland is working to deliver a flagship £25 million facility at Bertha Park, Perth. The project will deliver residential and specialist care facilities at a new site.

A&DS have worked together to find out the needs, aspirations and visions of the users, staff and families that will use the facilities. They have drawn from their long experience of working in the health sector to explore options and approaches.

Stephen Oswald, Capability Scotland Project Lead, said: “We have a rare opportunity to start with a blank canvas and completely re-imagine our services to create a leading facility that pushes the boundaries of housing and care for people with complex needs.


“Through sharing learnings and working together we will challenge stereotypes of what is possible for disabled people and ensure we are achieving equality in all aspects of life – with key stakeholders making the decisions from the outset.”

The process has included exploring a typical day in the life of the facility – from the perspective of a resident, their families and the staff providing the care. This has helped us identify the key priorities and benchmarks for the project. The output will help to inform the development brief for the project.

It is drawing on our experience from other major health projects, our engagement with the people who will use the space and learning from Capability Scotland who are the experts on providing care for people with complex needs. We have hosted two hands-on workshops with the people who will be relocating to live in the new community.

In 2023 we will continue to work with Capability Scotland to support the development of this ground-breaking facility. We plan to share our learning from this project.

“We were encouraged to contact A&DS who have provided us with a hugely important Design Statement structure, pulling together various elements from our own research documents, business cases and coproduction work (with over 600 responses from staff and residents) distilled into a really powerful initial document. […] It has been very helpful for us in creating an informed, inclusive foundation for our project's design brief.”