WORK has begun on a new £20 million learning disability and autism (LDA) unit on Devon Partnership Trust’s (DPT) Langdon site in Dawlish.

Preparatory work has been going on for the last few weeks, with a formal formal turf-cutting ceremony taking place at the end of February, with service manager for the LDA unit, Carol Gray, doing the honours.

Carol was joined by Andy Willis, DPT’s Chair; Phill Mantay, DPT Acting Chief Executive; Chris Entwistle, from the learning disability service; Shona Charlton from NHS Devon; and the regional director for construction partner, Kier.

Andy and Phill reminded that this £20 million investment is part of a £40 million regional project being delivered through two locations – with the other unit in Bristol.

The ten-bed unit has been designed with input from people with lived experience and will provide state-of-the-art care for people in a modern, therapeutic environment when it opens next summer.