We spoke to David Ayeni, senior building officer, in our minor works team as part of National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day.
What is your name and your role in our hospitals?
I am David Ayeni, Senior Building Officer – Minor Works working within Estates and Facilities department. I work mainly on various buildings and construction project across the Trust.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy working on variety of project as no two projects are ever the same. This provides me an opportunity to contribute directly or indirectly to patient care through the provision of high quality environment for patients and staff use.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey.
I grew up in Cambridge having relocated to the city in August 2008 with my family. I attended local secondary school (Chesterton Community College) and Cambridge Regional College -where I studied BTEC Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment before proceeding to study Civil Engineering at Nottingham Trent University (2012 – 2017). I have always had a passion for construction and the built environment which has mostly influence my education and career pathway.
I joined CUH in April 2022 as a Project Manager within the Minor works team having previously worked in another NHS Trust in South Yorkshire for four years as a Minor Works Officer.
The opportunity to work at CUH meant I can contribute locally to the built environment in the city where I grew up.
I have also progressed during my time at CUH moving into my current role in November 2022 as a Senior Building Officer. This mean that I take the lead role in managing assigned project delivery from initial scoping through to completion and handover.
Why do you like working at CUH?
The opportunity at CUH means that I can utilise my knowledge and skills to contribute to patient care directly or indirectly. My current role enables me to lead on delivering variety of project cross the Trust. While these (projects) vary in terms of scope (complexity) and value, working on variety of project in a lead role though can be challenging but this provides opportunity to ‘think outside the box’ and provide engineered solution to the problem trying to solve. Due to the size of the Trust, I have been privileged working with other professionals with various skills set across the department and directorate who are always willing to help and positively contribute to resolving complex problems.
Aside from the technical expertise, I enjoy working with various stakeholders and in particular the clinical team. This allows collaborative working to ensure that project delivery have low to minimal impact on patient care and operational service.
Can you provide example of case study projects you’ve worked on and how you’ve contributed to the Trust’s values of Safe, Kind and Excellent?
The safe, kind and excellent values of the Trust is central to the works we deliver within the directorate and this transcend all projects regardless of size, and complexity.
One of the project I had the opportunity to deliver was the Deakin Centre Garden Room and External Garden Area schemes.
The scheme was brought about on the back of the Trust aim for creating a high quality wellbeing (indoor and outdoor) environment for staff use. From the outset, we identified the key project stakeholders, aims and objectives. Subsequent meetings with the stakeholders helped to narrow down design route and options for meeting the client request – avoiding additional cost of appointing separate designer for both schemes. Once preferred design layout agreed with the client, I had to produce itemised and costed schedule of works which once approved by the budget-holder then formed the basis of contract with our framework building contractor for delivery. While I was responsible for the delivery of both schemes, our Clerk of Works undertake daily visit and inspection of works to ensure that health and safety of all was not compromised. During the delivery, we had to work with the occupant of the building to ensure that temporary emergency evacuation plan remain in place. The final finished product was a high quality environment wellbeing facilities for staff use.