Case studies

This case study shows the excellent work that public health in local government is doing to commission for quality and best value across all areas.

At Warrington Borough Council a joint environmental and public health team was quickly set up to help businesses to adopt COVID-19 secure working practices and to deal with any outbreaks.   

Research and engagement is at the heart of our COVID-19 response and our Recovery Citizens Panel is one of the best examples of our approach. Representative of the diversity of our borough, it was formed to rapidly turn around insight to drive our strategic decision-making processes.

Summary

Waltham Forest has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help slow down the local rise in cases, the council launched a Stay Safe Champions scheme. First out on the streets, and now online, council officers and local volunteers have been directly engaging with residents, with the goal of informing, reassuring and supporting them. In parallel, our Play Safe Champions have been out on popular playgrounds to make sure children can safely access outdoor spaces and exercise.

In Wakefield the council and local NHS have set up a roving vaccination team to work with communities at risk of low uptake.

Joint health and care teams have been established in the West Yorkshire district of Wakefield. The teams work from community hubs, helping keep people out of hospital. 

Despite social care staff being eligible for the flu jab, uptake has remained low. In Wakefield only between 2 per cent and 7 per cent of staff have come forward for their jab in recent years. But that is now changing thanks to work by the council’s public health team and its partners.

The programme aims to tackle loneliness and fragmented care by joining up services for older people in supported living schemes and care homes, to help people live longer, healthier lives at home and within their communities. This example of a local initiative forms part of our managing transfers of care resource.

Wakefield Council has a range of coordinated and evidence-based projects and programmes which aim to improve the wellbeing of residents, help them into the job market and raise aspirations. They are carefully structured and monitored to produce the best results.