Case studies

Collaborating with Children’s Services in the LGA Family Hubs Peer Review, Dorset Library Service began to explore how we could develop our contribution to the Best Start in Life* and Dorset Council’s: Our Children, Young People’s and Families Plan 2020-2023.

Reading Borough Council is investing in modern, regionally-significant leisure facilities to improve health and wellbeing whilst ensuring alignment with its ambitious climate commitments.

Southwark is one of only five English councils to fund a universal Free School Meal (FSM) offer for all of its primary schools. The Council’s Free Healthy School Meals (FHSM) programme has been a universal offer and council commitment since September 2013 for all primary school students in Key Stage 2, supplementing the central government funded, means-tested Free School Meals and Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM).

Devon County Council (DCC) set a net zero target by 2030, and is implementing a carbon reduction plan to reduce its emissions by 70 per cent. This leaves about 116,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) to offset at 2030/31 and beyond.

Southwark has recently launched the Green Buildings Fund, which uses Section 106 carbon offset payments from developers to fund retrofit and low carbon technologies in council buildings.

Southwark Council has been implementing a ‘no mow’ policy in our major parks and elsewhere. We have recently introduced ‘cut and collect’ techniques with the purchase of new equipment funded by the Mayor of London’s rewilding fund.

The Psychosocial Engagement Team service was developed as a six-month pilot project, where referrals were made by A&E mental health liaison teams into a six to eight week programme focused on problem-solving and support. In six months, 100 referrals were made, with 85 per cent engagement. The pilot has been evaluated and embedded into the mental health pathway. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.

South Cambridgeshire District Council set up the Zero Carbon Communities (ZCC) Grant scheme to harness local action and enthusiasm, build local community networks and to enable this through a consistent and sustainable funding approach.

Community development officers working for Redcar & Cleveland Council developed community orchards in East Cleveland. As part of this scheme, members of the community are trained to graft and care for trees.

The London Borough of Barnet secured Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding (PSDS1 and PSDS3) from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures in public buildings, including offices, schools, libraries and community services, with a focus on heat pumps.