Innovation in local government is about improving the lives of the people in our
communities. Browse through our case studies to see the many innovative programmes councils are involved
in.
Wigan Council and partners implemented a targeted, insight-led programme to increase uptake of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine in response to rising measles cases and declining vaccination coverage.
North Northamptonshire is a largely rural unitary authority in the East Midlands. It emerged from local government reorganisation (LGR) on 1 April 2021. The council has established a performance and intelligence team, which provides bespoke data analysis and reporting support for adult social care, children’s services, education, and corporate services.
Each district in West Yorkshire has benefited from a year of culture, concluding with Bradford as UK City of Culture in 2025. Plans for 2026 and onwards have been co-designed with districts and wider stakeholders including arms-length bodies.
Growing backlogs, tightening deadlines, staffing pressures and a national push to accelerate house building mean that officers in Local Planning Authorities are under increasing levels of pressure. To address these pressures, Leeds City Council collaborated with Xylo for over six months, to co-design, test and launch Xylo Core, an AI workspace that is designed to help planning officers do their best work.
In August 2024, Bradford Council, along with Norfolk and West Northamptonshire Councils, partnered with CC2i and Bullet AI to collaboratively co-produce and pilot a new Adult Social Care (ASC) front door solution using AI Digital Assistants. This approach has been live with all three collaborating councils for six months and is now a product called AIDA.
Nottingham City Council developed its first Best Start Strategy (2025–2035) through co production with partners, parents, caregivers and children to tackle inequalities and improve outcomes from pre conception to age five, using data and lived experience to shape a child centred, preventative approach.
Citizens for Culture demonstrates how cultural policy can be reshaped when citizens are placed at the heart of decision‑making. In the West of England, a diverse group of residents came together through a region‑wide Citizens’ Assembly to rethink how culture is experienced, valued and governed.
The Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024-2027 was developed to put this commitment into action. It was inspired by a clear ambition: to create the conditions in which all residents can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Liverpool is committed to reducing rates of violence within the city and caring for prisoners and their families. Their Prison Parenting and Engagement Lead has successfully integrated a number of programmes within HMP Altcourse that support not only fathers serving sentences, but their children at all stages of development, from antenatal to school age.