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.
When certain groups of boaters in Wiltshire, and across the UK, were excluded from national energy bill support in 2022-23, Wiltshire Council’s Public Health team worked with UK Boaters for Energy Justice, a campaigning team of boaters, to successfully challenge the Government on missing energy bill support.
Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council worked together with local partners to explore and address the issues and drivers causing food insecurity in seven areas of high need.
Cornwall Council’s public health team have been looking at the experience of inclusion health groups including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and the sea fishing community. The aim is to better understand their health experiences and improve access to services and facilities.
Portsmouth City Council funds a project providing specialist support to rough sleepers with drug or alcohol issues and those at risk of rough sleeping. A multi-agency and multi-disciplinary team work in the community to help people access treatment, psychological support and accommodation.
Stainforth is a small town in South Yorkshire. This former mining community is located within the City of Doncaster local authority area and has a population of around 6,000. The Shaping Stainforth SPHL programme aims to take a complex system approach to improving the determinants of mental health in Stainforth by building on community strengths and assets.
The vision for inclusion health in the East Riding is to reduce health inequalities through ensuring equitable access to services and targeted engagement to marginalised communities. This means working proactively with groups at higher risk of poor health outcomes to raise awareness of healthcare and facilitate access to it, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve positive health outcomes.
Wiltshire includes 65 kilometres of the Kennet and Avon Canal and is home to a vibrant and diverse ‘boater’ community. Wiltshire Council’s public health team has been working with them to find out more about this unique way of life.
Newham Council, along with its partners, is adopting a complex systems approach to building food security among young people aged 11 to 19. Nutrition plays a crucial role during adolescence, the second-fastest growth phase after the first two years of life, and is vital for long-term adult health. Food insecurity is a major contributor to poor health outcomes, and Newham’s goal is to shift how food insecurity interventions are framed, designed and delivered for this age group.
Shropshire’s focus centred on reframing food insecurity, helping people to maximise their incomes, and bringing communities and organisations together to co-create solutions. These key levers were identified from learning about the issue locally and developing a Theory of Change informed by this understanding.
In the London boroughs of Camden, Islington and Haringey, a long-established sexual health promotion outreach team provides a trusted gateway linking sex workers with other services.