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.
Southwark Council launched a free mental wellbeing advice and support service during the first lockdown for children and young people which offered drop-in support and one-to-one services.
Wandsworth Council is committed to supporting residents through cost of living pressures and has developed a range of immediate actions through a community-focused cost of living programme.
Children and young people's mental health has been deteriorating increasingly fast since the COVID pandemic and has become a key area of concern for local authorities.
Traditional forms of consultation were not proving effective at reaching the diverse communities of Walworth, an area of Southwark undergoing rapid change. Working with a range of stakeholders, Southwark Council set out to have place-based conversations with as wide a range of local residents as possible.
A pilot mentoring scheme for young people aged 11-18 living or attending school in the Sevenoaks district created in 2021, initially established in response to the effects of Covid-19 on the mental health of young people.
Birmingham City Council’s public health team wanted a new way to engage with the different faith communities in their area. Recognising the innately personal nature of faith and health, the council developed a series of community profiles which reflected the individual faiths and their practices.
During COVID-19, misinformation circulated among communities and there was some distrust of the council. Communities reported feeling disengaged from official sources. Through Community Champions - trusted voices from the community - Staffordshire County Council has built trust and capability within communities and used existing community networks to relay important health information.
Stroud District Council has fundamentally shifted its approach to community engagement. Having learned during COVID-19 that some communities were stepping into frontline service delivery without the necessary skills; the council focused on building capability within communities.