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.
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.
Research published in The Lancet in 2018 (Morgan et al) found that there is an elevated risk of suicide in older people who self-harm, yet older people do not always get access to specialist care. This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.
The Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding (SHDF) provided an opportunity for Milton Keynes City Council to develop a methodology for energy efficiency upgrades that would be scalable whilst utilising a street-level approach with Mears Group plc.
Housing retrofit is a highly important and effective programme of work and Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC) has been undertaking insulation work over the last two decades in response to government funding.
Lewes District Council adopted a new corporate plan in February 2020, following the declaration of a climate emergency in July 2019. The corporate plan, ‘Reimagining Lewes District’, set out the council’s ambitions to achieve net carbon zero whilst continuing to embed community wealth building principles within the district. This case study sets out how delivery has progressed since.
In December 2020, the East Lindsey District Council successfully secured £2.2million from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for Green Homes Grants. Over the next 18 months, a team was built, contractors were procured, and 192 properties received energy efficiency upgrades to help make them warmer, more affordable to run and less impactful on the environment through reduced carbon emissions.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 gave councils the responsibility for the licensing of scrap metal dealers and collectors, as well as the enforcement of the licensing regime alongside the police.
Ealing council's COVID-19 Vaccine Working Group made important decisions through analysing data on vaccine uptake in the borough to engage communities from low socio-economic groups and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Cheltenham Borough Council has deployed its Climate Impact Assessment Tool within internal decision making processes to ensure new projects and policies are aligned with the Council's commitment to climate action. The tool is designed to enable officers and decision-makers to easily evaluate the environmental and social impacts of projects and policies from the very start of decision-making and project development processes. This 'from day one' approach results in more robust, climate-friendly projects and earlier opportunities to mitigate and improve the social and climate impacts of the Council's projects.