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.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is tackling the economic impacts of COVID-19 through a new Economic Renewal Action Plan, including a £2 million Prioritised Recovery Programme (PRP) of immediately deliverable action. The approach combines an evidence-based, strategy-led plan with practical action to tackle critical issues and gaps in support to accelerate recovery.
Liverpool City Council has partnered with its two Premier League football clubs to help engage local people in rapid testing. Testing sites have been stationed at the grounds of Liverpool and Everton, offering tests to supporters on match days.
At more than 5,000sq kilometres, Norfolk is one of the largest counties in England. To cover such a big area, the county council has set up a network of mobile testing teams rather than rely on static sites.
It has allowed the teams to target testing at the neighbourhoods with the most need as well as support local businesses and big events.
Barnsley Council declared a climate emergency in September 2019 with targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions in its own operations by 2040 and across the wider borough by 2045. The council’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan affirms the council’s commitment to embed a carbon reduction culture across the organisation. The council has a housing new-build programme, but energy efficiency measures included in properties have varied with no standard energy specification. The council wanted to work with a “critical friend” to review the specification and Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI) have carried out this role.
Hertfordshire County Council has successfully targeted a number of the marginalised groups included on the government’s at-risk list. Outreach work with the local traveller community was particularly successful with the public health team working with key influencers in the community to engage people through social media.
More than 100 locations, including parks, supermarkets and faith settings, have been visited – with thousands of test kits handed out to the most hard-to-reach communities.
East Devon District Council’s vision for clean growth and the ambition to transition to net zero is driving forward new investment opportunities and enabling the economy to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the challenges of the pandemic, the council is looking to capitalise on opportunities to provide greener, healthier, more vibrant places to live, work and learn.
This protocol is backed up by the development of a multi-agency case conference (MACC) approach to supporting victims of modern slavery identified through homelessness services. Last year, the approach was supplemented through the creation of a dedicated navigator post, based in The Passage, to support victims.
To address the affordable housing issue for staff, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), One Public Estate, The London Estates Delivery Unit (LEDU) and the Greater London Authority developed the Homes for NHS Staff toolkit.
In March 2023, Telford & Wrekin Council received notification of an impending Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inspection. This case study explores how the council turned a potentially high-pressure situation into a showcase of collaboration, clarity, and confidence and how communication played a vital role at every stage.