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.
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 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.
Developing a cost of living action plan at Kirklees Council has been a joint effort between the public health and corporate policy teams, with strong councillor involvement.
City of York Council has introduced a “Quickwins” Energy Efficiency Support Service to support its tenants with improving the energy efficiency of their homes and reducing the cost of fuel bills.
Inequity, the systematic difference in health outcomes of populations due to avoidable antecedent factors [1], can be reduced by redistributing public resources.
West and East Midlands ADASS with Herefordshire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council Nottinghamshire County Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Councils and supported living providers in the council areas developed a pilot project to work with supported living providers and partners in the NHS to help social care staff to identify the signs that someone with a learning disability is deteriorating and work with NHS staff to get the person the care they need in this situation.
Poverty prevention and alleviation is a priority for East Devon District Council. The council set up a working panel in 2020 to lead the creation of a poverty strategy and action plan, and then to monitor progress against it. The strategy has five objectives – including to help people on low incomes build financial resilience and reduce indebtedness.
Commissioners from Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent and Telford and Wrekin councils worked together to jointly tender for sexual health and HIV services. The move has had a variety of advantages, allowing the three areas to benefit from economies of scale and better partnership working with each other and the provider for the benefit of the patients.
In East Riding a mobile sexual health clinic has been established, allowing staff to take services direct to where people are. It forms part of a multi-pronged approach to reach out to local people, especially the young.
Councils across the South West have pooled budgets to carry out research into why certain groups are not coming forward for the HIV-preventative treatment PrEP. The findings of the exercise are now being used to run a social marketing campaign which will be tailored towards those groups and individuals who are least likely to come forward to access PrEP. PrEP is a pill which prevents infection with HIV by stopping the virus from replicating.