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.
Somerset County Council and Somerset CCG have been developing joined up care for several years, and this has accelerated through initiatives such as joint commissioning, an integrated data system, and the BCF programme. A model for ambitious, whole-system reform is now being developed
How public health became involved
When based in the PCT, public health was central to both NHS strategic planning and joint planning with the council. This role was maintained when it transferred to the council, with public health taking the lead for several aspects of the BCF and wider integration.
Hertfordshire based its work on topics jointly agreed as priorities rather than just what the public health team thought was important. Projects with too many barriers or dependencies were put back while higher priority and more deliverable projects were prioritised.
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the CCG are moving jointly towards an integrated outcomes-based adult community health and social care service. This aspiration now also includes mental health services and early thinking has started for children’s services
The reputation of the fire and rescue service in the public psyche means firefighters can often gain access to households where other services are turned away. This trusted status is enabling Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) to play a vital role in a Public Health England (PHE) pilot, aimed at reducing the winter pressure on NHS and local council services.
Cornwall’s tri-service officer project, which has now been picked up by Durham and Darlington Fire And Rescue Service, is a forerunner of the closer working relationship that is likely to develop between fire and police.
Firefighters in Humberside are providing the first response to reports of falls in the home in a pilot that is helping to reinvent the role of the fire service.
The new Furness Peninsula Blue Light Hub will accommodate not only the fire and rescue service, police and ambulance, but also other Cumbria County Council departments.
The tragedy of 13 separate fire deaths in one year has led to a transformation in how Dorset firefighters work with partner agencies to enable residents to live safely in their own homes.
Falls are responsible for more than four in 10 deaths in the home. Fires by comparison cause less than one in 10. So firefighters in Bury and Salford are playing their part in trying to reduce accidents by identifying those who are at risk of falling as part of their day-to-day work.