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.
With research showing that girls between 16 and 24 are at the highest risk of domestic abuse, Enfield Council developed an emotive and educational campaign to help young women to recognise the signs and seek help. Head of Communications David Greely explains what they did.
Leicestershire’s school nursing service has set up a text messaging service for secondary school pupils. It has helped the service engage hard-to-reach groups with pupils reporting it makes them feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues.
Dudley is a predominantly urban borough in the West Midlands, with five main towns interspersed with smaller towns and urban villages. It has a population of around 313,000 people, and a mix of affluent and disadvantaged areas. Nearly a quarter of the population live in areas that are in the 20 per cent most deprived in England.
Leeds City Council and partners are working on a ‘breakthrough project’ on early intervention and reducing health inequalities through linking integrated healthy living services, community development, GP social prescribing, NHS Health Check, and a range of other community activity with
clear referral pathways.
Key among this has been the adoption of a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach by the public health directorate, which aims to maximise how health and wellbeing interventions and outcomes are integrated across the council.
Working with schools is, of course, an essential part of tackling teenage pregnancy. Investing in good quality relationships and sex education is something many areas have done, but Bristol City Council has taken that a step further by establishing a network of drop-in sessions in secondary schools.
North Tyneside has seen a significant reduction in the teenage pregnancy rate of 74 per cent since 1998. At the heart of North Tyneside Council’s success has been its partnership working which has allowed it to make great strides in creating youth-friendly services.
Public health curriculum adviser Alice Cruttwell has developed the programme for years 1 to 11 over the past six years with the aim of not only tackling teenage pregnancy, but also addressing safeguarding issues and improving the self-confidence and selfesteem of young people too.