Case studies

Caroline Preston from North of Tyne Combined Authority and Holly Shiel-Redfern from Explain Market Research discuss what 'good work' means to them and what can be done to support it at a local level.

Middlesbrough Council noted the challenging environments and high-pressure decision-making requirements of the councillor role and decided to provide councillors with tools to support their wellbeing, including a tailored forum for councillors to raise concerns and access to 1-2-1 support and the council's staff wellbeing offer.

Telford & Wrekin Council are keen to support their manufacturing businesses to become greener. To build growth and prosperity for the long term, the Telford business community needs to be able to access support to enable them to reduce their carbon footprint, localise supply chains and decarbonise their infrastructure network. By operating sustainably, the Telford & Wrekin manufacturing sector can build resilience to recent variables such as the UK’s net zero ambition and the global desire for sustainable manufacturing.

Following the disbanding of Connexions as a national service in 2012, Kirklees Council continued to make significant local investments in Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG), NEET prevention activities and post-16 tracking. With the exception of York, Kirklees and Calderdale have the lowest combined NEET and not known rates in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Derbyshire County Council's holistic approach to supporting communities means that support for harder to reach young people is embedded within several wider schemes or programmes of support. This includes through the Thriving Communities programme.

Tees Valley Combined Authority aims to grow the local economy by focusing on transforming education, employment and skills across the area. Their Routes to Work pilot has supported almost 4,000 people and helped nearly 800 back into employment across the Tees Valley.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk work with Suffolk County Council to support the efforts happening in their region to meet the skills agenda. When required they build on this work to develop, or fund initiatives, such as The Mix, which helps young people to develop life skills. Or, through their Careeriosity event, which offer careers advice and guidance to adults, helping them to gain employment.

Hartlepool Council’s Economic Growth Team are responsible for directly growing the Hartlepool economy by supporting new and existing businesses. In addition, the team manage the council’s creative industries managed workspace facility ‘The BIS’ which was developed to specifically address the needs of the growing creative sector in Hartlepool. A research study was commissioned to map out a route to enhance and grow opportunities in the creative economy which would add to the ambitions for the BIS to become ‘the home of creativity’ in Hartlepool.

As part of the LGA’s Economic Growth Advisers programme Kada Research were commissioned to assess Burnley’s current digital connectivity and what networks, skills and technologies might best support digital growth across the borough. It involved a desk-based review, insights from elsewhere and a business telephone survey with 109 local firms. It culminated in a five-point digital action plan that, when implemented, would place Burnley well to exploit new digital opportunities.