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.
Banbury Heights Nursing Home has been recruiting overseas nurses since 2003. We spoke to Charles Taylor from Banbury Heights about his experience of overseas recruitment. In 2021 recruitment expanded to include senior carers and since then Banbury Heights have sponsored 18 senior carers over three sites. With 150 employees this represents 12 per cent of the workforce.
Our 'Supporting councils with business engagement' report captured learning from councils' contact with businesses over the course of the pandemic and their plans going forward. Gloucestershire County Council was one example. In 2021, they adopted a new approach to engage with businesses to better understand the issues impacting the county.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The public has got used to using and ordering rapid tests themselves. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has focused its efforts on targeting its support towards those most in need. Key to this has been its mobile testing unit.
One of the key challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic response has been ensuring that all communities have equitable access to guidance as well as addressing the issue of misinformation and myths.
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.
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.