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.
The Best Start Family Hubs transformation is building on successful outreach efforts, including funding for voluntary organisations, targeted home learning, and community development programmes. These programmes aim to reach families in need, by providing services closer to their communities. The transformation is also focusing on capturing improvements in outcomes through family feedback surveys, case studies, and data tracking, with the goal of better connecting families with hub services and measuring the impact on individual children and families.
Barking Riverside is an ambitious new development along the Thames Estuary, in an area that has historically seen limited investment. Multiple partners are currently delivering new homes, rail and river transport links, schools and services. As part of the development, a new health hub is being planned in an area where there is currently no GP provision.
To unlock the land needed for new housing, the existing school on the site had to remain operational while a new one was built. This required a complex, two-phase construction process, significantly increasing costs and threatening the viability of the entire scheme. In March 2021, a £900,000 capital grant from the Land Release Fund (LRF) - part of the One Public Estate programme - helped to make EdCity possible. The grant funded demolition of the old school and nursery buildings, removing a major financial barrier and enabling the project to continue.
Durham has participated in the National Recruitment Campaign for three years, as the North East region was involved in the regional Pilot back in quarter one in 2024. The four resourcing leads have extensively leveraged the LGA Campaign Toolkit to address longstanding recruitment challenges.
Oliver Bikar, a Learning Support Assistant / Job Coach Apprentice at Coventry City Council approached the Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2026 event with a clear sense of purpose - to challenge himself, connect with others, and bring his real-world experience of working with people into a new and dynamic setting.
When Victoria Grant first considered applying for the Local Government Apprentice of the Year event 2026, she had the same doubts many apprentices experience. Would she know enough? Did she have enough experience? Would she be able to contribute? Yet her experience quickly taught her an important lesson: the event is not about being an expert; it is about bringing your own skills, experiences and perspectives and applying them as part of a team.
Victoria Deacon, Assistant Director for People & Corporate Services, nominated Jay Chauhan, a Level 3 Health and Safety apprentice at Leicester City Council, for the Local Government Apprentice of the Year 2026 event in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to the Health and Safety Team.
One of this year’s Local Government Apprentice of the Year runners up is Katy Howlett, a level 3 Business Administrator apprentice at Plymouth City Council who began her journey into local government just eight months ago, when she secured an apprenticeship at The Box, Plymouth.