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.
St Basils housing association is commissioned to provide supported housing accommodation, alongside supporting young people in the community, by seven West Midlands councils for young people.
The London borough has launched a programme to improve the mental health of young black men. The three-year project involves work in schools, community outreach as well as training for frontline staff such as police. Barbers have also been given training to support their clients and refer into support services
Similarly, since its inception in 2022, Blackpool Researching Together (Blackpool’s Health Determinants Research Collaborative or HDRC) has committed to a model that has commissioned two community organisations to recruit community members to join the team as co-researchers. This approach provides paid roles for 10 youth and 10 adult community co-researchers.
When the contract to supply temporary staff came up for renewal, Luton Borough Council reviewed the existing approach against three priorities – ability to: generate additional savings, reinvest savings in council services, and to strengthen the permanent workforce.
The two London boroughs of Camden and Islington have used some of their suicide prevention funding to provide a dedicated psychotherapy service for young adults leaving care. Tailored support is delivered in community settings through a local voluntary sector partner, the Brandon Centre.
The FAST programme is funded by, and working in partnership with, Sport England. It was launched in 2018 and initially based in the targeted wards of Bicester and Kidlington with the aim to make it easier for families to access and enjoy physical activity and sport together.
The development of this offer involved working with parent carers, CYP, and community partners to produce a summer community offer. The offer was designed to ensure local families have opportunities to access positive activities, build networks and friendships, access excellent quality information and build their confidence of using universal services and exploring the Local Offer.