Case studies

Cornwall’s Scrutiny Commission’s review of child and adolescent mental health services was instrumental in ensuring the development of the subsequent Child and Adolescent Mental Health Strategy for Cornwall.

Collaborating with Children’s Services in the LGA Family Hubs Peer Review, Dorset Library Service began to explore how we could develop our contribution to the Best Start in Life* and Dorset Council’s: Our Children, Young People’s and Families Plan 2020-2023.

A pilot mentoring scheme for young people aged 11-18 living or attending school in the Sevenoaks district created in 2021, initially established in response to the effects of Covid-19 on the mental health of young people.

Strategic support for the work has been established and strong partnership working is in place with the voluntary sector. During 2016/17 schools in Shropshire received training on LGBT-inclusive RSE delivered by the Sex Education Forum funded by the Government’s Equalities Unit. This case study is an example of the many pro-active and positive approaches which local authorities are taking to support inclusive RSE.

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.

To date, SkillsHouse has supported more than 1,000 unemployed people to find work, while the wider Get Bradford Working programme has helped over 3,000 people into employment.

Like all areas, the results are fed back to schools via email and hard copies sent through the post. But two years ago the council decided to do more to link it in with the healthy weight programmes they were beginning to run.

Children in Lancashire and Cumbria have poorer dental health compared to children in other parts of England. The Smile4Life programme was developed in partnership with local authorities to address this problem.

Like many areas, Solihull has a comprehensive support programme in place for children identified as overweight and obese through NCMP. But with over 18 per cent of local children with overweight or with obesity in reception year, the programme has also prompted the council to start considering what can be done to support children pre-school. This case study forms part of our resource on the National Child Measurement Programme.

‘Grow our own’ is an important ethos at Somerset Council. T Level placements are one element of a variety of early career routes into the council, and T Level opportunities are making the council an attractive local employer to young people.