Case studies

Two neighbourhoods of Teignbridge District Council were awarded Garden Community Status in 2019. Residents were offered the opportunity to be part of the plans to build vibrant, green neighbourhoods but the pandemic disrupted face-to-face engagement. Determined to involve local people in the project, the council pioneered a set of digital initiatives, the success of which has given Teignbridge Council the confidence to explore other ways to increase resident participation.

Rather than accepting that fewer financial resources mean poorer services, Darlington has shown that with the right approach, residents can be engaged in a way which not only helps maintain service levels but brings the community together.

Exeter City Council has created Wellbeing Exeter, a strategic alliance with Devon County Council and Sport England, which aims to link up community, healthcare and wellbeing services, and to reinforce local assets which might strengthen wellbeing outcomes.

The strategic approach taken by Warwickshire County Council demonstrates how children and young people’s involvement in policy and decision making can be grown and embedded across a council.

Bright Minds, Big Futures (BMBF) is a youth-led movement working together with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to make the borough a great place to grow up.

Oldham Youth Council (OYC) prepared and presented a motion to full council for the council to pay the prescription charges for care leavers for whom they are corporate parents.

The Pan London Care Leavers Offer forms part of the work by the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services (ALDCS) and is led by a strategic working group of policy makers from ALDCS, London Councils, Partnership for Young London (PYL) and The Greater London Authority.

As part of Leicester's participation strategy, young people who are looked after by the local authority or who are care leavers can become Care Experienced Consultants (CEC).

The Youth Combined Authority is a group of young people who have the role of advising on and scrutinising the work of the mayor and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority on key issues and concerns of young people in the community.

Youth Voice is a project taking place in East Suffolk, in the East of England. The initiative forms part of East Suffolk Council’s enabling communities strategy, and is run by the Communities Team.