Case studies

St Albans city and district council helped the NHS set up a much-needed vaccination centre in a building which until December, was operating as a nightclub.

The council-owned railway museum, Steam, has been turned into a mass vaccination centre for the town.

Gloucestershire County Council set up a rapid testing centre at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester in early December, before launching one in the community.

Research and engagement is at the heart of our COVID-19 response and our Recovery Citizens Panel is one of the best examples of our approach. Representative of the diversity of our borough, it was formed to rapidly turn around insight to drive our strategic decision-making processes.

Waltham Forest has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help slow down the local rise in cases, the council launched a Stay Safe Champions scheme. First out on the streets, and now online, council officers and local volunteers have been directly engaging with residents, with the goal of informing, reassuring and supporting them. In parallel, our Play Safe Champions have been out on popular playgrounds to make sure children can safely access outdoor spaces and exercise.

Whilst COVID-19 is having significant impacts on the lives of residents and the city region of Greater Manchester as a whole, we know that the nature and extent of these impacts are not being evenly experienced across the population. National research into these issues exists but lacks the level of detail authorities in Greater Manchester knew they needed to identify those affected most, the issues they face, the support they need, and do determine how best communications and support should be targeted.

Dr Michelle Constable, Head of the Behaviour Change Unit at Hertfordshire County Council, outlines their approach to countering vaccine hesitancy.

As part of our work with the Early Years sector and the Food Environment through the Childhood Obesity Trailblazer programme (COTP) we decided to consult with providers (childminders, day care, after school clubs) to establish levels of knowledge, awareness, confidence and skills regarding food and nutrition. Our aim was to set a baseline from responses to help us measure progress and success against our overall project objectives. We also wanted to identify the needs of the Early Years sector and any further support required in relation to the food environment, adopting a whole systems approach.

This case study is an example of the practical use of asset-based approaches in communities.

This case study is an example of the practical use of asset-based approaches in communities.