Case studies

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LHBF) made a commitment to work more closely with Disabled people to become a more inclusive and accessible borough. This led to the establishment of the independent Hammersmith & Fulham Disabled People’s Commission in 2016.

Councillor Steve Darling MP was able to use his lived experience as a Disabled person to change the culture within the council, raising awareness and working with other Disabled colleagues to reduce barriers for staff and councillors.

Holding council meetings online, first adopted in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns, has led to a greater diversity of elected councillors in this geographically large council area.

This case study explores the facilitation of the relocation of tenants affected by Large Panel System building safety concerns at a social housing estate which comprised of a tower block with over 120 homes.

As the number and regularity of Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) arriving in Sutton increases, the council have reviewed how best to support these young people in their community. The authority have looked at how the same high standards of support their social care team provides to all children and young people can be tailored to meet the particular needs of UASC.

Durham Council and the local police work collaboratively together to protect councillors from abuse and harassment.

Hounslow Council have set up a cross-organisational working group with expert representatives to help identify emerging issues and gaps in support and develop solutions that will help to prevent and deal with these issues when they arise.

North Lincolnshire Council has established a robust and effective relationship with the police. The police have nominated a senior officer to help the Monitoring Officer deal with incidents of abuse, harassment, and intimidation.

Kirklees Council took a practical approach to dealing with abuse and intimidation of candidates and councillors focusing on engaging more with the police on these issues.

Durham Council has developed a comprehensive social media toolkit that guides councillors on social media use.