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.
The Edge Café in Cambridge provides support to people recovering from substance misuse and those with mental health problems by running recovery groups and providing opportunities for volunteering.
At the beginning of the Covid 19 vaccination programme, the emphasis was on vaccinating people most at risk from the virus, as well as frontline workers who were working directly with them. This was mainly older people, but also included clinically extremely vulnerable people too.
The #ReduceDomesticAbuse campaign was initiated by Doncaster Youth Council as a result of the UK Youth Parliament Make Your Mark ballot, and also coincided with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s plans to develop a domestic abuse prevention campaign.
Being a young carer can significantly affect a pupil’s education and mental health with little time to do homework, coursework or socialise with friends. In Leeds routine screening of pupils has begun to identify those who have caring responsibilities and to support them a dedicated pathway has been established to improve links between school nurses and other services. This case study showcases the important role of school nurses in the education system.
Sheffield City Council has used government funding to set up a specialist multi agency support team, which works alongside the access and inclusion service to help keep the most vulnerable children in school by providing holistic support to the whole family.
A drop-in clinic has been established for street-based sex workers in Southend, providing them with access to mental health and sexual health workers and a nurse prescriber. It is part of a wider strategy that has been developed to provide better support to this community of women.
Swindon Borough Council’s public health team has worked with the two organisations which provide in-reach services into prisons to develop a new residential rehab pathway for women when they leave a prison estate.
The London borough of Kingston has worked with local partners to set up the Kingston Women’s Hub to help women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. Alongside crisis support, it offers a holistic range of individual and community support to help women thrive.
The Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention (SP) team have been conducting unique research into the links between domestic abuse (DA) and suicide since 2019. Using Real Time Suicide Surveillance (RTSS) data supplied by Kent Police, our research has shown that approximately 30 per cent of all suspected suicides in Kent and Medway between January 2019 and January 2022 have been impacted by domestic abuse (either as a victim, perpetrator or as a young person. affected by the abuse). This case study was done jointly with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and forms part of our suicide prevention resource.
Mansfield Museum successfully obtained funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to undertake the Creative Women Together project. This holistic and therapeutic project gives women at risk a special creative experience they can be proud of.