Case studies

Like many local authorities across the country, one of the challenges facing Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council as part of its COVID-19 recovery planning, was adapting and advancing its existing commitment to developing its towns and local centres.

‘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.

At the start of the pandemic the council set up a homelessness cell - which led to many rough sleepers being encouraged off the streets and into accommodation.

The council and local NHS have identified social prescribing as a key priority in terms of encouraging self care. They are working with the Richmond Group of Charities and local partners to spread social prescribing equitably and sustainably across the county. This forms part of our resource on self care.

Community Employment Hubs have been set up in various locations across Somerset West and Taunton (SWT). The hubs offer flexible support to people who want to overcome personal barriers to their skills development and employment prospects. The holistic approach and ethos of the hubs contribute towards the confidence, self-esteem, social interaction, health and wellbeing of attendees. The hub model has proved to be a success and the aims are to develop and expand the provision to ten hubs across the district delivering employment, apprenticeships, skills development as well as training support and information by mid-2022.

Sounds Around is a game designed in partnership with Northumberland Care NHS Foundation Trust for care professionals to use with people with dementia or brain injury.

Get me to the CAB in time The two district councils of South Bucks and Chiltern are partnering with Citizens Advice Bureau and a local young homeless charity. They are providing debt management advice and helping young, previously homeless people become tenants through a specialist support worker.

As part of their fleet decarbonisation drive, the shared service between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Council took delivery of a fully electric Faun Zoeller E-Rotopress in July 2022. The councils are working to replace bin lorries with electric or alternative fuel vehicles as existing diesel trucks come to the end of their working lives.

South Cambridgeshire District Council set out a wide-ranging zero carbon strategy, outlining the many ways in which it is encouraging, supporting and influencing action on climate change in the district.