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.
Using the Chatterbug programme in Knowsley; an area with one of the lowest educational attainment outcomes in England, to address speech, language and communication challenges, referrals to speech therapy services reduced by ninety percent in two years.
To reduce the injuries that young children from the most disadvantaged families suffer at home, a University of Nottingham research team worked closely with Nottingham’s Small Steps Big Changes team, children’s public health 0-19 nursing services, children’s centre staff, family mentors and parents to develop, deliver and measure the impact of the innovative Stay One Step Ahead programme.
We wanted to take a play-based approach for supporting rich parent/child interactions to help young children develop their speech, language and communication skills. We also wanted parents and carers to be aware of the positive impact they have on their child’s development and the simple everyday things that they can do to help.
Ready, Sett Go is a free physical development programme for nurseries and school reception classes. It’s a 10 week programme that uses physical activity and play to develop children’s fine and gross motor skills (large and small muscle movements). These skills are important for a child’s fundamental movements but also contribute to a wider range of developments such as writing and communication.
Healthy Movers is for children aged two to five years old. Through a range of physical play and activities, the programme aims to improve children’s physical literacy and development, and support their social and emotional wellbeing, which helps children gain a better start in life.
Hull City Council Healthy Lifestyles Team have designed and created a programme of early years provision to promote physical activity and movement at the earliest opportunity. The programme is designed to increase access to physical activity, provide opportunities to meet Chief Medical Officer guidelines and develop physical literacy with school readiness in mind.
Active Together unlocked funding from Leicestershire County Council to support the Early Years physical activity agenda. The aim was to equip early years practitioners with the skills, knowledge and confidence to provide physical development opportunities for children in Early Years settings.
We wanted to make accessing evidence-based parenting support easier for parents. We wanted to run programmes in local communities and schools, which parents would find available on their doorstep.