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.
This case study details the implementation of the Starting Reception resource throughout Tower Hamlets Family Hubs as part of the School Readiness Programme.
Who Let The Dads Out? is a national network of community groups that give fathers and father figures regular, welcoming spaces to spend quality time with their children. Launched in 2003 at Hoole Baptist Church in Chester, the model has grown to over 175 groups across the UK.
Babyzone works in partnership with Family Hubs across multiple local authorities to provide integrated, preventative early years support for families with babies. By embedding Family Hub practitioners and programmes within trusted Babyzone community settings, families are able to access early help, parenting support, health advice and wellbeing services in one welcoming space.
The health visiting service operates on a ‘Universal in Reach – Personalised in Response model with four levels of service: community, universal, targeted and specialist support.
Bristol City Council is keen for there to be ‘no wrong front door’ for families seeking to access support and provision. To increase accessibility to Family Hubs and the breadth of support available, their Family Hub Programme has sought to partner with the local VCFSE sector, who are already supporting families in the city through sustainable, trusted relationships and grassroots projects.
This case study summarises a learning exchange between Bradford Children and Families Trust and Oxfordshire County Council . The discussion was initiated by Oxfordshire County Council, who were keen to learn from Bradford’s approach as they reflect on the future development of their own Best Start Family Hubs and parenting offer.
Hackney is taking a system-wide approach to becoming a Father Friendly Borough, embedding father inclusion across Children and Family Hubs rather than treating it as a specialist add-on. The Needs Assessment provided a clear mandate: if we want better outcomes for children and families, fathers must be actively welcomed, engaged and supported.
This case study details how CELT’s civic strategy aims to foster a community response and approach to improving outcomes for children in the mid Cornwall area. To capture this learning an interview took place with Claire Bunting Director of Reach for CELT, led by Ann Van Dyke.
The Old Kent Road Family Zone (OKRFZ) is a groundbreaking community-led initiative transforming how local government addresses health inequalities in one of London's most under resourced areas. Facilitated by Surrey Square Primary School (part of the Big Education Trust) and funded by Impact on Urban Health, the zone operates on a radical principle: working 'with' communities rather than 'for' or 'to' them. By placing children, families and residents at the heart of decision-making, OKRFZ is creating sustainable, systemic change that tackles the root causes of poor health and wellbeing.