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.
Feel Good in the Forest is a social prescribing initiative from Forestry England and Sport England, designed to support people with mild to moderate health conditions through nature-based activities. It is delivered at four forests including Chopwell Wood, Gateshead, and Thames Chase, London. It helps local communities improve their wellbeing by engaging with nature and physical activity. Forestry England has worked with Havering Council and Gateshead Council to help address local population health need, support the delivery of strategic priorities and connect more people with nature for their wellbeing.
Through our connections with primary care colleagues, we were asked to support local care homes with the delivery of physical activity for their residents.
As part of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Sport England Active Practice accreditation, which encourages GP surgeries to increase physical activity in both staff and patients, Active Together have worked with over 20 surgeries to deliver patient health walks.
Active Together sits on the Leicestershire Learning Disability Partnership Board, and in collaboration with its members, plus residents with learning disabilities, co-designed our first ’Easy Read’ Guide.
The Health Equity Teams (HET) programme in Lewisham was developed to address racial health inequalities identified in the Birmingham and Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities (BLACHIR) report.
The Public Health team within Hackney Council is working with partners across maternity and children’s services to promote holistic awareness and support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)--an often overlooked and underdiagnosed health condition affecting children and families exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
The Champs Public Health Collaborative is a ground-breaking model of collaborative leadership, with its nine councils and the NHS working together to tackle health inequalities across the sub region.