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 demonstrates how a single, dedicated role can act as a catalyst for system-wide change—ensuring Service children are not only supported, but recognised, connected and able to thrive.
OSCAR (Orchestrated Service & Citizen AI Router) is a vendor agnostic, strength-based framework designed to provide a single digital front door for local government services.
North Northamptonshire is a largely rural unitary authority in the East Midlands. It emerged from local government reorganisation (LGR) on 1 April 2021. The council has established a performance and intelligence team, which provides bespoke data analysis and reporting support for adult social care, children’s services, education, and corporate services.
A Service Improvement Plan to address and end street homelessness for an identified cohort of individuals experiencing long-term (six plus months) rough sleeping.
Planning teams across the country are under growing pressure, facing growing backlogs, tight deadlines, and staffing constraints. Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) responded to these pressures by piloting Valon, an AI platform designed to support planning officers from validation through to decision, for 3 months from October to December 2025.
Growing backlogs, tightening deadlines, staffing pressures and a national push to accelerate house building mean that officers in Local Planning Authorities are under increasing levels of pressure. To address these pressures, Leeds City Council collaborated with Xylo for over six months, to co-design, test and launch Xylo Core, an AI workspace that is designed to help planning officers do their best work.
In August 2024, Bradford Council, along with Norfolk and West Northamptonshire Councils, partnered with CC2i and Bullet AI to collaboratively co-produce and pilot a new Adult Social Care (ASC) front door solution using AI Digital Assistants. This approach has been live with all three collaborating councils for six months and is now a product called AIDA.
Each district in West Yorkshire has benefited from a year of culture, concluding with Bradford as UK City of Culture in 2025. Plans for 2026 and onwards have been co-designed with districts and wider stakeholders including arms-length bodies.
Nottingham City Council developed its first Best Start Strategy (2025–2035) through co production with partners, parents, caregivers and children to tackle inequalities and improve outcomes from pre conception to age five, using data and lived experience to shape a child centred, preventative approach.