Local Government Disability Champions Network: Good practice case studies

The Local Government Disability Champions Network (LGDCN) commissioned this report, written by the Disability Policy Centre, and funded by UK Government, to capture current and emerging practice taking place in local authorities across England and Wales who are demonstrating positive approaches to embedding co-production with Disabled officers and elected members across their areas of work.

12 Dec 2024

Introduction

In December 2023, the Local Government Association launched the Local Government Disability Champions Network (LGDCN). A network of both officers and members from councils across England and Wales, the LGDCN meets to discuss shared challenges, learn from good practice, and contribute ideas, both locally and nationally, in order to:

promote the importance of an inclusive local government sector and raise awareness of how barriers to the inclusion of Disabled people in local government might be addressed
promote the voice of Disabled people across local government through an ethos of “nothing about us without us”
promote an ethos of sector-led improvement through identifying and sharing good practice as well as identifying and supporting efforts to improve poor practice.

The LGDCN commissioned this report, written by the Disability Policy Centre and funded by UK Government, to capture current and emerging practice taking place in local authorities across England and Wales who are demonstrating positive approaches to embedding co-production with Disabled officers and elected members across some or all of their areas of work. The aim is to establish and share what “good” looks like in this area of work and to share the outcomes from this research with the wider local government sector.

The report brings together nine case studies which evidence how co-production with Disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions has improved outcomes for Disabled members and/or officers within each respective council. Although the focus of this research is on outcomes for people working within local authorities, many case studies also touch on wider benefits of these projects for the relevant organisations and/or their communities.

With one exception, the case studies were collated through interviews with officers and members in councils across England and Wales. Most of the interviewees were the people who were driving change from the inception of the relevant project. The interviewees were asked about their work and how it came about, what barriers they faced and the enablers that enabled them to address these barriers, as well as their vision for the future and advice that they would give to other councils.

From building successful staff networks, to shaping accessible planning policies, these case studies offer approaches for consideration by members and officers from other local authorities who wish to further develop their approaches to accessibility, and reduce barriers for Disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions within their local authority.

Methodology

Case studies were collated from councils across England and Wales. These councils and case studies were selected from a set of variables including:

council type
geography
a mix of political control.

We identified the case studies using a variety of methods. Some were nominated by members of the Local Government Disability Champions Network. Others were sourced through both the Disability Policy Centre and the Local Government Association’s existing networks. Each case study was chosen to highlight and share existing positive practices with the sector and to act as a good practice resource going forward. They are not intended to form an exhaustive list of good practice in this area. Similarly, being chosen as a case study for this report does not mean that a local authority may not have more work to do to further develop accessibility and inclusivity for Disabled people, and those with long-term health conditions.

Each case study was collated through interviews with key contacts in each local authority – either elected members and/or officers, most of whom were instrumental in establishing the respective change that has been documented, leading it from the outset. In the cases where the original key people have now moved on, those interviewed were the officers and members currently responsible for each respective policy area. Eight interviews were carried out between March and May 2024, by one member of staff from the Disability Policy Centre with one case study provided by the Local Government Association. For accessibility reasons, most interviews were conducted virtually with the respective member and/or officer responsible for the project highlighted.

Examples range from the expansion of Disabled staff networks, and leadership schemes for Disabled councillors, to practical examples of where strong leadership has influenced significant practical changes to planning policies, council meetings or employment practices. All examples are ones where a councillor or officer with lived experience has been instrumental in driving this change.

Each case study includes information about barriers to progress, and how they were overcome, as well as who the key enablers were within the council who helped make change happen. They offer lessons learned and advice for others who wish to make progress on driving forward progress for Disabled people within their local authority. Next steps and visions for the future in each local authority are highlighted, including key contacts for further information.

Thematic analysis

The challenge

Disabled People, and people with long-term health conditions, are significantly under-represented at all levels of public life. Disabled people make up one in five of the population in the United Kingdom, however, the LGA’s National Census of local authority councillors in 2022 found that only 15.5 per cent of local councillors had a disability or long-term health condition. The Disability Policy Centre’s ‘Breaking Down Barriers’ report, found that out of 650 MPs elected in 2019, only eight have declared that they have an impairment or long-term health condition.

Barriers also exist for Disabled people in work, who are statistically less likely to be both recruited and retained as employees. The Disability Employment Gap is currently 28.9 per cent in the UK. Despite interventions from Government, this number has remained largely unchanged over recent years.

Local authorities across the country are therefore faced with a number of challenges. In addition to meeting their statutory duties under the Equality Act, how do they ensure that their local communities are inclusive, and that residents who are Disabled, or have long-term health conditions, are represented and feel a part of shaping their communities for the better? This challenge runs in parallel, and is directly linked, to seeking to increase the numbers of Disabled councillors that are elected to represent their communities and efforts to improve the diversity of their workforce by recruiting, supporting and improving the experiences of Disabled staff who work at the council as officers.

These case studies highlight examples of where co-produced approaches have ensured that progress has been made to change things for the better, improving outcomes for Disabled officers, councillors and ultimately, the residents that they serve.

The response

The case studies highlighted in this report showcase examples where councillors and officers across the country have shown leadership by using co-produced approaches to improve outcomes for Disabled people and those with long-term health conditions working in local government. Although each case study was very different, the approach taken to create change was consistent.

Each example highlights where an officer or a councillor has used their lived experience of disability to highlight an issue and has worked with other people with lived experience to co-produce a new approach. Building relationships with key stakeholders right across the council, and with senior leaders in particular, to set the wheels in motion to change things for the better was key to success. By using local and national disability data and working with disability groups and charities to support advocacy, each project resulted in either a senior manager or political leader being influenced in a way which led to meaningful change in the local authority. In many cases, this approach created a virtuous cycle, with co-production and the benefit of lived experience being foregrounded as a result of senior leaders developing a better understanding of disability issues.

The impact

Each project highlighted in this report has resulted in significant policy changes at council level and within the culture of the organisation as a whole. The outcomes have varied from improved employment practices for Disabled people and carers, and an increase in accessible homes built in the community, to radical shifts in the way that Disabled people are represented through transformational working groups and community involvement.

Looking at the case studies as a whole, the key impacts can be grouped into three thematic areas: employment, political and community. Impacts ranged from the primarily internal (staff networks providing support across the council) to the primarily external (transport systems improved across the region). Employment and politically-focused impacts skewed more internal, with some external impacts, whereas community-focused impacts were by their nature more external. Most case studies evidenced both internal and external impacts, with impacts falling into more than one thematic area.

Employment-focused impacts

Thriving staff networks providing support across the council
Inclusive recruitment practices
Employment practices to support unpaid carers

Politically-focused impacts

Culture change across the council
Influencing committees to research education and employment outcomes
Greater diversity of candidates selected

Community-focused impacts

Change in policy to increase accessible housing
Transport systems improved across region

Although the representation of Disabled people both as local councillors and in the local government workforce has a long way to go, these case studies have each highlighted that with motivation, allies, relationship building and data-led influencing, a culture change throughout a council, to become more inclusive and accessible for Disabled people, both staff and residents alike, is possible.

Barriers

The main barriers identified through the research were time and budgetary constraints, as well as being able to persuade both political leaders and senior managers of the importance of this work. Often, such as in the example of staff networks, Disabled people were expected to drive forward changes in addition to their existing roles and were usually not paid extra for their time working on these projects – even though making progress in championing accessibility ultimately benefits the whole council and its reputation. Learning to influence through both data-led research, as well as building strong relationships, often helped overcome these barriers. Tackling misconceptions about disability and making accessibility work ‘fit’ into a political or corporate environment were other key challenges.

Enablers

Persuading senior leaders of the importance of this work was key. In nearly every case study conducted, the key enablers were political or managerial leaders who were instrumental in providing the right environment for change to happen. Other key enablers were departmental ‘Champions’ or service area ‘Priority leads’ who had a focus on accessibility as part of that role.

What was most important, however, was that the culture and leadership of the organisation gave Disabled members and officers the platform to lead and drive these changes through and encouraged and supported a co-produced approach. In each successful case study, it is members and officers with lived experience who have been given the platform by staff, leaders and managers, to drive through these changes, often with support from allies and external community groups.

Lessons learned

Relationships are key

Given the importance of leadership in driving change, and the understanding of the importance of accessibility from senior leaders and managers, building relationships with senior leaders was key in nearly every successful case study. Interviewees reflected that using several different modes and channels for influencing also increased the chances of success. They advised that anyone looking to create change in this area should not be afraid to be direct, stress the importance of upholding the legal obligations in Equality Act, and speak truth to power to “get to where you need to be”. They also noted that investing in maintaining relationships and continuing to “bang the drum” about disability issues are important in order to influence change over time.

Use data effectively

Many case studies highlighted that a key barrier where budgets are constrained can be the tendency of decision makers to push back and question the importance of accessibility projects. Using data effectively to make the case for change to senior officers and/or members was the key to rebutting these challenges. This included national disability data highlighting key issues that Disabled people face or sharing the results of staff and local residents’ surveys that focus attention on the strength of feeling amongst those with lived experience and showcase the importance of making significant change.

Build allies to advocate

Building a network of allies in other members and officers and encouraging a more open dialogue around disability within the council was another key recommendation from this research. A model where one person, or a small number of people, took the lead in rallying others around the issue, not only helped others to become involved but helped ensure the sustainability of the work in the long-term. Fostering relationships with Disabled people and disability charities and community groups in the local area is also key. They are a valuable source of support in making the case for change to decision makers and building momentum to continue to drive accessibility measures forward.