Councils join new network to tackle social problems

Twenty councils have joined a new network to help tackle the underlying causes of social problems.

The Upstream Collaborative has been developed by Nesta and Collaborate CIC to provide a ‘new space’ for councils to share ideas and best practice with each other.

Among the councils involved are Denbighshire County Council, which is taking a multi-agency approach to tackling entrenched and spreading deprivation in one of the most deprived areas of Wales.

The 20 councils involved in the Upstream Collaborative are:

• London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
• Barnsley MBC
• Cambridgeshire County Council
• Denbighshire County Council
• Derbyshire County Council
• Gateshead City Council
• Gloucester City Council
• Huntingdonshire DC
• Kirklees Council
• Leeds City Council
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• London Borough of Newham
• Oldham Council
• Oxfordshire County Council
• Preston City Council
• Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
• London Borough of Redbridge
• Staffordshire County Council
• Surrey County Council
• City of York Council

Kirklees Council is trialling place-based approaches to minimise the need for social care and improve health and wellbeing.

While Oxfordshire County Council is using street-level data to identify areas of high-inequality and work with residents to create targeted opportunities.

And Denbighshire County Council is taking a multi-agency approach to tackling entrenched and spreading deprivation in one of the most deprived areas of Wales

‘The Upstream Collaborative will highlight, connect and support the game-changing work that local government is doing to recraft its role, with citizens at the heart,’ said Nesta’s senior programme manager, Jenni Lloyd.

‘By collaborating with pioneering councils in this way we believe we can nurture a movement which will change how people think about what local government can achieve.’

Kirklees Council’s head of local integrated partnerships, Jill Greenfield, added: ‘We’re creating new ways of working that puts people, not services, at its heart, by building on the strengths and knowledge of residents, communities and organisations to respond to their needs at the right time, in the right place and so enable them to lead their best life possible.

‘Being part of this network will mean we can share our experiences and learn from other leading councils from across England and Wales.’

Photo Credit – Rawpixels (Pixabay)