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Bradford Metropolitan District Council: working with customers
Case study

26 September 2011

Crawley Borough Council: performance management
Case study

12 May 2010

Crawley Borough Council: retaining and developing staff
Case study

26 March 2010

Colchester Borough Council: benefit take-up
Case study

26 March 2010

Isle of Wight Council: benefit take-up
Case study

26 March 2010

Good practice and case studies

As well as scoring and reporting on local government services, we identified and promoted positive practice through inspections. Every inspection looked for examples of positive practice and innovation, creative ways of overcoming barriers and resistance to change, and ways of making better use of resources

If you're looking for housing good practice and case studies, try our housing good practice pages.

Bradford Metropolitan District Council: working with customers

26 September 2011

Bradford has developed a more customer-focused service in response to the findings of our inspection.

Crawley Borough Council: performance management

12 May 2010

All benefits staff at Crawley Borough Council are involved in identifying service problems, and given opportunities to develop solutions.

Crawley Borough Council: retaining and developing staff

26 March 2010

Crawley Borough Council is developing a new working culture. All staff in the benefits service are now involved in identifying problems and opportunities, as well as developing solutions.

Colchester Borough Council: benefit take-up

26 March 2010

Essex councils share practice on benefits and work together on promotions. To promote benefit take-up during the recession the cross-council partnership decided to run a specific day of activity ...

Isle of Wight Council: benefit take-up

26 March 2010

The Isle of Wight Council found that schools were more than willing to host community events to raise awareness of benefits and other council services.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: benefit take-up

26 March 2010

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's benefit service has joined forces with Job Link, part of the Council Regeneration Division, to offer advice and support at redundancy workshops.

Dacorum Borough Council: housing benefit services

26 March 2010

Dacorum Borough Council works closely with a local homeless charity to deliver a housing benefit service that encourages people to take ownership of their affairs.

Basildon District Council: claims processing

26 March 2010

Basildon District Council offers an environmentally friendly, paperless claims process that gives customers a faster and more accurate service.

Crawley Borough Council: claims processing

26 March 2010

Crawley Borough Council has technology in place enabling staff to access the IT systems they need, whilst they are off site.

Basildon District Council: performance management

26 March 2010

In 2005/06 and 2006/07 indicators showed that Basildon Council benefits service was not performing well.

Good practice and case studies

Freedom of information in local government, 1 January 2009
The improvement network

Freedom of information in local government final report, 1 May 2007

Benefits

The impact of the recession on benefits services, 6 October 2009

Children and young people

London Borough of Sutton - Helping children who have witnessed domestic violence, 16 May 2007
Salford City Council - Early years, 11 April 2006

All 2 case studies in 'Children and young people'

Financial management

London Borough of Brent - Medium term financial plan, 28 February 2009
Cambridge City Council - Medium term financial strategy, 20 November 2008
Lincolnshire County Council - Developing shared back office functions with neighbouring councils to create back office efficiencies in CSR07, 8 October 2008
High Peak Borough Council - Using business process improvement techniques to create back office efficiencies during SR04, 8 October 2008
North Warwickshire Borough Council - Using internal techniques to achieve back office efficiencies during SR04, 8 October 2008
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - Back office savings by introducing an efficiency and value for money planning process during SR04, 8 October 2008
Vale Royal Borough Council - Developing an efficiency and value for money planning process to make back office efficiencies during SR04, 8 October 2008
Wigan Council - Developing an organisational change programme to create back office efficiencies during CSR07, 8 October 2008
West Lindsey District Council - Using business process improvement techniques to make back office efficiency savings during SR04, 8 October 2008
West Lindsey District Council - Bringing ICT services back in-house creating back office efficiency savings during SR04, 8 October 2008
Worcestershire County Council - Using benchmarking data to plan and achieve back office efficiencies during SR04, 8 October 2008
London Borough of Havering - Member Training Programme, 8 June 2008
East Devon District Council - Medium term financial strategy , 1 May 2008
Wokingham Borough Council - Risk management strategy , 1 May 2008
Birmingham City Council - Third sector commissioning , 1 May 2008
St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council - Medium term financial strategy, 1 December 2007
East Cambridgeshire District Council - Improving the revenues and benefits service, 27 November 2007
Lewes District Council - Statement of Internal Control, 22 June 2007
Mole Valley District Council - Financial reporting, 29 June 2006
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), 15 June 2006

All 43 case studies in 'Financial management'

Healthier communities

Torbay Borough Council - Integrated health and leisure facilities, 15 June 2006
London Borough of Lambeth - Cross-sector planning in action, 15 June 2006
Liverpool - Planning sustainable leisure facilities on school sites, 15 June 2006
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - Reducing smoking, 23 February 2006
Slough Borough Council - Initiatives to address health inequalities, 12 December 2005

All 5 case studies in 'Healthier communities'

Leisure delivery framework diagram

Knowing your communities

Useful links, 6 July 2009
Knowing your communities, 6 July 2009

All 2 articles in 'Knowing your communities'

Community engagement, 6 July 2009
Disability, 6 July 2009
Gender, 6 July 2009
Human rights, 6 July 2009
Older people, 6 July 2009
Race, 6 July 2009
Religion, 6 July 2009
Sexual orientation, 6 July 2009
Young people, 6 July 2009

All 9 methodology and tools in 'Knowing your communities'

Leadership

Bolsover District Council – Commitment to improvement, 5 March 2009
London Borough of Waltham Forest – Strong leadership, 5 March 2009
Plymouth City Council – Progress within a CPA category, 5 March 2009
Somerset County Council – Small steps to glory, 5 March 2009
West Berkshire Council – Improving individual services from a low base, 5 March 2009
Stockton on Tees – Providing value for money, 5 March 2009
Coventry City Council – Responding to constructive criticism, 5 March 2009
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council – Learning from your peers, 5 March 2009
London Borough of Hackney – Improving services, not playing the game, 5 March 2009
Cambridgeshire County Council - A council-wide approach to recruitment and retention issues, 27 June 2008
London Borough of Havering - Member training programme, 1 May 2008
South Tyneside Council - Strategic risk profiling, 22 June 2007
Coventry City Council - Decision making by councillors, 23 June 2006
London Borough of Brent - Community leadership, 11 April 2006
Calderdale Council - Leading the organisation, 23 February 2006

All 15 case studies in 'Leadership'

Older people

Manchester City Council: Changing perceptions through a positive images campaign, 31 July 2008
Manchester City Council: The annual Full of Life festival, 17 July 2008
Penwith District Council: Raising awareness of local services at annual Senior Life Skills events, 17 July 2008
Penwith District Council: Working with the local press to raise awareness, 17 July 2008
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Age Concern and Dudley Primary Care Trust - Local exercise action pilot (LEAP), 17 July 2008
Penwith District Council - Volunteer cycling and walking schemes, 17 July 2008
Blackpool Council and London Borough of Camden Council - Making the most of parks through volunteer schemes, 17 July 2008
Hartlepool Borough Council - GP leisure referrals, 17 July 2008
Penwith District Council - Annual taster leisure events, 17 July 2008
Blackpool Council - Sporting champions, 17 July 2008
Hartlepool Borough Council - A library service for a range of older users, 17 July 2008
North Somerset Council - Local theatre and seafront volunteers, 17 July 2008
Manchester City Council - Community based leisure and social activities, 17 July 2008
Birmingham City Council - Community based IT learning, 17 July 2008
Manchester City Council - Life long learning at the art gallery, 17 July 2008
Blackpool Council - Tailoring learning opportunities, 17 July 2008
London Borough of Tower Hamlets - Community cohesion, 17 July 2008
Blackpool Council: A range of support for older carers, 17 July 2008
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council: Addressing gender difference, 17 July 2008
London Borough of Camden Council: Listening to lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) people, 17 July 2008

All 41 case studies in 'Older people'

Partnership

Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council – Being ambitious, 5 March 2009
New Forest and Test Valley District Councils - A new kind of partnership, 16 May 2007
London Borough of Sutton - Using tablet PCs in financial assessments, 16 May 2007
Wiltshire County Council - Working with communities in Wiltshire, 16 May 2007
INTRAN - an example of a multi-agency run interpreting partnership, 31 January 2007
Bristol City Council - Outcomes framework for voluntary sector partnership, 11 April 2006
Salford City Council - Ambitions, 11 April 2006
Salford City Council - Regeneration, 11 April 2006
London Borough of Enfield - Partnership working, 12 December 2005
Bournemouth Borough Council - Performance management in a local strategic partnership, 12 December 2005
Solihull Metropolitan District Council - Risk management, 1 December 2005

All 11 case studies in 'Partnership'

Salford City Council: Home working, 24 October 2006
East Riding of Yorkshire Council: Home working, 24 October 2006

All 2 case studies in 'Partnership'

Safer and stronger communities

York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership, 26 February 2007
Performance monitoring of traffic-related incidents and enforcement at the Metropolitan Police, 26 February 2007
Mobile matrix speed messaging signs protocol in North Yorkshire, 26 February 2007
Data analysis at a pan-London level collated, analysed and circulated by Transport for London (TfL), 26 February 2007
Joint working on road safety promoted by the local area agreement in Tower Hamlets, 26 February 2007
Plymouth City Council - Engagement with residents in resolving road safety issues, Morice Town Home Zone Pilot, 26 February 2007
Innovative settings for engagement with communities – Jagonari Cycles! for Bengali women in Tower Hamlets, 26 February 2007
Cleveland Safety Camera Partnership – a proactive relationship with the media and community, 26 February 2007
The role of councillors – scrutiny inquiry into 20mph speed limit zones outside schools within Hartlepool Borough Council, 26 February 2007
Prioritising annual road safety engineering schemes at Leeds City Council, 26 February 2007
Targeting education, training and publicity (ETP) and enforcement – seatbelt/child restraint use in York and North Yorkshire, 26 February 2007
Low cost solutions to road safety issues in Croydon and Tower Hamlets, 26 February 2007
Monitoring and evaluating road safety engineering – five programmes of work in Hampshire County Council, 26 February 2007
Evaluation of publicity by West Midlands Casualty Reduction Partnership, 26 February 2007
Kerrier District Council – Pooling information with partners and acting together to identify risks and improve living conditions, 31 January 2007
Borough of Crewe and Nantwich - existing structures and volunteers used to extend community development, 31 January 2007
Bristol City Council - Emergency planning, 11 April 2006
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council: Reducing youth offending, 23 February 2006
Stoke on Trent City Council - Tackling drug-related prostitution, 23 February 2006
Slough Borough Council - Community cohesion, 12 December 2005

All 20 case studies in 'Safer and stronger communities'

Sustainable communities

East Sussex County Council - Targeted recruitment of individuals from hard to reach groups, 27 June 2008
Hounslow London Borough Council - Encouraging younger people to work, 27 June 2008
London Borough of Tower Hamlets - Harnessing the benefits of regeneration to create employment opportunities, 27 June 2008
Wychavon District Council - Positive and innovative risk taking, 22 June 2007
Woking Borough Council - Cutting down the carbon footprint, 16 May 2007
Hyndburn Borough Council - helping unemployed migrant workers, 31 January 2007
West Lancashire District Council - improved access to services for new migrants, 31 January 2007
Barnsley Borough Council - investing in a multi-cultural Barnsley, 31 January 2007
Polski Bristol - an example of a church and community based voluntary support group for new migrants, 31 January 2007
Keystone Development Trust - Mobile Europeans Taking Action (META) project, 31 January 2007
Cornwall County Council - use of ESOL lessons as a way to make contact with migrant workers, 31 January 2007
Cumbria County Council - library service changes to accommodate new communities , 31 January 2007
Peterborough City Council - New Link project, 31 January 2007
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council - Vitality Index, 14 August 2006
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - Improving parks, 23 February 2006
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - Waste management, 23 February 2006
London Borough of Hillingdon - Choice based lettings, 23 February 2006
London Borough of Sutton - Helping local people access employment, 14 February 2006
London Borough of Sutton - Regeneration of a deprived estate in a prosperous borough, 14 February 2006
Staffordshire County Council - Climate change and energy saving, 15 December 2005

All 22 case studies in 'Sustainable communities'

Use of resources

Cherwell District Council - One stop shops and IT infrastructure, 17 December 2009
Chorley Borough Council - Use of data, 17 December 2009
City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council - Commissioning of home care services, 17 December 2009
City of Westminster Council - Commissioning and procurement, 17 December 2009
City of Westminster Council - Delivering efficiency savings, 17 December 2009
Dartford Borough Council - Health and well being of staff, 17 December 2009
East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Transport framework agreement, 17 December 2009
East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Flood mapping, 17 December 2009
East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Working in partnership, 17 December 2009
East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Telehealth pilot, 17 December 2009
East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Drop in centres and flexible working, 17 December 2009
Exeter City Council - Green Accord Scheme, 17 December 2009
Hampshire County Council - Managing the impact of the recession, 17 December 2009
Hampshire County Council - Stakeholder engagement in adult social care, 17 December 2009
Hampshire County Council - Sustaining the rural environment, 17 December 2009
Hampshire County Council - Workstyle initiative, 17 December 2009
Haringey London Borough Council - Sustainable procurement, 17 December 2009
Harrogate Borough Council - Understanding financial statements, 17 December 2009
High Peak Borough Council - Shared management and services, 17 December 2009
London Borough of Lewisham - Partnership governance, 17 December 2009

All 96 case studies in 'Use of resources'

Room for improvement - A briefing for elected members on managing land and buildings, 20 August 2009

User focus and diversity

London Borough of Lewisham – Engaging with diverse communities, 5 March 2009
London Fire Brigade - Improving the recruitment of women and black and multi-ethnic groups to firefighter roles, 27 June 2008
e@SY Connects: A hub for accessing services in South Yorkshire, 16 May 2007
Bristol City Council - Widening political participation through cross party councillor shadowing, 16 May 2007
Cumbria County Council - building links through a foyer in Penrith , 31 January 2007
The Broadway and the London Filipino Centre - support for migrant workers who have no access to benefits, 31 January 2007
Manchester City Council: Processing revenues and benefits, 24 October 2006
London Borough of Brent - Community cohesion, 11 April 2006
London Borough of Brent - Community information website, 11 April 2006
Bristol City Council - Consultation with older people, 11 April 2006
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council - Focusing on users and diversity, 15 December 2005

All 11 case studies in 'User focus and diversity'

© Audit Commission 2012