Local authorities are energetically supporting the switch to EV as part of their decarbonisation strategies. Installing public charging infrastructure is a good example, enabling drivers to charge their cars within their daily routine, and serving the 30% of people who don’t have access to off-street parking and charging facilities. Judges will be looking for entries showing innovative projects that have increased the availability of EV charge points, promoted wider EV adoption across society, and stimulated the local economy.

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Housing has been in the headlines the past year but one of the major controversies has been over whether local authorities should have more financial powers to build their own social housing. In fact many innovative local authorities have already been developing ways of providing housing for their less well-off citizens. This category invites entries showing interesting and innovative social housing projects with clear outcomes.

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Integrating health and social care has been a real challenge for local authorities and health trusts but there have been examples of highly successful initiatives. This category invites entries from local authorities and health partners which can display imagination and innovation in bringing together – at whatever scale – care and health services under one roof to the benefit of the user.

Judges will be looking for innovative examples of integration which can display proven benefits to users as well as a more efficient use of both health and social care resources.

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In this category judges are looking for chief executives who have displayed outstanding leadership, innovation, determination and commitment to their authorities and their communities. They will be interested in examples of challenges that chief executives have tackled and surmounted over and above the day-to-day problems of the job. The size or type of authority is immaterial. What is important are the achievements of the individual. Chief executives are welcome to enter themselves but we also urge council leaders and other members of the senior management team or Cabinet to enter on their behalf. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the very best in public services, with frontline workers across the country going far above and beyond their duties. There have been thousands of local government community heroes across the country, and now we are looking for the individuals and teams that have really shone.

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Category overview:

Members of the chief officer, or corporate management team, are a vital support for the chief executive and elected members and to the efficient running of the authority. This category recognises this important role and welcomes examples of strategic leadership above and beyond, ingenuity, results, values, motivational abilities and leadership in disruption as seen by citizens, partners, staff, politicians and peers.  Entries should be submitted by the chief executive and/or leader outlining reasons for nominating their Executive Director.

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With challenging budgets for the public sector, much more emphasis is being placed on achieving more with fewer resources and with delivering outcomes not just outputs. Yet despite budget constraints councils are still expected to help their residents and their communities. This category looks at how through innovation council teams have made a real difference to the lives of their citizens by providing better outcome-focused services or projects.

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A digital approach to organisational transformation should be at the centre of shaping local government structure, services, strategy and culture. It is core to transforming an organisation, changing culture, focusing service delivery on the front line, and streamlining the back office. Advances in technology help to improve efficiency in quality services at a time of higher public expectations and stagnant budgets. Sustaining significant transformation is difficult to achieve. In this category local authority teams are invited to enter examples of digital innovation that have led to the successful transformation of a service, a department or an organisation.

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The benefits that diversity and inclusion can bring to organisations – be this increased creativity, innovation, wellbeing or productivity - have long been recognised, yet the pace of progress is insufficient. This category looks at those organisations that have made Equality, Diversity and Inclusion a strategic imperative, not just a tick box exercise, and have shown pioneering ways to delivered successful initiatives with proven progress and results.

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The judges are looking for quantifiable evidence of innovation, impact and learning from a committed children’s and/or adult services team. The team will have worked efficiently and effectively to deliver demonstrable impact in services in their local area in either children’s or adult services. The winning team will have successfully integrated different services and partners and developed creative, forward thinking services for children, young people and/or adults.

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On 25 July 2020 the UK recorded its highest ever temperature at 38.7 degrees Celsius. Less than three months later, 3 October was the wettest day ever recorded in the UK, with enough rainfall to fill the 7.5 cubic km estimated volume of Loch Ness. If ever there was a need for tangible evidence that our climate is changing, 2020 has provided it in abundance.

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Category Overview

This category highlights success not just in one local authority department or project but right across the organisation. Winning this prestige category, or reaching the shortlist, sends out a message to both staff, partners and potential partners that the local authority is a high-performing council, an important factor at a time of increasing devolution. Previous winners are councils that displayed a strong corporate centre with close synergy between the senior management team and the Cabinet, together driving innovation and high performance across the authority. Clear vision by senior management and members, strong forward planning and evidence of successful service provision should be outlined in the entry.

The judges will be looking for evidence of real performance improvement across the authority. Therefore the submission should come from the Chief Executive and/or Leader of the council. While we will take into account previous external assessments, the judges of this award will be making up their own minds. 

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Within the UK there are stark differences in people’s opportunities to lead healthy lives resulting in a 20 year gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest in our society. Local government has a vital role in creating the conditions for good health: good quality work and housing; supporting communities and families to thrive and delivering investment in skills and infrastructure.

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In this category, local authority managers from departments across their organisations are invited to nominate one or more of their younger staff whom they feel shows exceptional ability, dedication and promise. Entries should be submitted by the staff member’s line manager with examples of the staff member’s achievements and why the manager believes they deserve to be nominated. Nominated candidates should be available to attend the judging day. 

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This category recognizes the vital role of the senior management team in a local authority and its impact on service delivery and successful organizational change. The senior management (or leadership) team comprises the chief executive and directors of the authority and entries should be submitted by the chief executive. Entries should focus on the achievements of the team and its recognizable outcomes.

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These could be people with a disability or health condition, those who have particular needs from being in the criminal justice system or recovering from substance misuse, those who have not had the best starts to life through family breakdown or involvement in the care system, or those from any other area that have had significant barriers. Whatever their age or background they will be groups who needed help to change their worlds.

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The local government workforce is changing. Motivated and engaged employees, with the right attitude and skills, are key to delivering customer focused and flexible services. Councils need to manage and motivate their workforces to increase productivity and transform local public services.

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