Dragon's Den test for Council Innovation Awards

Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton today called for the best ideas or schemes from local service providers to be put forward for new Innovation Awards.

As part of the selection process a new peer judging panel in the style of the Dragon's Den is being introduced to assess some of the new categories, including delivering value for money through partnership work, and solving community issues by getting different generations working together.

The 'Local Innovation Awards' will celebrate the achievements of local councils working together with police forces, fire services, schools, primary care trusts and other community partners. This recognition of the brightest ideas and most innovative programmes in local government will help share creative thinking, enable other local areas to see what is working best and review their own policies and practices.

The new scheme is jointly led by Government, the Local Government Association and the public sector. Extensive consultation across the local government sector was undertaken to design the new awards.

Today, the Government and the LGA are inviting applicants who have continually demonstrated radically different ideas and leading edge practice when tackling challenges their community are facing, to come forward.

The winners will be expected to have worked together to come up with the brightest ideas or programmes for delivering even more effective, value for money public services. It is only through working in partnership that public sector bodies can really improve their whole communities.

The winners will be announced in March 2010 following a rigorous selection process. There will be a peer challenge and 'Dragon's Den' style assessment for short-listed finalists, to be selected next month, in two new 'challenge' awards and the Bright Ideas categories.

Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton said:

"At their best councils and their partners are creative, innovative and highly responsive to local needs. In today's economic climate it is more important than ever that they make every taxpayer pound work as hard as it can to deliver vital public services more efficiently.

"The Local Innovation Awards will put the very best councils and their partners through their paces in a Dragon's Den style assessment to decide who has come up with the best ways to help their communities in the challenging economic climate.

"I want to see councils and their partners with the brightest ideas come forward with their achievements so they can get the recognition they deserve and prove just how innovative local service providers across the country are."

Dame Denise Platt, Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel for the Awards, said:

"For local councils and their partners, one of the main challenges is to create better ways of responding to the needs of their local communities, and to transfer that knowledge quickly between councils. When local services improve it is where councils really understand their local communities and work with them to innovate, to learn from the best and to adapt successful approaches to their own local circumstances and needs.

"The Local Innovation Awards have been designed in partnership with local government to capture innovation and translate it into improved services across the country. I'm delighted we have this opportunity to celebrate and share the very best of local government and to recognise the forward thinking, leading edge teams and individuals who are making a real difference to people's lives."

Notes to editors

1. Four new awards will recognise major achievements in economic recovery, policing, social care and education:

• The 'building economic resilience award' will go to the local area that has responded best to the current economic challenges and are preparing their communities for the future. For example successful winners might have opened up or shaped new markets for small businesses and provided new apprenticeship opportunities
• The 'keeping children and young people safe in the community award' will go to the local area that has best engaged with children and young people, understood the risks they face and worked with them to protect the most vulnerable
• The 'policing our communities together award' for the council, police and other partners for tackling crime and anti social behaviour including youth crime, road safety, burglary, littering and graffiti
• The 'taking control of care - empowering adults to control their own care award' will go to the local area that has provided the best social care for adults with specific needs including how their care is delivered. For example at home care.

Two further 'challenge' categories will reward the most innovative authorities - with a shortlist of finalists having their approaches thoroughly road-tested by a panel of experts in the New Year.

• An 'achieving more through partnerships award' for the local area that want to establish new partnership arrangements to provide or procure creative value for money solutions to providing local services such as open contracts
• A 'tackling challenging local issues with intergenerational approaches award' will recognise the local area that is bringing together older and younger generations to find fresh and innovative ways to address significant local problems, such as the number of 18-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs) as a result of the downturn. The Government has already put in place its Young Person's Guarantee to support apprenticeships, skills training and jobs.

There will also a category of individual awards for 'bright ideas' from front line delivery staff that relate to the other six thematic areas. These will be untested ideas or suggestions that show the potential to make real differences and deliver these ideas. The Awards have been jointly designed by the Government, the Local Government Association and the local public sector and replace the Beacon scheme.

2. The Local Innovation Awards Scheme has been jointly established by Communities and Local Government (CLG), and the Local Government Association (LGA). This new scheme is now open for entries - www.beacons.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=5096164 (external link).

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