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Socitm’s geography is always local
Our 2,500+ members strive to improve the lives of people in the communities they serve. This includes addressing the continuing challenges of Covid-19, the cost of living crisis, health and wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion, security and resilience, climate change and achieving net zero.
For nearly 40 years, Socitm has been a strong player in supporting its growing and increasingly diverse local public services membership with research, essential resources and know-how to harness innovation, technologies and data in pursuit of these goals.
Presenting a credible and powerful voice, we represent the interests of our community and a wide range of stakeholders informed by a series of policy consultations on community resilience, artificial intelligence and connected places at St George’s House, Windsor. We drive sustainable, lasting and positive programmes of transformation and improvement.
Controls versus freedoms
The instinct to control is a strong one. But the only way to thrive is to trust – to collaborate – to hope – to be resilient. This means allowing places the freedom to build on their strengths and collectively to overcome the challenges facing their communities.
Where we are
Confidence in local expertise and knowledge is vital. The solutions can be found in places and communities. But we can only be confident in what we do, if we trust each other.
Child poverty. Public safety. Access to opportunities. Social care. Net zero. And many more. How do we tackle these and other problems?
- By ambitious, concrete and cross-sectoral approaches to tackling existential problems.
- By collaboration and partnership working that is critical to achieving improved outcomes for people and communities in places.
- By an emphasis on early intervention and prevention.
- By enabling bold goals that provide a clear focus for long term efforts.
Can we make meaningful progress?
Yes. Grounded in the principles of mission-driven government, as championed by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, our prospectus sets out the roles for place-based leadership, practical placemaking and connected places in relation to the government’s five stated missions.
1. Place-based leadership
We stand for strong, collaborative, localised leadership. Leadership that understands the unique circumstances of its communities. Giving local leaders the means, resources and authority is crucial. Together, they can tailor solutions reflecting the distinct needs of their areas.
2. Practical placemaking
This is more than infrastructure. It embraces creating spaces that are vibrant, inclusive and supportive of community wellbeing, irrespective of size or the geography.
Spaces that foster social interaction, cultural expression and economic activity.
Places that enhance the quality of life for all residents and ensure all voices get heard.
3. Connected places
Technology can work as an enabler for those able to access and use it. Digital inequality covers a range of barriers (some self-imposed, some imposed on us). But creating an accessible digital infrastructure can support inclusivity and equal opportunities.
It can free us up to focus on those who don’t or can’t find digital easy.
Our approach rejects failed attempts of one-size-fits-all type solutions. Digitising existing processes also falls under these failures. Instead, we prioritise people and their unique community needs.
Missions and actions
Here, we set out how each of these three roles can play a meaningful part in driving progress against each of the government’s five stated missions.
1. Kickstart economic growth
How to think about it with:
| Place-based leadership | Practical placemaking | Connected places |
|---|---|---|
| Create and use collaborative, holistic plans to achieve better outcomes for all | Engage everyone in a place in turning policy and plans into actions | Build effective place-based security, resilience and support arrangements |
| Enable cross-sector public service leadership education | Introduce sustainable three-year funding settlements for local governments | Responsible use of technologies and data for growth and reducing digital inequalities |
| Nurture new place-based leaders who reflect the diversity of their places | Support emerging tech clusters alongside local university research programmes | Adopt common standards to enable place-based insights |
| Use data to find opportunities for sustainable and inclusive growth, and infrastructure developments |
How Socitm glues this together
Socitm encourages members to create smart places and economic growth with:
- Technology enterprises: Take a leading role in promoting digital skills, infrastructure, and sharing hubs.
- Tech clusters: Learn from best practices and promote links with universities.
- Supportive environments for business: Collaborate to create favourable conditions for business and inward investment.
- Digital infrastructure: Coordinate to address poor digital coverage, especially in rural areas.
Resources
Smart Places guide: Economy and business
Socitm’s Smart Places guide on economy and business discusses the importance of a strong local economy, emphasising collaboration between public services, businesses, and communities. It highlights the need for infrastructure, skilled workers, and supportive business climates to drive economic success and reduce social demands.
Where it’s already working
Blackpool Digital Vision
Blackpool’s Digital Vision 2030 provides the context for Silicon Sands. Building on its accessibility to the ‘North Atlantic Loop’, with direct to the USA, Europe and Ireland, and abundant renewable wind energy, it aims to become a hotbed for sustainable data centres and associated digital companies.
Cornwall Council
The Cornwall Plan 2020-2050 sets out ambitious goals related to economic growth, sustainability, community well-being and a ‘digital revolution’. Annual reviews are grounded in the holistic framework of Doughnut Economics aiming to achieve a greener, fairer and more inclusive Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
Liverpool Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP)
The LVEP offers robust destination management, strong stakeholder relationships, and clear planning.
West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy
This strategy builds on the region’s heritage. Taking advantage of the incredible skills, infrastructure, and innovation in the West Midlands. It focuses on becoming a world leader in manufacturing, technology, innovation, and skills.
2. Make Britain a clean energy superpower
How to think about it with:
| Place-based leadership | Practical placemaking | Connected places |
|---|---|---|
| Work with the green energy sector. Identifying and harnessing local assets for sustainable energy production, distribution and use. | Empower residents and businesses to adopt net zero targets. Designing sustainable use practices for the built and natural environments, travel and mobility infrastructure, and energy. | Provide tools and access to local data to generate practical insights. |
| Promote net zero design and practices for newbuild. As well as retrofitting existing homes, businesses and public buildings, consider the wider built and natural environment. | Support fairness and equity for residents, communities and businesses through implementing holistic circular economy approaches |
How Socitm glues this together
Socitm encourages members to create sustainable places through:
- Understanding local data: Collecting and analysing data about energy consumption, emissions and sustainability. Only by understanding our local situations can we tailor net zero strategies.
- Energy: Adopting renewable energy sources, energy-efficient technologies and smart grids.
- Collaborating with local partners to reduce energy consumption and promote the generation of clean energy.
- Transport: Supporting electric vehicle charging infrastructure, cycling networks and improvements to public transport. All contributing to reducing emissions.
- Buildings and land use: Optimising building energy efficiency, promoting green spaces and planning sustainable land use. Advocating eco-friendly construction and retrofitting.
- Circular economy: Emphasising waste reduction, recycling and reusing resources. This aligns with net zero goals by minimising environmental impact.
Resources
Net zero: How local authorities can help decarbonise their areas
Socitm’s briefing on net zero explores how local authorities can achieve net zero carbon emissions using innovative, targeted approaches. It highlights the role of digital and IT leaders in harnessing technologies and data to support decarbonisation efforts while maintaining political and community support.
How it’s already working
Bristol City Leap
A joint venture partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco, and Vattenfall Heat UK. It’s facilitating the investment of over £1 billion into renewable energy and decarbonised heat for the city.
Edinburgh City Mobility Plan
The Edinburgh City Mobility Plan sets out an ambitious, holistic agenda for change. It addresses the challenges of climate change, poverty, exclusion, inequality, and improving safety, health and wellbeing in plans for travelling around, to and from the city, and how goods and services are delivered to the places where people need them.
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire’s housing retrofit initiative contributes to their plans to build low carbon infrastructure and create green jobs.
Lichfield Climate Emission Baseline Tool
In response to the commitment to achieve net-zero status by 2035 and the declaration of a climate emergency in December 2019, Lichfield developed a carbon emission baseline tool for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across the district. The primary goal was to support and inform the creation of a comprehensive climate action plan.
University of Exeter Carbon Footprint Tool
The tool – called Impact – aims to give small communities usable data on their carbon emissions that is easy to understand and share. This will help communities work out their main “impact areas” – those places where focused action can make the biggest contribution to cutting local emissions.
3. Take back our streets
How to think about it with:
| Place-based leadership | Practical placemaking | Connected places |
|---|---|---|
| Lead cross-sector work to find the root causes of criminality. Work with different groups to target resources and address solutions. | Identify and target crime hotspots. Co-design safer environments that are less useful for crime. | Develop mapping and insights into incidences of and reasons for crime. |
How Socitm glues this together
Socitm supports members to create safer places through:
- Neighbourhood policing: Emphasising long-term problem-solving. prevention, reassurance, and community engagement.
- Streamlining reporting processes: Socitm helps simplify the process for members of the public to report concerns.
- Advising on policy: The Local CIO Council (LCIOC), an autonomous group within Socitm, advises our Board on policy matters related to technology and modernisation.
Resources
Socitm’s Local CIO Council (LCIOC)
The LCIOC is an autonomous group that acts in a policy advisory capacity to the Socitm Board. Its representatives cover various geographic areas and sectors, including police, health, and education.
How it’s already working
City of London Police
The City of London’s police work to keep residents, workers, and visitors safe in urban areas.
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs)
CSPs bring together local authorities, police, fire services, health partners, and the Probation Service. They work collaboratively to formulate and implement strategies to tackle crime, disorder, and antisocial behaviour in communities.
Safer Streets Programme
Safer Streets Programme, a government-funded initiative, provides resources to areas most affected by crime and anti-social behaviour. It involves local authorities, civil society organisations, and law enforcement agencies working together to enhance community safety.
Support for anti-knife crime projects in London
The Mayor of London has allocated £1.4 million to 43 anti-knife crime projects across the capital. These initiatives include a martial arts club in Croydon, boxing clubs in Lambeth and Southwark, and mentoring workshops in Newham, Waltham Forest, Merton, Haringey, and Hammersmith & Fulham.
4. Break down barriers to opportunity
How to think about it with:
| Place-based leadership | Practical placemaking | Connected places |
|---|---|---|
| Improve access to childcare, education, training and other support relevant to local needs. | Let people and communities tackle the causes of social, economic and educational inequalities. | Keep measuring and mapping key components of social progress. |
| Train and support people to work as community researchers. They can then affect policy, planning and investment. Giving people direct ways to improve their quality of life and opportunities. | ||
| Invest in skills for the future. Link public, private and third sectors to state-of-the-art UK research capabilities. | ||
| Defend democracy. Make sure our processes are robust and secure. With effective citizen and community engagement at their core |
How Socitm glues this together
Socitm encourages members to open opportunity up through:
- Workforce digital skills: Smart places demand higher-than-average digital skills.
- Empowering citizens: Promoting digital awareness and technical skills for every citizen.
- Education and jobs: Socitm’s focus extends to education and employment opportunities.
Resources
Smart Places guide: Education, skills & jobs
Socitm’s Smart Places guide on education, skills & jobs emphasizes the need for advanced digital skills in smart places, highlighting technology’s role in transforming health, wealth, and economic growth. It stresses the importance of digital awareness and leadership across all sectors to maximize potential and mitigate risks
How it’s already working
Alternative education pathways
The Greater Manchester mayor proposes a Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), focusing on subjects valued by employers rather than universities. This pathway connects young people with high-quality opportunities in the fast-changing local economy.
Camden Council’s Missions
Camden is employing a mission-oriented approach to drive its work. The council ran a commission between 2020 and 2021 that set out four missions. One of their missions is “By 2025, every young person has access to economic opportunity that enables them to be safe and secure”.
London: Inclusivity and diversity
The mission programme emphasises that the city is a home for everyone. It also commits to equality extends to free skills training, job creation, and investment in youth clubs.
5. Build an NHS fit for the future
How to think about it with:
| Place-based leadership | Practical placemaking | Connected places |
|---|---|---|
| Lead a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Target resources towards prevention and those most in need. | Introduce robust financial and technology support for health and care. With the priority on effective and preventative community-based care. | Act on data-driven insights into the causes of poor health and target resources on them. |
| Help develop the leadership/skills to enhance processes and practices to work in a more integrated way between health and social care. | Work with communities to prevent ill-health. This can include improving housing, education, support and advice. As well as access to green spaces and so on. | Connect services to deliver integrated care and support for individuals, families and communities. |
| Harness data insights to inform evidence-based decision making. | Promote collaboration and partnership working to deliver better place-based outcomes. |
How Socitm glues this together
Socitm encourages members to improve local health care with:
- Joining up services: Socitm advises health and social care organisations on using digital solutions to join up services effectively.
- Preventative solutions: Focusing on preventative approaches. Leveraging technology and data to improve public services.
- Data-driven insights: For instance, they assisted East Riding of Yorkshire Council in becoming more data-driven, particularly in social care.
- Strategic reviews: Socitm conducts strategic reviews of adult social care digital strategies and programs.
- Collaboration: Socitm collaborates with central and local government bodies, including the Department of Health & Social Care and the Scottish Government, to drive positive change in health and social care services.
Resources
Health and social care
Socitm Advisory helps health and social care organisations improve services using digital and data solutions. They work with local and central governments to integrate services and implement preventative measures.
How it’s already working
Bicester Healthy New Towns (HNT)
Designated 2016, the Bicester HNT focuses on creating a healthy and sustainable community by integrating health and wellbeing into urban planning. It includes features like green spaces, walking and cycling routes, and access to healthcare facilities.
Islington social prescribing programme
Islington’s social prescribing programme connects residents with non-clinical services like exercise classes, art workshops, and gardening clubs. It aims to improve overall wellbeing by addressing social isolation and promoting community engagement.
Leeds Healthy Schools online toolkit
The Leeds Healthy Schools online toolkit promotes physical activity, mental health awareness, and healthy eating in schools. It provides resources, training, and support to create a positive school environment.
Lichfield Social Progress Index
Lichfield’s Social Progress Index draws together a wide range of datasets from different sources to better understand wellbeing across the district to build on what is strong in its communities and target resources to where they are most needed.
Luton information observatory
Luton’s information observatory provides statistics, mapping and research reports on information such as the type of people who currently live in the town and projected population trends, economy and deprivation levels.
Planting the flag for people and places
In May 2011, we set out our strategy for ICT-enabled public services reform in ‘Planting the Flag: A Strategy for ICT-enabled Local Public Services Reform‘. A call to arms, it was founded on three core principles:
- Collaborate, share and re-use assets
- Redesign services to simplify, standardise and automate
- Innovate to empower citizens and communities
These three principles have stood the test of time and are intrinsic to the mission-oriented approach being advocated by the government.
Total commitment led by local governments with central government as innovative partners in their places is critical; alongside collaborative effort by all national and regional stakeholders to enable people to redesign connected, sustainable and resilient places that flourish and deliver on the government’s five missions.
“Missions reimagine statecraft as networked, delivery-focused, innovative and collaborative, and set the state up for a more humble mode of governance, orchestrating across all layers of local, regional and devolved government and beyond, while creating a collective sense of national renewal across society.”
Mariana Mazzucato – Mission Critical 01
In this prospectus, we ‘plant the flag’ for practical opportunities and examples of how mission-oriented innovation in local, place-based public services can make an impact with people, communities and places across the UK.
It is a call to arms for:
- Local governments to work with central government as innovative partners in their places
- Collaborative effort by all national and regional stakeholders
- Enabling people-focused redesign of connected, sustainable and resilient places that deliver on the government’s five missions