The LGA Podcast

Rhian Gladman is joined by the Public Health Lead at Doncaster Council, Caroline Temperton, and Professor of Health Psychology and Director of the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, Maddy Arden. In this episode Rhian, Caroline and Maddy discuss how they pulled together a consortium of different councils in the Yorkshire and Humber area and how this consortium worked to increase active travel in the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Systems and lives meet often but what more can councils and public sector bodies do to provide a holistic support to help people through these moments? Ken Masser discusses the work carried out by Rossendale Leisure Trust to apply behavioural insights to systems, drawing on examples of supporting long term unemployed, embedding physical activity across the school curriculum and supporting wellbeing for new parents. He shares how bringing different voices into the room, and facilitating time for public sector officers to carry out reviews can create change in systems and improve wellbeing at key life stages and in moments of change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shanara Abdin, Behavioural Science Specialist in the Public Health department at Wolverhampton Council and Michael Salmon, Head of Insight Health and Wellbeing at Active Black Country, join Rhian Gladman to discuss their behavioural insights trial, WV Gets Active. This trial was delivered in partnership to increase physical activity levels amongst low socioeconomic and inactive residents in Wolverhampton. They discuss the impact of delivering this trial during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the insights from this trial will be expanded upon to continue to deliver targeted interventions to increase physical activity levels in the area. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chitra Roberts, Behavioural Insight and Marketing Project Manager at Sandwell Council joins Rhian Gladman for this Nudges for Social Good episode to discuss her work in the public health team to increase the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination in the working age population in Sandwell, using behavioural science techniques. Chitra shares insights into how they have used an online survey platform to share behaviourally framed messages to allay some of the main concerns around vaccine hesitancy and encourage those who have taken the vaccine to become vaccine advocates. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Nudges for Social Good podcast series Rhian Gladman is joined by Tim Pearse, Behavioural Science and Service Design Lead at London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Building on the insights shared in the first episode of the podcast series, Tim shares updates on how the council is using Behavioural insights to deliver debt support to local residents to encourage payment of council tax through the council's community solutions service. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Councils often have diverse local populations. But those who engage with council activities and with climate change often do not represent that full diversity.In the last episode of this series, our guest speakers discuss the importance of engaging the full diversity of their local populations and what councils should think about before, during and after engagement processes to ensure they are accessible and inclusive. We also hear how Hampshire County Council are working with partners to deliver community projects.Guest speakers:Chitra Nadarajah, Strategic Manager – Climate Change, Hampshire County CouncilCouncillor Kaltum Rivers, Sheffield City CouncilJo Wall, Strategic Director – Climate Response, Local Partnerships See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode will look at how the public can be involved in decision making on climate change, how councils can work with their residents and communities and discuss how to engage communities through these methods. Climate Assembly UK was a high-profile example of engaging the public in climate decision-making. Multiple local climate assemblies and juries have also received attention, such as Kendal's Citizen's Jury.Guest speakers:Sarah Allan, Director of Capacity Building and Standards, InvolveChris Bagshaw, Town Clerk, Kendal Town CouncilFor more information about this podcast series and to read the show notes, visit www.local.gov.uk/local-action-podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Climate Change Committee said that the public needs access to trusted information about the decisions being made in the transition to net zero, the reasoning behind and impact of these decisions, and the choices available at critical decision points.This episode will discuss where the current knowledge gap is, how we can fix it, and how Nottingham City Council have been successful in communicating about climate change effectively.Guest speakers:Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations.Chris Common, Carbon Neutral Policy Manager, Nottingham City CouncilFor more information about this podcast series and to read the show notes, visit www.local.gov.uk/local-action-podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Climate Change Committee called for a public engagement strategy on net zero which includes involving people in decision-making and providing trusted information.This episode considers three different techniques which councils could use to engage their communities on the climate emergency in their local areas. We also hear about Camden's Climate Assembly where Councillor Adam Harrison talks through the process, impact, and challenges, for councils to consider if using a similar approach.Guest speakers:Chandrima Padmanabhan, Programme Lead - Climate, Centre for Public Impact Europe.Cllr Adam Harrison, Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Camden, Camden Council.For more information about this podcast series and to read the show notes, visit www.local.gov.uk/local-action-podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This first episode provides a foundation to inform senior council managers and councillors of the need to act and address the climate emergency. Our speakers discuss two main questions:Why should local government care about the climate crisis and why do they need to act now? Why engage the public on climate change and the climate emergency?Guests:Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest London Borough CouncilProfessor Andy Gouldson, Professor of Environmental Policy at the University of Leeds, Chair of the Leeds Climate Commission and Director of the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.For more information about this podcast series and to read the show notes, visit www.local.gov.uk/local-action-podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nicola Plummer, Performance and Projects Officer in the Operations team at New Forest District Council joins Rhian Gladman in this episode of the Nudges for Social Good Podcast to discuss the delivery of their LGA Behavioural Insights project. Building on initial research that they had done before the Pandemic to clear verge side waste from vehicles, the team used the adaptable framework from this research to target a new form of coastal littering that had emerged as a key challenge during the Pandemic. Nicola shares insights about the interventions that were put into place including the provision of disposable bags to encourage polite litterers to take their waste home and their comms campaign, ‘crabby crab' to spread the message as well as key takeaways from the project. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Ruth Little, School Readiness Coordinator at North Yorkshire County Council, speaks to Rhian Gladman about the delivery of their LGA Behavioural Insights project. The team originally focused on school readiness and due to the pandemic pivoted to encourage community activity to support neighbours and residents along with helping staff with wellbeing and agile working in the pandemic. Ruth shares her experience from the start of the pandemic and how working with community groups and staff needed robust information and engagement practices to continue the delivery of the pilot under a dynamic and pressured environment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dave Tyrrell from Knowsley Council joins us for this episode to discuss his work with the LGA to deliver a twelve week free trial to improve understanding of assistive technology solutions and encourage increased take up. Dave provides insights into how behaviour change techniques helped residents build understanding and confidence to engage with this service area that ultimately led to a staggering 27 per cent rise in installation figures. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Esther Barrott, a graduate on the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP), takes us on a journey to find out more about councils and the workings behind them. Esther looks at the general perceptions that surround councils, what councils actually do for communities, the role they have played throughout the pandemic, and why it is so important to vote in the upcoming local elections on 6 May.Esther is joined by Cllr Peter Fleming, who shares his story around how he got involved in local government and what the role of a councillor involves; Jackie Weaver who gives us an insight into the story behind the famous parish council meeting that made her an internet star and why voting in local elections is so important; and Lord Simon Woolley who explains why it is important diverse audiences engage with councils and local democracy and what councils should be doing more of to encourage them to get involved. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hazel Wright from the Behavioural Insights Team joins us for this episode of Nudges for Social Good. Hazel and her team work extensively with local authorities across the UK to embed the use of behavioural science. This episode explores how a busy councillor or local government officer could initiate a project with guidance on the key stages of delivering a behavioural change project. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the third in the series of our Forget What You Think You Know series.In this episode, Birmingham City Councillor, Paulette Hamilton is joined by Jim McManus, Director of Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council; Julie Yates, Lead Consultant for Screening and Immunisation at Public Health England; and Eleanor Kelly, Chief Executive at Southwark Council and National Adviser on Vaccinations, to discuss the roll out of the vaccination programme and how it can be maintained at a local level, the role the NHS, councils and local partners have played so far and what they can do in the future and how we can tackle the issues of vaccine hesitancy as a key challenge throughout 2021. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Claire Thompson, Community Insights and Marketing Manager at North East Lincolnshire Council, discusses the process of delivering their LGA project aimed at improving cancer screening rates to prevent late diagnosis in residents. Claire also shares insight into how covid-19 has impacted the public health sector in Lincolnshire and how they responded to the challenges of covid through partnership working and establishing extensive communication networks across public sector health bodies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on our communities. In the UK alone, tens of thousands have tragically passed away as a result of the virus. Restrictions on our daily lives have been immediate, and, for peacetime, unprecedented in scale. The impact on local people, and on the services which support them, has been huge. Homelessness is one area which has been impacted heavily by COVID-19.In the episode we talk to Alek, a 27- year old from Estonia, who was homeless and living on the streets as the outbreak of COVID-19 happened. He gives an account of how Haringey Council helped him find safe accommodation to shelter him from the dangers COVID-19 poses and how Haringey Council have continued to support him as he looks to progress with his life. The episode also explores how approaches to tackling homelessness changed as the outbreak of the pandemic happened and what needs to happen next to keep homeless people from returning to the streets.For information, some of the stats on homelessness in Britain have changed slightly since the interviews were conducted in early December. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the first in the series of our Forget What You Think You Know podcast.In this episode, Ben Murray visits Norwich to find out about their award winning council housing scheme, Goldsmith Street. What makes this scheme so special is that it is the first council housing scheme to ever win the prestigious RIBA Stirling Award, beating off competition from the likes of innovative private developments such as the London Bridge tube station renovation.First stop on the podcast is a visit to RIBA president, Alan Jones to talk about why he has a passion for council housing and what stood out about Goldsmith Street when he was on the judging panel for the Stirling Prize.After an insight into why Goldsmith Street is so special, Ben visits the Mikhail Riches offices in Islington to speak to the architect responsible for Goldsmith Street, James Turner. He gives an account on the design aspects of the scheme and highlights what a 'Passivhaus' standard can do for housing and climate change.The third visit is to the Goldsmith Street scheme itself to see for ourselves what the fuss was about. Ben is joined at the scheme by councillors from Norwich City Council to hear about what the new estate has done for residents living there and what it's done for Norwich on the whole.The final stop on the podcast is to Kate Henderson, chief executive at the National Housing Federation. She discusses the national picture on council and social housing and gives us an insight into why it means so much to her.Please be aware the interviews were recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic but the facts and figures remain similar to today's levels. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jim McManus, Director of Public Health and Michelle Constable, Head of the Behaviour Change Unit, talk about a project aimed at getting council staff moving - quite literally. Calorie labelling the stairs and footprints on the floor leading to the stairs resulted in nudging 20 per cent of council staff out of using lifts. The pair also speak about their programme called “It is never too late to be active” which is aimed at older adults. Read the full transcript of the Hertfordshire podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Liverpool City Council was one of the first councils to trial an innovation project under the LGA Behavioural Insights Programme. In the podcast, Sue Cummings, Head of Behavioural Insights and Change, explains Liverpool's approach to tackling childhood obesity through a successful project to reduce sales of high sugar fizzy drinks using a different type of signage. Read the full transcript of the Liverpool City Council podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the inaugural episode, Tim Pearse, Behavioural Science Lead at Barking and Dagenham, shares his insights about an LGA project aimed at helping more domestic abuse victims access support in Kent, and a sucessful project in Barking and Dagenham which prevents residents from falling into rent arrears by using text messages to outline available council support. Read the full transcript of the Barking and Dagenham podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.