Recovering together with

communities

Ideas to help local authorities plan the

COVID-19 recovery

Mutual Ventures

June 2020

Recovering together with communities

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Introduction

COVID-19 will be a pivotal event for this generation. Public services have an

opportunity to reshape themselves around people and communities like never

before.

The response to the pandemic has shown how much public services, businesses

and local people can achieve together. As the peak of the crisis passes, now is

the time to think about what comes next and what could look different. This will

take imagination and determination.

This paper presents a series of ideas to help local authorities develop a

recovery plan that protects services and promotes genuine co-operation with

local communities.

These ideas are intended to be a starting point for a plan and will require

development and refinement to reflect the needs of stakeholders and the local

economy. It is aimed at local authorities and is intended to contribute to a

discussion around how public services change after the COVID-19 crisis. It is

relevant to all tiers of local government.

A framework for planning recovery together

Every local authority in the UK will need a plan to help them rebuild their public

services and economy after COVID-19. This plan can recast the role of local

authorities to one that promotes great collaboration with local people, and

promotes collective action, co-operation and enterprise. It should be optimistic

and describe a future where local people can feel closer to their public services.

Recovery will mean different things in different places but it will be up to local

authorities, in partnership with others, to lead their communities out of the

crisis. Each place needs its own strategy to ensure that people and places come

back stronger. Recovery is not about returning to ‘business as usual.’

Local authorities find themselves under immense pressure. A backlog of cases,

strains on the workforce and financial pressures are mounting up. A recovery

plan that involves and engages all local people and partners will be essential.

This paper is structured around a framework of five ‘building blocks’ that we

think should be a part of every local COVID-19 recovery strategy. The building

blocks represent the levels of engagement required to bring together all citizens

and partners.

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The five building blocks are:

The following pages contain a series of ideas for each of these five building

blocks to plan a recovery that promotes genuine co-operation with local

communities. For each building block, we ask three questions:

• Who needs to be engaged and how?

• What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

• What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

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Recovering together with communities

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Who needs to be engaged and how?

Recovery and renewal will rely on public services and their partners

working together. It will mean a joint effort and strategy, underpinned by a

shared vision. It can be used as an opportunity to reset relationships.

Partners must create the time and space for strategic thinking. The crisis

has required regular interaction between senior leaders from different

organisations, but this has focused on operational issues.

Key stakeholders include those that have been part of the ‘Gold Command’

crisis response: local government, NHS commissioners and providers, the

police and fire and rescue, alongside business forums, schools, VCS

infrastructure and community organisations.

What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

Good practice in collaboration from the crisis should be retained.

Organisational boundaries have been (temporarily) diluted in response to

the crisis showing how different services can work together in future.

Integration work in health and social care should start from the current

position. Any pre-crisis limitations in ambition should be reconsidered in

light of the rapid progress made over the crisis period.

Services must be prepared for the ongoing impact of the pandemic. There

will be a lengthy ‘living with COVID-19’ period where continued social

distancing will present challenges to service delivery.

A long-term plan requires the reintroduction of business-as-usual

decision-making and accountability. A key question is ‘how much of the

crisis response is genuine collaboration and how much is crisis-driven

command-and-control?’ Maintaining command-and-control structures and

behaviours will not be sustainable over the long term.

The involvement of VCS organisations is critical. Both delivery and

umbrella organisations have connections on the ground and provide vital

delivery capability. Many areas have used ‘community hubs’ as part of the

on-the-ground crisis response, combining public sector and VCS resources.

Strategic co-operation between local partners

How local stakeholders can guide the plan for recovery and beyond 1

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What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

Local authorities should take the lead in developing a clear strategic plan

for recovery that clearly sets out the end goal and roadmap for achieving

it. This includes dealing with the ‘living with COVID-19’ period. The plan

must be developed in collaboration with partners and local communities.

A local strategic board should continue to meet to provide leadership.

This could build on the best parts of the ‘Gold Command’ COVID-19 crisis

response but transform into a group that meets less frequently and is more

strategic. This could be achieved through an existing Public Service Board

or Local Resilience Forum with an expanded remit. Strategic leads within

service pathways should meet separately as appropriate.

Progress made to integrate services should continue. Joint service plans

and integrated commissioning at all levels should be pursued energetically,

building on and embedding good practice from the crisis response.

There must be a focus on relationships, culture and behaviour to ensure

sustainable change. This can only be achieved through leaders and staff

from different organisations spending more time together (e.g. through co-

location) and learning to share accountability.

Budget transparency will be required. Partners should be open and

transparent about how their budgets are managed and the barriers to

collaboration. Questions around budgets, set aside during the crisis, are a

clear concern and must be addressed head on.

Useful references

Mutual Ventures Balance Diagnostic – a self-assessment tool that helps

public service leaders understand key challenges and identify strengths

and weaknesses.

COVID-19: a leadership workbook for cabinet members – a guide on the

role of leaders and cabinet members by the LGA, including transferrable

learning for the future.

The Wigan Deal – a practical example of an agreement between a council,

partners, employers and residents for a local area, analysed by the King’s

Fund.

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Who needs to be engaged and how?

The surge in support for public services should be harnessed. There is an

opportunity to ensure the public feel greater ownership of and

responsibility for services.

People care about public services and their voice should be heard. Local

Authorities need to facilitate a conversation about the future role of

citizens in their local services.

Key stakeholders are local residents, community groups, VCS

organisations, public servants and local trade unions.

What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

The public’s support for public services has been cemented. There is an

appetite to improve the connection between local people and the services

they rely on.

The visibility of services helps to develop trust, empathy and support for

those services. Greater awareness of public services has helped people to

understand their vital role in the community.

The crisis shows that an integrated approach to delivering services within

and between organisations is possible. There should not be a return to

departmental or institutional silos.

Digital technology can be used effectively by public services to reach

people and communities. However, its limitations need to be understood,

particularly when dealing with vulnerable people and risky situations.

What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

Reinvigorate or create forums for engaging with local people. These could

be used to ‘hardwire’ engagement into decisions around public services,

and make it a routine part of design and implementation. This could make

use of the digital communication methods that already exist in

communities, for example local WhatsApp or Facebook groups.

Local people’s role in public services

How public services, people and communities can work together 2

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Local Authorities should provide more positive information on services,

the professionals involved and their social value. Public knowledge of

social work is limited, compared to the NHS. The ‘Care Badge’ could be

taken up locally and promoted to raise the profile of children and adult

care workers.

Integrated services should become the norm. The successes of the COVID-

19 response should be built on, both within and between organisations.

Local Authorities should draw on the Government’s idea of ‘Family Hubs’

for vulnerable families, bringing multiple services together.

Local Authorities should consider the potential for ‘Friends of’ schemes

for all public services, to harness public support. This can take inspiration

from existing groups associated with hospitals, museums or parks.

Community Assets should be transferred to local groups, where

appropriate. The government has promised a £150m Community

Ownership Fund to encourage local takeovers of civic organisations or

community assets such as post offices, libraries and museums that are

under threat. There are established ownership models that can safeguard

assets for future use and protect social value.

Alternative Delivery Models should be considered to increase

engagement. Not-for-profit companies, public service mutuals and co-

operatives have a track record of delivering sustainable growth whilst

embedded in the communities they serve and a public sector ethos.

Useful references

My Community hub – resources designed for local people around

community assets and ownership.

Becoming a public service mutual – a DCMS toolkit for services

considering becoming a public service mutual, applicable to all service

areas.

Mutual Ventures’ Delivery Model Detector – free diagnostic tool to

explore the suitability of a services for an alternative delivery model.

Family hubs – a discussion paper on family hubs from the Children’s

Commissioner for England, with case studies.

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Who needs to be engaged and how?

A strong local economy supports the well-being and success of an area by

providing employment, encouraging investment and creating a positive

social impact. Local economies need to be supported through the COVID-

19 recovery phase.

Local Authorities can be champions for local businesses, help them access

support from central government and encourage positive behaviour for the

long-term.

Key stakeholders include: businesses and business leaders (large and

small), local business forums, Local Enterprise Partnerships and

organisations that support businesses.

What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

Businesses are important to local communities, and good responsible

local businesses will receive support from local people to help them

survive in times of crisis.

Local business leaders are engrained in their community and have a stake

in its success. Businesses and workplaces are the centre of many of their

communities.

In a crisis it is difficult to target support to those businesses that value

social impact, but as we emerge from lockdown these positive behaviours

can be encouraged.

What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

Meet with businesses and business leaders to create a shared strategy for

growth. The economic strategies of local areas need to reflect a post-

COVID-19 economy and promote businesses that invest in communities.

Build upon people’s support for local businesses and continue to promote

local spend. ‘Shop local’ campaigns or resident discount schemes have

existed in many towns and cities to encourage local people to keep money

Businesses as part of the community

How businesses, people and public services can support the local economy 3

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in their community. Local currencies, such as the Bristol Pound, are another

way of encouraging local spend.

Reward business that supported communities in the crisis. Recognition

and praise can go a long way to promoting positive behaviour. The

businesses that went above and beyond to help people and communities

should be thanked for doing. Awards and promoted lists of local businesses

can be used to recognise this value.

Invest in support for businesses. Many of the support mechanisms for new

local businesses have been lost, from co-operative development agencies

to social enterprise support. Local Authorities wanting to prioritise

businesses that invest in communities could invest in support for existing

and new businesses, especially in the hardest-hit communities. Local

Authorities could create mentoring and training schemes that share their

expert organisational knowledge with small businesses.

Encourage approaches that hardwire local communities into business.

From co-operatives to staff members on the Board, businesses can do a lot

to ensure staff and customers are hardwired into their structures – but

many do not understand the options available. Local Authorities could

encourage business with a link to the community by providing a local ‘kite

mark’.

Getting procurement right. Local Authorities are anchor institutions,

spending hundreds of millions of pounds a year in their local area. Some

Local Authorities have prioritised local spending and social value through

the principles of Community Wealth Building, following the example of

Preston City Council, but more can be done.

Useful references

The Good Business Charter – a charter designed to encourage and

acknowledge responsibility businesses in the community.

The ‘Preston Model’ to Community Wealth Building – how the council, its

anchor institutions and other partners are implementing the principles of

Community Wealth Building.

The ‘Hive’ – a support programme for co-operatives delivered by

Co‑operatives UK in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank.

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Who needs to be engaged and how?

Neighbourhoods function around networks of relationships between local

people. Everyone can play a part in shaping their neighbourhood.

A Local Authority strategy for stronger neighbourhoods must be light

touch, work with existing organisations and focus on facilitating rather

than directing activity.

Key stakeholders include: residents, voluntary groups, community

organisations, faith groups and local community leaders.

What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

New relationships have formed, with neighbours talking to each other,

social media groups connecting residents, and local people running errands

for each other.

There has been an upsurge in volunteering, with local people wanting to

do something to contribute.

More than 5,000 mutual aid groups have been established where residents

provide practical support to each other, for example by picking up

medicine or groceries, keeping an eye on older residents, or providing

emotional support to vulnerable people.

Existing community organisations have proved that they can scale up

their activities, helping the most vulnerable people and drawing together

local resources and support.

The response to COVID-19 has revealed local ‘hubs’ that people gravitate

to for help and support. This varies in each community and includes

community centres and churches.

The crisis has shown the potential of technology to connect people on a

neighbourhood scale and encourage communities to support each other.

Examples include the organisation of mutual aid groups on Facebook or

WhatsApp, the local networking app Nextdoor, and the uptake of the RVS-

managed GoodSAM app.

Supportive neighbourhoods

How neighbourhoods can harness self-organisation of residents and community

groups

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What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

Promote the sustainability of mutual aid groups beyond the COVID-19

crisis. This must be light touch and recognise the constraints of voluntary

action. This could include small grants or events inviting external experts to

run workshops for groups to learn from each other.

Recognise and reward the success of any new COVID-19 initiatives. This

can be used to encourage initiatives to continue, whilst also being low cost

and easy to administer. Options could be a gesture of thanks dedicated to

the group, for example planting a tree in the street or local park.

Councillors could encourage the new initiatives within their wards. They

understand their local neighbourhoods, and play a key democratic role as

champions for the different communities within their wards.

Increase support to initiatives coordinating volunteering in order to make

the most of the upsurge in interest. For example, grants to encourage local

time-banking initiatives or delegating more funding to a neighbourhood

level.

Grants to build the capacity of ‘hubs’. Extra support for organisations that

emerged as central to the response and have proved they can provide

much-needed ‘surge capacity’ in any future crisis.

Map initiatives from the crisis. Any strategy should be informed by

knowledge of the local area, build on what has already been created and

allow support to be targeted where it is needed most.

Asset-based places: A model for development – a framework for local areas

from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Loneliness, social isolation and COVID-19: practical advice – practical advice

for Directors of Public Health and others leading the response to social

isolation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Useful references

Maximising neighbourhood resilience after COVID-19 – Mutual Ventures’

guide for Local Authorities in encouraging and promoting mutual aid

groups

Volunteering in local government – examples of volunteering in councils

across a range of services

NCVO’s guidance on involving volunteers during the COVID-19 crisis –

advice on involving and managing volunteers during the coronavirus

outbreak from the national charity body.

Asset-based places: A model for development – a framework for local

areas from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Loneliness, social isolation and COVID-19: practical advice – practical

advice for Directors of Public Health and others leading the response to

social isolation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Who needs to be engaged and how?

Self-care is ‘the care taken by individuals towards their own health and

well-being’. It can help to manage demand, reduce inappropriate use of

services, and promote mental and physical well-being.

All citizens will need to be engaged in self-care. Within healthy population

groups, self-care can prevent illness, decreasing future demand for

services. Within groups with pre-existing conditions, it can prevent

escalation to expensive care.

Councils have a critical preventative role to play to help manage demand

for NHS services. This includes through their responsibility for public health

and influence over the wider determinants of health.

Key institutional stakeholders are public health, primary care, community

services, adult social care and housing providers, alongside the voluntary

and community sector.

What can we learn from the COVID-19 crisis?

The crisis has shown that people are willing and able to take greater

responsibility for managing their own health and well-being. New

behaviours have been learnt over the last ten weeks both to decrease the

spread of the disease (e.g. washing hands frequently) and to increase

health and wellbeing (e.g. staying active and exercising once a day).

People want information to help prevent themselves becoming ill. COVID-

19 has helped to establish a direct psychological link between how

individuals behave and their well-being.

Technology has proved its role in enabling self-care. Apps to help people

with their mental health and anxiety have shown a significant increase in

downloads. Social care and the NHS has scaled-up the use of technology,

particularly by offering remote access to services.

COVID-19 has led to an increase in people ‘self-triaging’ and treating

themselves. There has been a decrease in use of GPs and A&E for minor

issues, reducing the time spent on unnecessary visits. However, there has

Self-care

How individuals can be supported to look after their own well-being 5

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also been a reduction in people seeking help for complex, more urgent

issues.

The COVID-19 crisis has created a backlog of cases across public services.

Greater use of self-care could support a future peak in demand to be

managed more effectively.

What practical measures could be included in the recovery plan?

Actively promote self-care as part of all front-line public services. Local

Authorities should use their expertise in public health to work with service

users to take ownership of their own care. Research shows that a third of

people have never been given any advice regarding the self-care of their

condition by their health and care professionals.

Build self-care into care pathways, integrated across all partner

organisations. Self-care should be supported across the whole pathway of

health and care for chronic and long-term conditions, rather than seen as a

‘nice to have’.

Increase the use of social prescribing in social care. Social prescribing can

support individuals to take up activities that support their physical and

mental well-being. Social prescribers are now mandatory in primary care

settings but should be used more frequently in social care.

Financially empower people by promoting and extending the uptake of

personal budgets and direct payments across social care.

Better data and mapping of need and demand in communities. Shared

mapping between the NHS and local authorities would support more

responsive services.

Useful references

LGA ‘Self-care: Councils helping people look after themselves’ – review of

initiatives developed by local authorities to promote self-care.

Councils and communities recovering together

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To learn more about Mutual Ventures’ work with local government, or to speak

to us about supporting your COVID-19 recovery plan, contact

info@mutualventures.co.uk.