The council is a finalist in 2 categories – ‘Campaign of the Year' and ‘Health and Social Care'.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, the Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: "We are delighted to have been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s prestigious LGC Awards.
“This is a great achievement for everybody at the council, and they should feel proud that the positive impact they are having on our city and our residents is being recognised on a national scale.”
In the ‘Campaign of the Year' category, the council has been recognised for its promotion of the innovative Better Health: Rewards pilot in Wolverhampton last year.
The council worked with the Department of Health and Social Care's Office for Health Improvement and Disparities on the pilot, designed to test whether offering people financial incentives would encourage them to make better health and lifestyle choices.
The council used its communications expertise and strong partnerships to create a highly engaging wave of activities that reached every corner of the city. Over 28,000 Wulfrunians signed up to move more and eat better, racking up almost 8 billion steps during the 20 week long programme.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: "We were pleased to be able to work with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to deliver the innovative Better Health: Rewards programme here in Wolverhampton.
“It was amazing to see the tangible benefits it brought to those taking part, and I am delighted that the wide ranging campaign that helped sign up over 28,000 residents has been shortlisted for an LGC award."
Meanwhile, in the Health and Social Care category, the council and its partners in OneWolverhampton were shortlisted for a project to deliver a winter plan that reduced hospital admissions and ensured people were able to return home at the safest, earliest opportunity.
It saw partners from health and social care take a joint approach to funding, using it in innovative ways to test out new ways of working, such as having dedicated welfare rights and social workers within mental health settings and running bespoke training events with care homes. The King’s Fund highlighted Wolverhampton as an exemplar for sharing resources to drive improved outcomes and innovation.
Sian Thomas, Partnership Director for OneWolverhampton, said: “We are really pleased to have been shortlisted for this award.
“As a partnership we have been going from strength to strength and this award is testament to the hard work that has been done to ensure health and care services offered the best possible support for the people of Wolverhampton during the tough winter months. This has meant that, as well as reducing hospital admissions, we have been able to help people to return to the place they call home at the safest and earliest opportunity.”
The council was also highly praised for its entry in the Public/Private Partnership category, 'a city wide approach to financial wellbeing'. Judges lauded it for its 'focus on ongoing support and resilience building' and appreciated 'the project's innovation in addressing real challenges and fostering collaboration.'
LGC editor Sarah Calkin said: “We have been blown away by the response to this year’s LGC Awards, with more than 900 entries, a 24% increase on last year. This shows that despite the challenging circumstances facing councils up and down the country, there is plenty of excellent work taking pace by dedicated staff who are committed to their communities."
To find out more about the LGC Awards 2024, please visit LGC Awards 2024.
