Service innovation in the public sector

Last year Engine embarked on a number of exciting projects with local councils, to explore new approaches to social innovation in the public sector. With Kent County Council, Engine is helping to establish SILK, a Social Innovation Lab for Kent, through which user-centred innovation methodologies bring the experiences and expertise of residents and front-line staff to the fore in setting the council’s policy agenda.

Through a number of pilot projects that deal with online care services and supporting families at risk, the project team, led by Sophia Parker and her colleagues, will establish user-led innovation as one of the core drivers of Kent County Council’s future activity.

Similarly, in Buckinghamshire, a consortium of district councils has invited Engine to assist in the development of a new model for community engagement, under the banner of Shape: Services Having All People Engaged. We are working with a group of public service providers, policy makers and volunteers to generate solutions that will meet the needs of elderly residents seeking to access medical services in the county.

The next few weeks will see the culmination of these exciting projects, prototyping, testing and publishing new service development concepts. Visit our website soon to read the full stories and methods used.