Small Team of the Year

Cheshire West & Chester Council

Trading standards north west regional investigations team operation best

This nomination concerns the trading standards investigation known as Operation Best and the subsequent prosecution during 2023. Operation Best is possibly the biggest and most challenging case ever undertaken by a Trading Standards team. It is remarkable that such a small team persevered to produce one of the most outstanding results ever achieved in a Trading Standards prosecution. Challenged every step of the way by lawyers instructed by a wealthy defendant this is a case of a small team triumphing in the interests of ‘Fair Trading’. 

Glasgow City Council

Private rented sector housing and welfare hub

Glasgow’s Private Rented Sector Housing and Welfare Hub provides a range of support to families living in the city. The hub delivers an innovative person-centred approach to support families living in the private rented sector including the prevention of homelessness, improving housing conditions and delivering positive health and wellbeing outcomes. Since April 2017, this innovative approach to preventing homelessness and reducing poverty has helped over 1,500 families and 2,250 children living in Glasgow. The current homeless prevention rate is 83% and the estimated savings delivered by the team are estimated to be in the region of £14m. 

Kingston Upon Thames RBC

Kingston's Employment, Skills and Enterprise Team – the tardis of teams

Like a Jamie Oliver recipe our team takes five (human) ingredients and combines them in exemplary ways - collaboration is baked into our work, creating a whole that is greater than the parts. As a result, we punch way above our weight in influence and impact corporately and beyond, delivering genuinely impressive successes in 2023. This includes 1200+ residents supported with employment; 800 residents helped with energy reduction and 550 businesses supported. We can do this because of a mutually-supportive, person-focussed team environment, combined with our USP of 'collaborative silo-busting specialisms' - while remembering to have fun.

Newcastle Under Lyme BC

Vulnerability and Rough Sleeper’s Team

Our vulnerability and homelessness hub's bring partners together to support and change the lives of individuals and families who we identify as our most vulnerable. The team is made up of two halves, all the team are passionate and determined to change people's lives for the better, reduce risk and drive forward creative ways to help engage the most vulnerable. Without the can do attitude of the team none of this would be possible. The hard work was recently recognised in a Peer review by the Local Government Association. 

North Tyneside Council with Aurora Affordable Homes

Aurora Affordable Homes is wholly owned by North Tyneside Council and leading the way to ‘build a better North Tyneside’. Our team is small, but mighty! As an exemplar landlord we provide quality, affordable housing to low-income earners at no additional cost to the authority. We are passionate about customer service. We are friendly, and professional. Being small we rely on our creativity and innovation to achieve results and our customers agree with satisfaction standing at 99.6%. We are so confident in our ability that we have become the first private landlord to voluntarily sign up to the Housing Ombudsman 

Rossendale BC

Rossendale works

Rossendale Works is a hugely impactful partnership project that supports and assists local people that are furthest away from the job market into employment, initiated by Rossendale Borough Council in partnership with Active Lancashire and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The focus being to improve the mental and physical health of our participants and subsequently improve their chances of employment.

South Tyneside Council

Organisational development team

Despite being a small and newly established team, South Tyneside Council’s Organisational Development team has supported substantial transformation in the 18 months since it has been in existence. The now 8-strong team which grew from just two original employees in early 2022, has had a pivotal role in pushing forward the ‘Our Council Change Programme’. On top of strengthening learning and development, leadership, and recruitment and retention, the team has also established and consolidated new organisational values, rolled out considerable equalities’ improvements for the workforce, and launched an exciting People Strategy to support ongoing workforce wellbeing and development.

Stockport MBC

Mayoral development corporation leads the way in transforming Stockport town centre

The first of its kind nationally, the unique team behind Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation turbo-charges the Council’s work to buck the trend of declining town centres and tackle the housing crisis by delivering town centre living at scale. In five years, they have transitioned the MDC from innovative concept to proven delivery vehicle, playing a pivotal role in enabling Stockport to outperform national trends and create a vibrant town centre fit for the future. This transformation has led to national coverage from the Times and the Telegraph highlighting Stockport as the place to live and work. The team to watch!

Tower Hamlets LBC

Tower Hamlets viability

THV is a game changing team and industry leaders in public sector development viability. A team which defends the interest of local councils to maximise affordable housing through scrutinising viability assessments received as part of planning applications. Their work contributes significantly to the national objective of increasing affordable housing for thousands of residents in poor quality housing and waiting endlessly on council housing waiting lists. The innovative approach THV has taken has meant excellent outcomes not just for Tower Hamlets but other boroughs, whilst generating income, easing the burden during difficult financial times, and retaining money within the public purse.

Winchester City Council

Homes for Ukraine – Winchester support team housing & communities

The Winchester City Council Housing and Communities Ukraine team works in close partnership in order to deliver a reactive and proactive service for our Ukrainian guests who have resettled in the Winchester district. Hampshire has the third largest intake of Ukrainians in the country. Winchester has the second largest intake of Ukrainians in the county of Hampshire. This small team of 5 officers, which includes a Ukrainian speaking officer, have mobilised quickly and continue to provide a personalised, flexible and targeted support approach in order to provide housing solutions, prevent homelessness, create stability, encourage integration and to enable community cohesion.