Across the UK public sector, colleagues have been experimenting with simple digital ideas that ended up transforming services.
We spotlight a few success stories from councils and the NHS that show how 'innovating it 'til we make it' can seriously pay off, improving care for people and even saving money in the process.
Here are a couple of examples of what people have been doing.
Sharing data, saving money – Plymouth City Council's big win
Sometimes, just connecting the dots can create a ripple effect. In Plymouth, the council tried a straightforward solution – a secure online portal to share care management data with supported living providers.
Instead of emails and siloed systems, everyone – council staff, NHS partners, and care providers – could access the same up-to-date information about residents' care needs and costs.
This small change had huge benefits. It helped the commissioning team spot issues early and plan better, which meant higher-quality care and lower costs. In fact, Plymouth’s portal cut the cost of care packages by around 15%, saving up to £850,000 for the council's adult social care and £900,000 for local health services.
Why did it work? Because when everyone has the right information at their fingertips, it's easier to avoid duplication, prevent crises, and make every pound count. A bit of data-sharing went a long way!
A simple recording transforms child protection meetings
In children's social care, one team found that listening could be as powerful as any high-tech gadget.
Achieving for Children (a partnership of 3 UK councils) started audio-recording their child protection conferences – meetings where professionals and families discuss a child's safety.
Previously, a note taker typed up minutes which often missed nuances. By introducing a simple cloud-based audio recorder, they removed the guesswork.
The result? Families felt heard and started trusting the process more. Parents said they much prefer meetings to be recorded, knowing nothing said will be lost. This has led to more honest communication and cooperation with social workers. Complaints dropped because the recordings capture details that written minutes might miss. And on the employee side, it freed up time, conference chairs no longer had to scribble notes and support officers didn't need to attend just to take minutes.
This tweak saved about 2 hours per meeting for the chairs and an estimated £50,000 a year in employee time and other efficiencies. A relatively low-tech fix, basically hitting the record button, made a stressful process easier for families and gave social workers more time to focus on helping children. Small change, big difference!
Your idea could be next!
Pretty inspiring, right? These stories show that you don't always need a big budget or a tech degree to innovate, just a keen eye for what could work better.
Maybe you've noticed a little fix in your day-to-day work that could save time, cut costs, or make life easier for service users.
We want to hear your ideas! Head over to the Innovations Hub (our internal ideas platform) and share your thoughts. Whether it's a tweak to an existing solution, a new way to use data we already have, or a totally fresh concept, no idea is too big or small. Who knows, your suggestion might spark the next big improvement in our services. Let's innovate it 'til we make it!
Submit your innovation