The third Local Government Challenge of 2024 brought contestants to Wiltshire Council, the large rural unitary authority in the South West with its array of market towns, canals, and beautiful countryside including the renowned Salisbury Plain.

Council colleagues headed by leader of the council Cllr Richard Clewer, set the tone of the challenge with an overview of the area and its diverse communities, attributing the council's high performance to their evidence-led business plan which sets out their priorities around empowering people and promoting a more resilient society over the next 10 years.

From the welcome, it was plain to see the cultivation of a positive culture which helps drive forward such important agendas as prevention and early intervention.

The LG Challenge tackles different themes and service areas at each host council, and this time it was to focus on the Household Support Fund (HSF). First introduced in September 2021, the HSF supports vulnerable households with the cost of living and is allocated to councils to distribute across their localities based on residents' needs. A live and tangible issue which had become even more pertinent after the announcement by the chancellor in the Spring Budget delivered three weeks before the arrival of the cohort in Wiltshire, that the fund would be extended for a further six months.

So, to the challenge reveal. The two teams of contestants were asked to review information on the HSF, identify ways to mitigate against impacts on the community if future funding were to cease, and make recommendations for how the council might uphold relationships built with stakeholders during the administration of the fund. As Cllr Clewer said – by no means a simple challenge.

The teams are mixed at every challenge to provide contestants with the opportunity for learning from each set of skills and personalities, and hitting the halfway mark on the programme we see cohorts feeling more confident, with a strong understanding of each other and eager to crack on with the challenge.

As they convened in their respective team rooms, the captains were decided as Marelize De Beurs (Basingstoke and Deane BC) for Team Dynamic and Ramisa Yazdani Biouki (Barnet LBC) for Team Victorious. Based inside the impressive atrium of the Civic Centre, which serves as a lively community hub, well-used by residents and council colleagues alike, teams found themselves in the heart of the community from the get-go.

The two days were spent meeting with internal and external stakeholders to gain a better understanding of how the HSF has been administered, how the council has responded to cost of living issues, the impact on communities, and the relationship between the council and the voluntary and community sector.

The cohort immersed themselves in the emotive issue and a visit downstairs to the civic centre's library demonstrated one example of Wiltshire's response to the cost of living. Acting as a warm space, an information hub to access a variety of support and a place where vulnerable people can seek advice without feeling judged, the library is – as the library manger put it – ‘like a living room of the town'.

There was also valuable time to test their recommendations with council experts to help shape their final reports and presentations in the lead up to pitching in front of the judging panel of Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, cabinet member for public health, Parvis Khansari, corporate director for place and the Local Government Association's head judge Claire Holloway.

Team Dynamic pitched their idea to create a single stakeholder network titled ‘OWN' (the One Wiltshire Network) that would build on existing smaller cost of living networks and bring in larger employers, the private sector, health, charity and voluntary sectors.

Team Victorious' proposal focused on food insecurity and housing instability funded through social value with strengthened procurement processes, and managed through a new strategic partnership board including the third sector, local businesses, parish and town councils, area boards, and statutory partners.

After deliberation by the judges, Team Dynamic were announced as the winners. There was a recognition of the hard work put in by both teams, and with Dynamic's proposal claiming the win based on its partnership approach and ability to achieve in the short term as well as bringing long-term benefits.

Cllr Blair-Pilling said of the experience ‘The whole exercise is of value, not just to the contestants, but to Wiltshire Council and our staff.'

Huge thanks to all the members and officers from Wiltshire Council who made this challenge such a rewarding experience.

Viola Owembabazi is programme support officer, leadership and talent team, at the Local Government Association

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