Liverpool City Council

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself. The communications function is more integral to what councils do than ever. There is increasing need to influence behaviour in relation to, for example, recycling, transport, looking out for older neighbours, or reinforcing public health messaging – including with regards to Covid. And there is the importance of building trust in the difficult decisions councils have to take in these challenging times. Campaigns can make a significant contribution to achieving these objectives, and this award is designed to showcase councils’ expertise in this area.

In 2020 Liverpool saw an increase in deaths by suicide – potentially associated with the impact of Covid-19, and the resulting anxiety from lockdowns, social isolation and job and financial insecurity. SUICIDE IS PREVENTABLE The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in society to openly discuss it – something which prevents people reaching out. Co-created with people who have attempted or been bereaved by suicide Liverpool City Council produced a hard-hitting campaign to break these taboos.

The Local Authority is the leading local government podcast from LGC and TPXimpact. Each month we will bring together leaders and changemakers from within and around local government to discuss the most significant social challenges facing the sector. TPXimpact is a change consultancy on a mission to deliver impactful, sustainable digital outcomes that make a positive difference in how individuals and society experience the world. Bringing together leading transformation specialists, we started with the belief that organisations should make a positive difference in people’s lives. Our multidisciplinary teams use technology, user-centred design and data to deliver better results, improving outcomes for individuals, organisations, communities and society. This is transformation that matters.