Why we did this project
The role of communities in improving health is receiving increasing attention from policy makers and NHS leaders. An important part of this involves using ‘strength-based’ or ‘asset-based’ approaches, which nurture the strengths of individuals and communities to build independence and improve health.
Since 2011, Wigan Council has embarked on a major process of change involving moving towards asset-based working at scale, empowering communities through a ‘citizen-led’ approach to public health and creating a culture which permits staff to redesign how they work in response to the needs of individuals and communities. At the heart of this is an attempt to strike a new relationship between public services and local people that has become known as the ‘Wigan Deal’.
Project content
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A citizen-led approach to health and care: Lessons from the Wigan Deal
In 2011, Wigan Council had to make unprecedented savings after significant cuts in funding from central government. Drastic measures were needed, including a radical reshaping of the rel...
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Rekindling hope in public services
Ahead of the publication of our report on the Wigan Deal, Chris Naylor explores how devolving power to frontline staff and service users can create the positive culture needed for improv...
Watch the film
What we did
To understand the approach Wigan Council and its partners have taken we interviewed a wide range of people over the course of seven days. We visited a number of key sites across Wigan, speaking to frontline staff, users of services, the voluntary sector and citizens of Wigan as well as leaders in the system. This fieldwork formed the basis of a report examining how and why the Wigan Deal was developed, how it has been put into practice, and what others might learn from it.
Project leads
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Chris Naylor
Senior Fellow -
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Dan Wellings
Senior Fellow
Ambulances are bringing care closer to home
The ambulance service might not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering how to move care closer to home, but as Danielle Jefferies shows it has some interesting initiative...
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Let's talk about social prescribing
What is social prescribing? How does it fit with other health and care services and what does it aim to achieve? Find out in our podcast episode.
Clear signs integrated care systems are making progress but will need greater local flexibility to realise potential
New report from The King's Fund calls for national bodies to set clear outcomes for ICSs to deliver but to allow flexibility in terms of how those outcomes are achieved.
Building on Covid-19 – what next for community-centred approaches to health?
Community champions played an essential role during the Covid-19 pandemic, but how can health and care leaders ensure that their contribution and expertise is maintained for the future? ...