The Social Innovation Lab for Kent Designing better services together Starting with people Space to think Designing services for everyday living Collaborating for better services Supporting innovators and leaders in Kent Insights Ideas Actions Tools and resources for innovation

Our context KCC is one of the leaders in ensuring innovative solutions to support service delivery and transformation. We are constantly looking for new ways to cultivate and capture innovation. KCC Annual Plan 2005/6

Why now? Shifting demographics, rising expectations and ever-tighter budgets Need for social capital and civic engagement Demand for personalisation and customisation Emerging technologies affecting our lives Collaborative innovation

Shifting demographics, rising expectations and ever-tighter budgets

Need for social capital and civic engagement

Demand for personalisation and customisation

Emerging technologies affecting our lives

Collaborative innovation

Shifting demographics, rising expectations and ever-tighter budgets 1

Need for social capital and civic engagement 2

Demand for personalisation and customisation 3

Emerging technologies affecting our lives 4

Collaborative innovation 5

So, what is SILK? SILK is an innovation hub for Kent, working across service and sector boundaries playing a catalyst role to enhance the council’s capacity for social innovation .

Inspiring staff to continually innovate to provide a better service Partnerships and c ross-disciplinary teamwork Practical tools and methods to support teams across KCC SILK is about:

Our recent project work Activmobs Digital Inclusion Food for Families The Gateways Financial Inclusion Fathers Care Directory Families in Kent Opportunities

Our recent project work - Families at Risk in Kent

Our recent project work – Fathers on Sheppey

Our recent project work – Online Care Directory

Our approach

Some of the tools we have been using

The Social Innovation Lab for Kent “ I wouldn’t have thought of doing it that way had I not been involved with this work.” Nazeya Hussein invited a local immigrant woman in to discuss her individual story for an immigration project. “ I thought we worked on the ground, but this has shown me that we really don’t … the approach here has challenged our assumptions about what’s needed.” “ I’ve never done anything like this before - and from now on I’ll do things differently.” ” This is more thinking than I've done in the last 6 months." "Thanks for making us put ourselves in other people's shoes and think."

The Social Innovation Lab for Kent Designing better services together Starting with people Space to think Designing services for everyday living Collaborating for better services Supporting innovators and leaders in Kent Insights Ideas Actions Tools and resources for innovation