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

Where the story began
OUR OPERATING ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING
• Capacity to prepare for the future, as well as past performance
• Area-based not institutionally focused
• Engagement, empowerment, involvement
• Use of data - real-time, experiential, geographic

What we do
Capacity Building Projects Making Connections

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

But how do we get support for change?

Secure senior leadership

Plan, plan, plan

Know your stakeholders

Be ruthless about the team

Involve the people that matter

Turn research into action

Value communication work

Make the business your business

Be entrepreneurial

What we found hard
NEW WAYS OF SEEING, THINKING AND WORKING TOGETHER
Keeping the faith and making the time
Balancing energy with over-claiming
Prioritising and focusing
Turning little ideas into big innovations

What would have helped
ENCOURAGEMENT, EMPOWERMENT… AND LESS PROCUREMENT…
More eyes for spotting opportunities
Platforms for us to tell our story
Greater political will
Easier routes to engaging external support

Where next
A NEW WAY OF WORKING, NOT AN ADDITIONAL THING TO DO
A core team for SILK in the business plan
Using and continuing to develop the framework on strategic projects
Building capacity to work in a people-centred way through training
Turn the framework into a collaborative resource online

The Social Innovation Lab for Kent
MANAGING INNOVATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Sophia Parker
SILK, Kent County Council