Innovation Unit

Excellent, inspiring stuff. We need to go both deep and wide if we want to change bureaucracies. And this piece speaks to both these ambitions. @innovationunit.bsky.social @kscopehealth.bsky.social @jessmcp.bsky.social

Stronger Together: Building place-based partnerships to tackle health inequalities. Online event. Innovation Unit and The National Lottery Community Fund. Tuesday 18th November 2025 - 1-2.30pm.

Grantees will share their insights, advice and perspectives on what it really takes to embed meaningful collaboration.

🗓️18 Nov 2025
⏰1-2.30pm

🔗Find out more and register your place: www.innovationunit.org/latest-updat...

#HealthInequalities #VCSE #NHS #PartnershipWorking #StrongerTogether

How can the VCSE sector, NHS and local authorities work together more effectively to reduce health inequalities?

Join our interactive webinar to explore real-world learning from @tnlcommunityfund.org.uk’s Health Equalities Programme, which has supported 12 local partnerships to do just that.

People sat around tables with reading material, coffee and water. Everyone is facing a woman speaking at the front of the room - people are smiling and listening intently.

People sat around tables with reading material, coffee and water. People are facing a woman speaking and expressing with her hands sat on one of the tables - people are smiling and listening intently.

Taking time to reflect on both our internal context and our external environment is essential for ensuring our work creates tangible, equitable impact for all.

Days like this make us feel energised around our shared purpose, and excited for our work ahead.

Learn more ⤵️
lnkd.in/eJyEg8jj

Our mission is to reduce inequalities and transform systems by growing-people powered innovations - we asked ourselves two critical questions:

🤝What is going on for the people, communities, public services, and VCSE organizations we work with?
🚀how do we launch our expertise into the world?

A powerful and productive Strategy Away Day for the #IUTeam last week! 🎉

We took a break from the day-to-day to dedicate time for collaboration as we begin to refresh our organisational strategy.

Learn more about trauma-informed design ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/latest-updat...

Check out our new website ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org

This focus on accessibility goes beyond just our website; it's central to our entire approach to design.

Our latest blog explores how we use trauma-informed approaches to create designs that reduce harm and provide safe opportunities for people with lived experience to tell their stories.

How can we create designs that are safe and accessible to all? 🌍

Our new website takes an accessibility-first design approach, including easy-to-use interfaces, colour contrasts and technical functions to assist users.

@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk's £100M Climate Action Fund is backing over 130 community-led projects across the UK. With support from Arup Group and @innovationunit.bsky.social, local action is being matched with expert guidance to build real, lasting climate solutions from the ground up.

Green watercolour painting of hands typing on a keyboard

When graphic design isn’t trauma-informed, it can cause further harm and isolation 🔈

Our latest blog explores the critical role of trauma-informed graphic design when creating content with and for audiences with lived experience of trauma.

Learn more ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/latest-updat...

A man presenting to a room of people, he is stood in front of a projector with a notepad in his hand. People sat around tables are looking at him as he speaks

A group of people sat at a table around a sheet of paper with post-it notes and writing on it. They are deep in discussion.

A woman stood up addressing a group of people, she is smiling and is pointing to something on the table in front of her

Two women standing in front of a post-it note covered board - one woman is reaching across and placing a note on the wall.

We spoke about the challenges and opportunities for our work in the face of:

🌍Climate change
👥Political and social shifts
🧠The growth of AI

Thank you James for your generous thoughts, and for prompting such rich discussion.

Find out more about our work ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org

James’ insightful talk challenged us to think about the role we play in supporting leaders and practitioners to transform systems.

At Innovation Unit we have over two decades of experience working across the public sector, but the environment we work in is constantly changing.

What does transforming systems mean in practice?

Last week the #IUTeam was joined by @jamestplunkett.bsky.social , public policy leader and author of End State.

Radical, sustainable change is possible for our mental health systems !

We are proud to share an evaluation report of Salford Mental Health Neighbourhood Team’s work adopting and adapting a #LivingWell Mental Health model.

Read the report at ⤵️

Five people standing in a pub holding the winning prize and smiling.

Room full of people sat at tables, all talking in groups.

Woman sat at a table, holding a whoopie cushion and smiling at the camera. Another woman sat next to her drinking from a glass.

A group of people all trying to balance objects on a team member, with a sponge and a glass on her head.

Last week the #IUTeam came together for some fun in the sun ☀️

We welcomed some new faces to our team, took some time to reflect on our last six months, and ended the day with an all-team game of Task Master led by Bethan Mitchell, truly putting our innovation expertise to the ultimate test ! 🏆

Loneliness is a public health emergency, but our home and communities offer part of the cure 🏘️

Senior Innovation Consultant & Service Designer Savannah Fishel explores the power of ‘neighbourisms’ as preventative health interventions.

Read more ⤵️
www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/type/...

Young Futures Hubs: If not now, when? | Innovation Unit Young people are being failed by a fragmented system and a political agenda that talks about opportunity but too often lets it slip through their fingers. Too many of them continue to struggle:

We are at risk of losing a generation.

Support for young people is fragmented, but Young Futures Hubs offer the potential for holistic support.

Learn more about why we champion the #FundTheHubs campaign and the case for Young Futures Hubs ⤵️

Young Futures Hubs: If not now, when? | Innovation Unit Young people are being failed by a fragmented system and a political agenda that talks about opportunity but too often lets it slip through their fingers. Too many of them continue to struggle:

Young people today face unprecedented challenges, from mental health struggles to economic insecurity and rising violence 📣

Our latest blog explores why young futures hubs are essential.

It's time for bold action. If not now, when?

Read the full blog here:

You're Invited: Bites & Insights - Changing Mental Health Systems & Practice - Innovation Unit You are invited to join us for Bites & Insights, a three-part live chat series

You're invited to Bites & Insights 🍴💡

Bring your lunch and join us for our final session to dive into real-world experiences, challenges, and breakthroughs of people working to change mental health systems and practice for the better.

Sign up here:

You're Invited: Bites & Insights - Changing Mental Health Systems & Practice - Innovation Unit You are invited to join us for Bites & Insights, a three-part live chat series

What does it really take to grow community-powered mental health systems? 🌱

Join us for our next two Bites & Insights sessions, diving into the real-world experiences, challenges, and breakthroughs of people working to change systems and practice for the better.

Sign up here:

You're Invited: Bites & Insights - Changing Mental Health Systems & Practice - Innovation Unit You are invited to join us for Bites & Insights, a three-part live chat series

You are invited to Bites & Insights🍴💡

Bites & Insights is a three-part series, diving into the real-world experiences of people working to change mental health systems and practice for the better.

Bring your lunch along & get ready to learn.

Sign up here:

You're Invited: Bites & Insights - Changing Mental Health Systems & Practice - Innovation Unit You are invited to join us for Bites & Insights, a three-part live chat series

What does it really take to grow community-powered mental health systems? 🌱

Join us for Bites & Insights, a three-part live chat series, diving into the real-world experiences of people working to change systems and practice for the better.

Sign up here:

Sav will be sharing learning from her @churchillfship.bsky.social, exploring what it takes to create thriving intergenerational communities.

See you there! 👋

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Radical Housing Conference Scotland Part 3 Get ready for the third installment of the Radical Housing Conference in Scotland, where we'll be diving deep into all things housing activi

Reimagining how we live together 🏘️

Senior Innovation Consultant Savannah Fishel will be speaking at two events as part of the Architecture Fringe next week:

📢Radical Housing Conference www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/radical-ho...
📢Cohousing Scotland AGM www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sharing-is...

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Growing a new childcare system: Reshaping the market - Innovation Unit The government’s mission to ensure every child has the best start to life is a source for great hope. However, there should be no sigh of relief just yet. Actually, we should be pretty concerned about...

We must prioritise prevention to break the unfair link between family background & opportunity⚖️

In our latest blog, we highlight the work of social purpose providers who are delivering high quality education & care for families and communities ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/thoughts/gro...

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A child's hands on dry ground

We have been thinking about how best to deliver government missions, here is our take on childcare ⬇️

We know that the for-profit, private childcare providers dominate the market, resulting in more provision for high-income communities, and ‘childcare deserts’ for low-income communities.

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Growing a new childcare system: Reshaping the market - Innovation Unit The government’s mission to ensure every child has the best start to life is a source for great hope. However, there should be no sigh of relief just yet. Actually, we should be pretty concerned about...

How can we revolutionise childcare? 👐🏾

In our latest blog, we highlight the work of social purpose providers who are delivering high quality education and care.

We want to grow their work and diversify the market.

Read more: www.innovationunit.org/thoughts/gro...

Events

Working with East London Cares, Sav's work supported local residents to sustain intergenerational friendships. She documented this work, uncovering insights about what gets in the way of these connections.

Sign up here: generationsworkingtogether.org/events/servi...

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Developing and sustaining intergenerational friendships 🫂

Senior Innovation Consultant and Service Designer Sav Fishel will be sharing her service redesign project at Generations Working Together’s upcoming webinar, on Tuesday 27th May 📅

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