How to spot good growth in all postcodes… and to generate it, from scratch.
Our Thriving Places Index is a powerful tool for seeing what really matters in your area right now. Designed specifically for local and strategic authority officers, and mindful of the many challenges they face, using the Thriving Index Places can feel like being given a map with clear directions written on it, helping you navigate a path that will lead to happier, healthier, thriving outcomes.
We have worked with teams across local authorities, such as public health, inclusive growth, environment, housing, safety, transport and social services. We understand that data overwhelm is a real issue. They want to know what evidence matters the most right now, to understand what needs to be prioritised and how undertaking action will impact upon everything else in your area, since our health, the climate, nature, housing, work – everything is so interconnected.
The Thriving Places Index provides so much more than a deeper level of understanding of what is happening within a place. It will tell you where change is most urgently needed, help you build a clearer picture of which actions to take next, where those actions may have the greatest positive impact, the co-benefits they could create and which teams need to be involved. It is the gift of clear vision and oversight.
With the Thriving Places Index, you can compare data on a granular level, constituency by constituency. You can see how neighbouring authorities are faring across the same domains. You can take the data to multiple departments that rarely cross over, to show how they need a joined up approach to make a difference in people’s lives.
For over almost ten years, we have helped multiple departments across hundreds of authorities to see, to understand – and to think through what to do next.
Here are 5 specific ways, in which to use to TPI to help your local authority:
1. To see how your place is doing, in context to others
Really get under the skin of your local authority and compare it to others in England, across up to 88 wellbeing, sustainability and fairness indicators.
2. Bring different teams together, around the same evidence
Use the data as a shared starting point for conversations across departments that do not always work together, from health and housing to economy, environment and community. We can help you to do this, and develop shared priorities and goals.
3. Explore issues in tandem and prioritise areas where more support is needed
The Thriving Places Index enables you to look at indicators side by side to understand where different pressures or strengths are emerging, even when they are happening in conjunction, at the same time. For example, If you wanted to think about developing a new retrofit fund, you might want to look at indicators on housing, education, and local businesses to understand both the needs you have and who might be well placed to retrain/ refocus and deliver energy efficiency intervention.
4. Strengthen plans, bids and bolster evidence based local decision-making
Use the Thriving Places Index to support your strategy, funding bids, scrutiny, partnership conversations and long-term thinking about what helps people thrive. The Thriving Places Index acts like a backbone, strengthening your mission and bringing you back time and time again to what matters most, rather than allowing decisions to veer off course or be swayed by dominant personalities.
5. Track real progress and look to the future
The Thriving Places Index can be used as a litmus test, to monitor whether strategies are working and outcomes are actually improving, and to spot areas where your place stands out from the wider pattern, helping you ask better questions and decide where deeper local analysis and action are needed.
Want to find out more, or have a discussion with our team? Email hello@centreforthrivingplaces.org to set up a chat.
Special thanks to Adekemi Omisakin for collaborating on this blog.
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