Neighbourhood Working Model
Client Context
A key component of Luton’s 2040 vision is to create more empowered, independent and resilient communities. This is seen as essential to achieve the council’s top priority of eradicating poverty in the town, while reshaping the organisation to meet its continuing budget challenges. While there was already a strong ethos of partnership working in the borough and various services had already been devolved to community groups and delivered locally, these approaches were often fragmented and inconsistent, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. The council aimed to maximise the use of community assets, enhance resident engagement and ensure services were delivered closer to the people who needed them most.
Our Approach
Human Engine worked closely with Luton officers, senior leaders, Elected Members, community leaders and residents to co-design a Target Operating Model for Integrated Neighbourhood Working.
Our approach involved:
Stakeholder Engagement and Community Co-Design: We facilitated workshops, interviews and focus groups with council officers, community groups and residents to understand existing challenges, gaps and aspirations.
Best Practice Research: We mapped existing neighbourhood-level projects to identify duplication, gaps and dependencies, bringing in best practice examples from across the UK to inform the new model.
Asset Mapping: Identifying the physical assets, local strengths and services delivered by the council, health, police, education and VCFSE groups in each locality.
Empathy Mapping and Vision Boarding: Using service design techniques, we captured the experiences, needs and ambitions of different community groups to shape a model that was both practical and resident-led.
Outputs and Outcomes
Key outcomes included:
A Target Operating Model, supported by a Theory of Change that clearly articulated the problem to be solved and the measurable benefits that the change will deliver – allowing council teams, partners and community groups to push in the same direction.
The new TOM established a consistent structure for neighbourhood working, eliminating fragmentation while maintaining flexibility for community-driven initiatives.
£1.5m savings identified through a more joined up approach to services in localities and more efficient use of buildings, grant funding and staff time.
Additional cost avoidance from community-based prevention, projected to save £1.6m by deflecting demand from high cost, high need services that lead to worse personal outcomes.
By embedding a community network approach, the model enabled grassroots organisations to take a more active role in service delivery, fostering better collaboration between public sector and VCSFE partners and strengthening place-based leadership in Luton.
About Us
Human Engine is a leading management consultancy with specialisms in strategy, transformation, digital, commercial, procurement and projects.
Founded in 2018, we have partnered with more than 50 local authorities, central government, NHS organisations and national charities to help transform their strategies, operations and cultures.
Our mission is to help individuals and organisations to do the best work of their lives. We do this by blending first-hand, practical experience of the problems we help our clients solve with award-winning consulting expertise and an approach based on trust, collaboration and partnership.