Public Practice appeals for help with Covid recovery work

The social enterprise Public Practice has appealed for built environment experts to come forward and take up placements in councils and NHS Trusts.

It has launched the recruitment drive for its seventh cohort of associates, who will take up placements of one year or longer within planning, housing and regeneration departments of local authorities and other public-sector bodies, such as NHS Trusts, from October 2021.

For the first time, authorities within London and Sub-Regional Partnerships will have the opportunity to secure match funding through Public Practice for placements that help deliver the London Recovery Board’s economic recovery missions: High Streets for All, Digital Access for All, A Green New Deal and Good Work for Londoners.

Associates recruited to economic recovery roles will help implement place-based projects, as well as support co-design, collaboration and knowledge-sharing across sub-regions and London as a whole.

The organisation is calling for expressions of interest from local authorities looking to bolster their in-house capacity with a diverse range of skills and expertise.

The pandemic has placed local authorities under extraordinary strain, intensifying many of the challenges they already faced, and placing a renewed focus on place-based approaches to securing economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Since the first cohort launched in April 2018, Public Practice has placed 176 Associates across 46 authorities.

Figures compiled by Public Practice show that the talent attracted to the public sector by the programme is having a lasting impact on in house capacity. So far 91% of Associates have continued working within the public sector beyond the first 12 months. 93% of Authorities have returned to Public Practice for further placements.

‘The last year has been an incredibly challenging time for local government,’ said Public Practice co-founder and incoming chief executive, Pooja Agrawal.

‘Officers have responded with speed and creativity to the immediate crisis of COVID-19, from addressing poor health to food poverty and access to jobs. As we move into a phase of recovery, authorities have an important opportunity to take action that makes a long-term impact.

‘What does a green recovery look like? What is the future of our town centres? And how do we build the resilience to overcome financial hardship? This is a vital moment for Local Authorities and government bodies to ask these questions, and Public Practice will bring multi-disciplinary skills of the highest talent to find place-based solutions in practice.’

Interested applicants should visit publicpractice.org.uk/associates/ for information and resources.

Photo Credit – Ivan Jones (Supplied)