Lewis Normoyle 

21-07-2025

Can local authorities lead the next compliance revolution?

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Discover how local authorities are moving from enforcement to innovation - using smarter systems to embed real-time compliance and continuous improvement

In today’s fast-moving landscape of public service delivery, local authorities are no longer just enforcing compliance - they’re redefining it. While national regulators such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Ofsted, and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) set the broad frameworks, it’s often councils that lead the way in translating these expectations into operational excellence.

Across adult social care, education, housing, and early years provision, local authorities are pioneering tech-enabled solutions to meet the rising demands of regulation. From predictive safeguarding tools to streamlined audit portals, these innovations are not only improving oversight - they’re elevating the entire system.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we work closely with both providers and local authorities, and we’ve seen this shift firsthand. In this blog, Lewis Normoyle explores how councils are driving compliance innovation and how organisations can respond - and thrive - in this new environment.

From enforcer to enabler - The new role of local authorities

Historically, local authorities acted as intermediaries - interpreting national policy, monitoring contract delivery, and intervening when quality slipped. But today’s challenges demand more than oversight.

Faced with tight budgets, increased demand, and complex multi-agency regulation, councils are embracing a new role: compliance enablers. This involves:

• Investing in digital platforms to track care delivery, training records, and safeguarding activity.
• Partnering with providers to co-develop dynamic quality assurance systems that go beyond static audits.
• Standardising policy frameworks across regions to improve consistency, reduce duplication, and boost accountability.

Rather than waiting for risks to materialise, councils are building proactive systems that detect issues early, drive continuous improvement, and support better public outcomes.

Why this shift is happening - The drivers behind innovation

Local authorities didn’t choose to innovate on a whim. Their evolving role as compliance enablers is a direct response to mounting pressures within the regulatory landscape. From increasingly complex standards to shrinking budgets and rising public scrutiny, councils are adapting not just to survive, but to lead. Below are the core drivers behind this transformation: the world.

Regulatory complexity is rising

With frameworks like CQC’s Single Assessment Framework and Ofsted’s focus on lived experience, local authorities must navigate overlapping standards across multiple sectors. Innovation becomes not just strategic, but essential. transformation: the world.

Resources are under pressure

Councils are expected to do more with less. That means automating compliance tasks, streamlining processes, and ensuring every resource is directed to where it can make the most impact.

Accountability to communities

Following high-profile service failures, public trust must be rebuilt. Councils are turning to data-driven systems to ensure transparency, consistency, and swift action when needed.

Compliance innovation in action – Three local authority examples

Local authorities across the UK are proving that smart, collaborative approaches to compliance can deliver real results. Below are three standout examples leading the way:

1. Birmingham City Council - Digitising provider oversight

By collaborating with care providers, Birmingham launched a digital portal that centralises incident reporting, training compliance, audits, and monitoring. The result: improved transparency and reduced admin workload for frontline teams.

2. Lancashire County Council - Safeguarding with AI

Lancashire’s early help teams use predictive analytics to identify patterns that could indicate safeguarding concerns. These insights are cross-referenced with workforce training data to close readiness gaps before they become risks.

3. Devon County Council - Standardising policies

Devon developed a cloud-based policy system co-designed with providers. It ensures alignment with national standards, supports version control, and automates updates, giving both commissioners and providers confidence in compliance at every level.

What makes these approaches work?

Innovative compliance strategies emerging from local authorities share four key features:

• System interoperability - Platforms must work seamlessly across diverse services, including residential care, SEND, housing support, and more. Systems like ComplyPlus™ make this seamless.
• Real-time data - Gone are the days of annual audits. Councils now rely on live dashboards, automated alerts, and trend analysis to inform decisions in real time.
• Workforce empowerment - Frontline teams need tools that not only monitor but also guide. Training compliance is no longer a box-tick exercise - it’s a pillar of risk prevention.
• Shared accountability - Compliance is not the sole responsibility of providers. Commissioners and regulators must also contribute to clarity, improvement, and action. The best systems make that collaboration easy and transparent.

What does this mean for providers

If your organisation delivers regulated services - whether in health, education, or social care - local authority-led innovation will increasingly shape your operating environment. Here's how to stay ahead:

Be ready for real-time oversight

Paper records and fragmented spreadsheets are no longer enough. Councils expect live, auditable data, so your systems must be inspection-ready at all times.

Embrace co-production

The most resilient providers are those working closely with commissioners to enhance quality systems. Participation builds trust, influence, and alignment.

Standardise and streamline

Expect increasing pressure to align with shared policy frameworks and region-wide compliance models. This helps drive efficiency, reduce errors, and improve consistency.

Prioritise digital readiness

Whether it’s for safeguarding, audits, training, or incident logs, your systems need to talk to each other. Investing in platforms like ComplyPlus™ enables this integration and ensures you're prepared for tomorrow’s compliance landscape.

ComplyPlus™ - Supporting local authorities and providers alike

ComplyPlus™ is The Mandatory Training Group’s purpose-built compliance management ecosystem, designed to help both local authorities and regulated providers navigate the demands of modern governance. potential pitfalls.

With ComplyPlus™, organisations gain:

• Live compliance dashboards to track performance across services.
• Version-controlled policy libraries, aligned to CQC, Ofsted, and other regulatory bodies.
• Modular tools covering incidents, audits, workforce development, and governance oversight.

By centralising compliance activity into one integrated platform, ComplyPlus™ empowers organisations to act faster, reduce risk, and demonstrate control, while freeing teams to focus on delivering quality care and support.