Hull City Council has been recognised for its excellence in local government after winning in two categories at the MJ Awards.
The awards celebrate outstanding innovation, resilience and impact across local authorities. As well as winning in two categories, Hull was shortlisted in a further three categories, out of 21.
On Friday 19 June, at the awards evening, Hull was named one of the best in local government, securing two major wins in the following categories:
- Innovation in Housing, for All With Us
- Workforce Optimisation, for the SEND Workforce Development Strategy
“All With Us” is Hull City Council’s whole-place response to reducing reliance on costly, unstable, out-of-area children’s home placements, in return providing local care for local children.
Since 2019, the council has grown its own in house therapeutically grounded provision and now has a portfolio of 17 registered children’s homes offering up to 48 children care in their home city of Hull. This provision is a long-term solution, built through strong partnership working between children’s services, housing and health colleagues.
Further, Hull City Council’s SEND Workforce Development Strategy (2024–2027) was also recognised for its innovative and inclusive approach. Developed through co-production with families and informed by their lived experience, the strategy ensures that supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a shared responsibility.
Cllr Linda Tock, cabinet portfolio holder for children’s services at Hull City Council, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been recognised at the MJ Awards for both our All With Us programme and our SEND Workforce Development Strategy.
“By treating home not just as provision but as a language of care, we have created an approach that places children firmly at the centre – helping them return to stable, connected communities where they feel they truly belong. Children told us they wanted to stay where family is close and where ‘home’ feels like home, and we have listened.
“At the same time, our SEND workforce strategy demonstrates our commitment to ensuring every child and young person can thrive. Through co-production and a strong focus on inclusion, we are building a strategy that reflects and supports the communities we serve.
“These awards are a testament to the dedication and collaborative effort of staff and partners across the council, who continue to go above and beyond to deliver better outcomes for Hull’s children and families – work that has been nationally recognised as good practice.”
In addition to the two wins, the SEND team were highly commended in the Innovation in Building Diversity and Inclusion category for their work on ‘transforming mainstream education through SEND inclusion’.
Hull Youth Justice Service was also shortlisted in the Transforming Lives category, while All With Us was shortlisted in a further category – Delivering Better Outcomes.
Led by children’s services this work has been supported by teams across the council from finance and transformation to legal, HR, and external partners.
Winning an MJ Award, or being shortlisted to attend the awards ceremony, recognises the tremendous dedication of those working in local government, who continue to support their local communities with innovative practice.
The awards ceremony brought together councils from across the country to celebrate best practice, innovation and impact, highlighting the difference local government makes to people’s lives every day.
To find out more about the MJ Awards, visit Home – The MJ Achievement Awards