smarter choices
DESCRIPTION
A presentation I gave to the London Collaborative about Sutton's approach to #behaviourchangeTRANSCRIPT
SMARTER CHOICES
Sutton’s approach to behaviour change
London Collaborative
October 2009Daniel Ratchford - Strategic Director, Environment & Leisure
Smarter choices: policy context
• Local government has always had two distinct – yet overlapping – roles: (1) delivering services, and (2) shaping people’s choices
• Recent decades have focused on (1); so much so, that many recent commentaries on ‘behaviour change’ mistakenly treat (2) as something entirely new
• But in fact, government has always focused on behaviour change
• The recent debate about behaviour change is fundamentally about a ‘tilting’ of government approaches:
– towards freedom, personalisation, and the right to choose
– and away from top-down direction, uniformity, and coercion
• And there are some interesting policy choices to make in all of this
Smarter choices: Sutton’s approach
• Sutton is widely recognised as a leader in the field of behaviour change
• Our award-winning “smarter choices” programmes have provoked interest from around the world – especially Smarter Travel Sutton
• But these are simply a refined and well-delivered example of a range of approaches that we have been using for a long time
• We have learned some interesting lessons along the way
• In particular, we think that behaviour change should focus on “more of the carrot, and less of the stick…”
• Our approach is about working with our residents to enable them to make smarter choices about how they live their lives
Smarter choices: some examples
In Sutton, we recognise that there is a wide scale of behaviour change approaches
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Smarter choices: some examples
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Waste awareness officers
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
Our parks photo competition was a really popular way of encouraging residents to choose to use – and
appreciate their parks
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Waste awareness officers
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
“A Binge Too Far” was a film competition for our young people to
encourage them to consider the dangers of binge drinking – and to
choose to drink more sensibly
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Waste awareness officers
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
Our waste awareness officers help people choose to recycle more. They talk directly to residents and
businesses to explain our recycling policies, and to provide practical
solutions to some of the barriers to increased recycling – for example, more bins (or less), and different
collection arrangements
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Waste awareness officers
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
Our Healthy Hackbridge initiative has used a wide range of different approaches to encourage local
residents to choose to lead healthier lives – including using community champions to promote our work
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Waste awareness officers
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provisionThrough the Youth Opportunities Fund, our young people are making
informed choices about financial management and priorities in
determining how to allocate funding to youth projects within the borough – for which they receive training and
support
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Loft insulation
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provisionWe recently worked with B&Q to make available 6,000 rolls of loft insulation to our residents at a
massively reduced price, and we delivered them for free to many
households – helping them to choose to take a very simple step to make their homes more carbon efficient,
and to save on their bills
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
Summer University
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
The Sutton Life Centre will provide cutting-edge, interactive
presentations with information and advice on essential ‘life skills’
(alongside a new library, youth centre, games area, and garden). This will help our young people to choose to lead safer and more
productive lives, and to understand the impact of their lives on the
community around them
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
Summer University
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start
Our Summer University allows young people to make informed choices
about how they spend their summer leisure time by attending a range of
activities which can lead to both future career and leisure choices
“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provisionLike all local authorities, we provide
leisure centres, facilities and classes. These provide opportunities for
enjoyment and community engagement. But most importantly they help residents to choose to
exercise more and to improve their health
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provisionThrough Sure Start and children’s centres, we are encouraging parents
to make the right choices for their children, with positive outcomes in
terms of: diet; the take-up of nursery education; routes back into
employment
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
We put in place a wide range of traffic calming measures (road humps and bumps, roundabouts, low speed zones, etc.). These don’t necessarily force people to drive more safely, but they help Sutton’s drivers to choose
to slow down (if only to protect themselves and their cars)
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Our recent changes to pick-up points for SEN transport are an
example of where ‘smarter choices’ are not enough –
because residents find it hard to choose to accept a lower level of service than they have been
used to. Sometimes we need to alter the balance in a prescribed way, based on sound principles of public expenditure, but also an assessment of where we should reasonably expect residents to contribute to
meeting their own requirements…
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
…In this case, we’ve asked parents to share responsibility with us for taking their children
to specialist education provisions – by walking them to
designated bus stops (rather than us picking up direct from people’s doors). There are benefits in terms of healthier
lifestyles, the environment and congestion. And there are
reduced costs to the council.
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
By extending its range of ASD provision, Sutton is offering
greater choice to parents about where to educate their children
within the borough
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
We (and our local police teams) tackle dog fouling by fining people
who allow their dogs to foul our parks and pavements – helping them (and persuading others) to choose to be
more considerate, to benefit themselves and others in the future
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Tidy Britain’s current car litter campaign encourages residents to ‘name and shame’ anyone they see dropping litter from cars. In addition,
we then fine them – helping them (and others) to choose to be part of a more pleasant and caring community
Smarter choices: some examples
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Photo competition
Climate change ambassadors
Waste awareness officers Loft insulation
Community toilets
Recycling campaignsWalk Once a Week
Sutton Life Centre
Speed humps
Leisure centres
Garden Waste Collection
SEN transport
Tidy Britain Car Litter Campaign
Bye-laws
Planning policies
Dog fouling
Fly-tipping
We use all of these approaches to varying extents in different services. These are just a few examples
Summer University
Youth Opportunities Fund
ASD provision
And at the far end of the scale, we use bye-laws and other legislation to
attempt to eliminate choice altogether, where we judge that some behaviour (e.g. around drunk driving)
is simply not acceptable. But in reality, some people still choose to
break theselaws
Sure Start“A Binge Too Far”
Healthy Hackbridge
Smarter Travel Sutton
• Our most successful smarter choices initiative - a three-year, £5m behaviour change programme delivered in partnership with TfL
• Working with residents to enable them to make better choices about their travel
• Encouraging them to walk, cycle and use public transport more (and their cars less)
• The benefits are: less congestion lower carbon emissions cheaper transport better health
Smarter Travel Sutton
• There are already positive outcomes: a 2% reduction in car use a 50% increase in cycling a 13% increase in bus use 100% of schools covered by a school travel plan 16,000 employees covered by a workforce travel plan
• Smarter Travel Sutton is the best-recognised brand in the borough, and has already won a host of industry awards
• We are learning lessons from Smarter Travel Sutton to apply in our other smarter choices programmes
Smarter Travel Sutton
Smarter Travel Sutton is “more of the carrot, and less of the stick…”
“Carrots” “Sticks”
Events
Community champions
Physical changes
One-to-ones
Social advertising Peer pressure
Education
Financial incentives
Making it easier
Legislation
Enforcement
Fines
Prosecution
Naming and shaming
Service changes
Fees and charges
Ten lessons from Smarter Travel
1. Be clear about the your objectives
2. Be transparent with residents
3. Segment your audience
4. Use a wide range of approaches
5. Find the movers and shakers in the population
6. Ensure you have the resources, time and commitment
7. Measure what works, and what doesn’t
8. Deliver in partnership with others, at a local level
9. Find ways of mainstreaming behaviour change
10. The most successful behaviour change campaigns aren’t about ‘tricking’ residents into doing things differently – they’re about working with them to enable them to make smarter choices
Smarter choices: other examples
Our smarter choices initiatives give residents greater choice over their lives – and the ability to reassess some established habits and behaviours
Choose to keep the streets
clean…
Choose to use SEN pick-up
points…
Choose to remain drug-free,
and to stop smoking…
Choose to eat more healthily…
Choose to drive safely – or not at
all…
Choose to obey the law, and to report crime…
Choose to behave more
considerately…
Choose to use your local shops…
Choose to get involved in culture…
Choose to take more exercise…
Choose to access services over the web…
Choose to try not to spread the
flu…
Choose to walk to school
sometimes…
Choose your own care package…
Choose when you want to get
pregnant…
Choose to reduce, re-use and recycle…
Choose to produce less
carbon…
Choose to learn…
Choose to drink less alcohol…
Please choose not to let your dog
foul…
Smarter choices: the benefits
• Using smarter choices can have positive results in terms of:
– engaging better with residents
– delivering complex outcomes for our communities
– increased satisfaction with ‘place’ and with local public services
– reducing the direct costs to the public sector
• Efficiency gains can be significant. For example, our smarter choices programmes in:
– family support
– channel migration
– recycling
– transforming social care, and reablement
– SEN transport
Summary
• Local government has always led ‘behaviour change’ amongst its communities
• Recent debate has usefully brought this back into the spotlight; but local authorities have always played this role
• There is a scale of initiatives: from legislation and enforcement; to social marketing and peer education
• Many of Sutton’s most successful programmes have involved bringing together a wide range of initiatives at the softer end of the scale (“more of the carrot, and less of the stick…”). We call this: enabling “smarter choices”
• We have learned many practical lessons from smarter choices that we are keen to share
• The London Collaborative provides a powerful mechanism for this sharing and learning across London