Adults and Children’s Social Care
Councils across Yorkshire and the Humber face shared and acute pressures across adults’ and children’s social care, driven by rising demand, workforce challenges and financial constraints. Through this priority, we will strengthen regional collaboration by sharing evidence, insight and best practice; supporting joint learning; and deepening connections between councils, national bodies and the regional steering group. Our focus will be on enabling more coordinated approaches, shaping national policy discussions, and ensuring the region’s collective voice helps secure sustainable and effective social care systems for the future
Partner Engagement – including Yorkshire Universities, Sheffield Policy Campus, Yorkshire and Humber Places for Growth and the Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire All Party Parliamentary Group.
Strong and purposeful partnerships are central to our ability to influence policy and unlock opportunity at scale. We will build on our strategic collaboration with Yorkshire Universities to drive research partnerships, innovation, graduate pathways and knowledge exchange that support inclusive growth. Alongside this, we will strengthen engagement with the Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire All Party Parliamentary Group to amplify the region’s voice nationally, align lobbying activity, and maximise influence over investment, legislation and reform affecting Yorkshire and the Humber.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation (including Flooding)
Climate change presents a growing and shared risk to communities, infrastructure and local economies across the region. Working collaboratively with councils, combined authorities and the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission, we will promote evidence led approaches to climate resilience and adaptation, including flood prevention and mitigation. This priority will focus on strengthening collective capacity, influencing national policy and funding frameworks, and supporting practical action that enhances the region’s preparedness, resilience and long term sustainability.
Local Government Finance
Sustainable local government finance is fundamental to councils’ ability to deliver services and invest in places. We will work collectively to improve regional understanding of funding pressures, risks and opportunities, sharing intelligence and coordinating responses where appropriate. By using our collective voice, this priority will support stronger engagement with government, clearer articulation of regional impacts, and more effective lobbying on the financial frameworks that affect councils across Yorkshire and the Humber. We need to come together and establish a regional voice around SEND reforms and waste which will continue to have a significant financial impact over the coming years.
Water, Nature, Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
Water management and wider infrastructure investment are increasingly critical issues for communities, growth and environmental resilience. Through regional collaboration, we will enhance collective engagement with Yorkshire Water and other key partners to influence decision making and investment priorities. This work will focus on sharing insight, strengthening regional coherence, and ensuring infrastructure planning supports sustainable growth, climate adaptation and resilient places across the region. Effective transport systems are critical to economic growth, connectivity and social inclusion across Yorkshire and the Humber. Through this priority, we will support more integrated regional approaches to transport by sharing evidence, aligning strategic priorities and engaging with national partners as devolution arrangements continue to evolve. Our collective focus will be on improving outcomes for communities and businesses, strengthening the case for investment, and ensuring transport policy reflects the needs of diverse urban, rural and coastal places. Energy will be a further regional priority, recognising Yorkshire and the Humber’s potential as a major UK energy cluster and the need to overcome constraints in power availability that can delay growth and investment. We will work collectively to strengthen the region’s voice on energy infrastructure, support the responsible expansion and local use of renewable energy, and identify practical action that can help attract inward investment, create jobs and deliver sustainable, inclusive growth.
Community Cohesion
Strong, cohesive communities underpin economic resilience, democratic confidence and inclusive growth. Through this priority, we will share regional insight, evidence and practical learning on approaches that strengthen community cohesion, integration and trust. By facilitating best practice exchange and aligning with wider public sector reform, we aim to support place based solutions that recognise the diversity of Yorkshire and the Humber’s towns, cities, rural and coastal communities. This work is closely linked to the region’s long standing collaboration on migration through Migration Yorkshire. By working collectively, councils share insight, coordinate responses to national asylum and resettlement programmes, and support effective local integration—ensuring that migration policy and delivery are informed by practical experience and contribute positively to cohesive, resilient communities across Yorkshire and the Humber.