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National Council of Social Service

Innovation

By embracing innovation through human-centred design, we create impactful, sustainable solutions for a future-ready social service sector.

Last updated 3 May 2025
Smiling woman brainstorming with colorful sticky notes on a glass board. NCSS service delivery innovation.

Overview

We innovate to future-proof the social service sector with impactful and sustainable solutions. Innovation is vital for equipping the sector with the agility and responsiveness needed to effectively address emerging needs and gaps.

To provide solutions that meet the diverse and unique needs of service users in our ever-changing environment, the social service sector must continually reinvent itself. Embracing innovation allows us to stay at the forefront and deliver the best possible services to those who need it most.

Innovation means to continually improve solutions to meet emerging needs or transform existing services, creating new ways of working in the social service sector to tackle complex issues and achieve social impact.

When we innovate, we put end-users at the centre of the design and delivery process, ensuring that products, services and interventions are sustainable and effective.

Human-centred design thinking

We believe in a human-centred approach to develop innovative solutions for complex social challenges. This process begins with empathy, understanding the perspectives, experiences, values, hopes and dreams of the people we’re designing for.

Design thinking as a mindset guides our actions and decisions through five phases: Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. For more information, explore the Social Innovation Starter Kit.

Illustration of NCSS human centred innovation

  • Empathy: Research and immerse in needs and challenges of our service users

  • Define: Analyse research, develop a point of view and refine the design challenge

  • Ideate: Informed by research insights, generate as many ideas as possible

  • Prototype: Transform conceptual ideas into tangible prototypes

  • Test: Test early and improve through iterating

Three key questions to innovate better today

Consider these three questions to design effective and innovative solutions. Start innovating today!

An illustration of three questions to improve innovation. NCSS service delivery innovation questions.

Tools and resources

Social innovation starter kit

Embark on your own innovation journey with the Social Innovation Starter Kit, which includes guide, tools and case studies.