New development: Relational public services—reform and research agenda

Figures & data

Table 1. Review of practice narratives of public service reform.

Practice narrative	Issuing body	Summary of the problem	Summary of the solution
Community Paradigm (Lent & Studdert, 2021)	New Local (network, think tank)	State and market paradigms have failed to address rising demand and call for increased agency from the public	Increased devolution, localized decision-making and co-production processes to recentre public resources on prevention
Enabling State (Elvidge, 2013)	Carnegie UK Trust (policy institute)	Welfare state is a passive ‘safety net’ which fails to improve citizens’ prospects	State should enable citizen competencies by shifting culture, power and finance to deliver proactive welfare system
Radical Help (Cottam, 2018)	Author, social entrepreneur	Complicated needs-based and risk-averse models of managing state resources have failed	Build capacity via co-design processes with citizens and communities to create solutions to problems
Human Learning Systems (Lowe et al., 2021a)	Human Learning Systems Collaborative (coalition)	Current system approach of ‘markets, managers and metrics’ does not support services to address complex problems of human relationships	Learning relationships/partnerships at every level supports the emergence needed to improve
Relational State (Cooke & Muir, 2012)	IPPR (policy institute)	Bureaucratic and market-based approaches have failed to deal with long-term complex issues	State should move to decentralized systems to promote improved relationships and place-based approaches that enable citizens
New System Alliance	Coalition	Current deficit-based model of state provision is service-centred and detached from the lived reality of social problems	Strength-based working where communities hold power and resources within a wider whole systems approach to service provision
Level Measures (McLinden and Fyans, 2023)	Localis (think tank)	Place-making agenda for local government is inadequately resourced and structured for sustainable change	Integration and broader capacity building beyond just data systems
Future Public Services Taskforce (Glover, 2023)	Coalition, led by Demos (think tank)	Additional funding will not solve the problem of public services as they are overly centralized and without a coherent vision	Public services should shift upstream and recognize the value of human relationships, including seeing citizens as active partners in service design and delivery, and building on strengths rather than responding to needs

Lent, A., & Studdert, J. (2021). The community paradigm: why public services need radical change and how it can be achieved. New Local. https://www.newlocal.org.uk/publications/the-community-paradigm/.

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Elvidge, J. (2013). The enabling state: a discussion paper. Carnegie UK Trust.

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Cottam, H. (2018). Radical help. How we can remake the relationships between us and revolutionise the welfare state. Hachette.

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Lowe, T., Brogan, A., Eichsteller, G., Hawkins, M., Hesselgreaves, H., Plimmer, D., Terry, V., Sharfe, L., Cox, J., French, M., Hill, B., Masters, J., Norman, R., Sanderson, H., Smith, M., & Wilson, R. (2021a). Human learning systems: Public service for the real world. ThemPra Social Pedagogy. https://realworld.report/.

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Cooke, G., & Muir, R. (2012). The relational state: How recognising the importance of human relationships could revolutionise the role of the state. Institute for Public Policy Research. https://ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com/production/Downloads/relational-state_Nov2012_9888.pdf.

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McLinden, C., & Fyans, J. (2023). Level measures: A modern agenda for public service integration. Localis.

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Glover, B. (2023). Recovery through reform: launch paper of the future public services taskforce. Demos. https://demos.co.uk/research/recovery-through-reform-launch-paper-of-the-future-public-services-taskforce/.

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