Relational Councils Network
A peer learning space for building relational councils
In partnership with London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, we have set up The Relational Councils Network: A peer learning space for anyone working in or with local authorities seeking to make relationships the central operating principle.
During our sessions together, we hear from inspirational speakers, share examples of how relationships can strengthen the work of councils, and explore practical ideas and expertise.
The Relational Councils Network was bourne out of our Kit For Councils: a suite of resources created with Tony Clements, CEO of Ealing to help councils look ahead to reimagine their organisations and services with relationships at their heart.
Convenings
Take a look at what we’ve got coming up, and have a read through what was discussed at previous sessions.
Relational Councils: Learning from crisis
Mutual aid was driven from the ground up but flourished with appropriate support from local councils. The UK response to refugees arriving from Ukraine was led from the top down but could only succeed with local engagement. What can we learn from this approach to the...
Sustaining the care: Learning from the Warm Hubs experience
What can we learn from the Warm Hubs experience about how to create ‘relational spaces’? And how can this learning, combined with the learning from the community response to the covid pandemic, inform and inspire a bottom up, relationship centred approach to...
Relational Councils and the Cost of Living Crisis
The Relational Councils Network gathered on 30/1/23 to talk about the cost-of-living crisis and relational responses. Partners from the council and the community in Barking and Dagenham provided the key note experience. A list of links and resources mentioned in the...
Relational Councils and the cost of living crisis
In the Relational Councils Network we are working to support one another in making the challenging transition from relationships as the extra mile, to relationships as the first mile. If this mission is to be credible and useful in 2023 it must have relevance to the...
Relational Councils: Developing a more relational language
Our third Relational Councils Convening took place on 25th April 2022, co-hosted by LBBD. Bryony Shannon, author of the excellent blog Rewriting Social Care and Strategic Lead for Practice Development at Doncaster Council, shared her thoughts on why language matters,...
From process-led to relationship-led: Moving towards more relational Councils
On 14th February, in partnership with LBBD, we hosted our second relational councils convening. In this session, we asked: How could we see relationships as a solution to statutory duties, not as incompatible with them? Our next convening, taking place on 25th April,...
Exploring what it means to be a relational council
In December, we gathered to discuss what it means to be a relational council, the challenges in putting relationships at the heart of how council’s operate, and the pathways forward. Here, we draw out the key themes and questions from the discussion and invite you to...
Making it real: Councils and communities working together
In brief Continuing with the work on Developing the Framework for councils to support community action, David Robinson and Tony Clements invite you to share examples of changing council practices that 'let people in' and join the conversation about how councils can...
Developing the Framework: An update
In brief In July, we published 'Developing the Framework'; an extended blog written by Tony Clements which lays out 10 ways in which local authorities can help community engagement to thrive. In this follow up blog, Tony reflects on the subsequent discussion we hosted...
Developing the Framework: A paper for discussion
In brief In our report 'The Moment We Noticed: Learning from 100 days of lockdown', we invite you to join us in exploring how we might sustain the positives from the pandemic. This paper forms the backbone of our fourth invitation: to join us in developing the...
