


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...
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,...
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...
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,...
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...
Observatory Sighting #4: From competition to collaboration
In our fourth Observatory Sighting, we discuss the shift from competition to collaboration born from the necessity of a rapid, joined up response to the disruption wraught by Covid-19. Relationships between organisations are changing as much as relationships between...
Observatory Sighting 13: Feeling for the future
In this first Sighting of the New Year, we are stepping back and reflecting on the emotional drivers – the feelings as well as the practical experiences that will shape the future.

Observatory Sighting #2: Relational poverty and inequality
In this Observatory Sighting, we reflect on the link between relational poverty and other forms of inequality during Covid 19 On 28/04 at 4pm BST, we’ll be hosting our second Looking to the Future session via Zoom where we will be discussing this topic. If you’d like...