Why do relationships matter for public services?

Relationships are crucial to our social, economic and physical wellbeing. To give two examples: social connections are crucial to finding jobs; loneliness is known to come with significant health risks.

Yet too often public services are ‘relationally blind’, interacting with us as if we are just individuals, not social creatures rooted in networks of family, friends and community. What’s more, the quality of relationships within public services – for example between provider and user – is too often overlooked.

Join us for the second event of Demos’ Public Services 2030 Network to consider the importance of relationships for public services and what can be done to strengthen them.

Speakers:

• Danny Kruger, MP for Devizes
• Iona Lawrence, strategy and campaigns consultant and former Director of the Jo Cox Foundation
• Ben Glover, Acting Head of Research at Demos

This event will discuss:

• Why do relationships matter in public services?
• Which relationships should we be talking and thinking about? Which are the most important?
• What would it look like for public services to properly nurture relationships?
• What are the barriers to public services today doing that and how can we overcome those barriers?

Doors open at 17:30, with the panel starting at 18:00. Drinks will be provided.

This event has now passed.