How we lost sight of the point of public services: The case for whole system reform moving towards strengths-based and relational services
By Alex Fox and Chris Fox
As part of New Local’s first instalment of their New Thinking series, Alex Fox, Mayday CEO and Chris Fox, Professor of Evaluation and Policy Analysis at Manchester Metropolitan University examine the state of public services in the UK today, and make the case for whole system reform, moving towards strengths-based and relational services.
Strengths-based approaches do not ignore needs, but they do look beyond them. They do not impose a single, uniform service on people according to what the service regards as their needs. Practice must be person-led: with the individual identifying their own strengths and goals and working towards them at their own pace, rather than the service deciding what matters.