Islington is one of London’s 32 boroughs. It has roughly 200,000 residents. In common with much of England, it is at the same time both rich and poor. The local authority, health and school agencies have combined to create strong and valued public services. But inequalities persist.
The new decade has been marked with a concerted attempt at equalising opportunity. A Green paper, Fairer Together, marks the start of a six-month period of consultation with residents, civil society organisations and people working in public systems.
Ratio has been asked to inform this work in several ways. What would it mean to create what for the moment we will call a relational social policy, one that starts with what citizens do well to overcome life’s challenges and flourish? Are there analogous and competing ideas about how to progress? Are there practical examples of a relational approach to public policy, and any evidence of reduction in inequalities?
Ratio has contributed to the drafting of the Fairer Together Green Paper, prepared a concept paper on relational social policy and gathered together research and best practice examples from around the world. The ideas and applications are being tested with experts at a series of events.
These pages capture Ratio’s field notes, versions of the written papers; notes on and excerpts from the literature, evidence and best practice examples; and podcasts and videos of experts reflecting on the emerging ideas.
There is no attempt to curate this material. The work comes together in the development of policy in Islington, which will be summarised on the Fairer Together website.