POLICY BRIEF - Social R&D: the next phase of public service reform?

November 2023 The author would like to acknowledge the support of the Bennett Institute and the Relationships Collective, which provided further opportunity to explore the role of relationships in public services. [...] Social R&D: the next phase of public service reform? Executive summary This policy brief seeks to contribute to the re-emerging topic of public service reform, which is returning largely due to concerns about the state of public services. [...] The exclusion of social needs is limiting the effectiveness of social policy in ways that are economically and socially damaging to citizens, frontline staff18 and the public purse through services that spend poorly and fail to improve lives. [...] Indeed, the current context for policy and public services makes the case for involvement even stronger: “When the democratic process is marked by contentious disagreement, lack of mutual respect, systematic exclusion of disadvantaged individuals, and blatant disregard for relevant facts and values, the need for deliberation is greatest.”59 There is potential for policymaking and public services t. [...] Case study: The Q Community65 The Q Community is an improvement-focused network for people working to improve the safety and quality of health and care across the UK and Ireland.