A new approach to social work in England is prioritising relationships over technology, challenging the current focus on AI-driven public service reform. The Changing Futures project, targeting up to 400,000 highly vulnerable individuals, aims to break down bureaucratic silos and deliver person-centred support. Its methods include face-to-face work, peer mentors with lived experience, and a 'high support and high challenge' ethos, drawing from addiction recovery programmes.
Despite the promise of such initiatives, the article notes that past experience suggests limited national impact, as the UK's overcentralised system means most change originates from Whitehall. However, local leaders may find ways to embed these practices. The project, funded until next year, has not yet undergone formal evaluation, but a Northumbria-based team has published descriptions of its 'liberated method'.
The relational approach is echoed in the government's Get Britain Working plan, which emphasises personalised help over sanctions. An adviser at a charity visited by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall stressed that 'everything in this business of getting people back into work is about relationships'. While cost savings are a key driver, the article warns against overlooking the underfunding of existing services and the chronic lack of affordable homes that contribute to vulnerability.
