@beccadove2
Doing relational things for Children & Learning, LB Camden. Social work doctoral student @ Northampton Uni studying kids social support and social infrastructure. Alumni @UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre. Views my own, said with love
Loved chatting w @beccadove2.bsky.social and @andrewlaird.bsky.social for the Radical Reformers podcast. We majored on relational public services, digging into the history and asking how to embed real change today. Exciting moment. www.mutualventures.co.uk/post/radical...
Such a gorgeous building, one of my favourites in Holborn. If your editorial meeting is held there again, can highly recommend a 10 minute walk over to Holborn Library. It's just had a big renovation and is quite the joy to be in.
After nearly 10 years of listening to you two, I would very much hope so!
Very much enjoying UCL's 'strong language' content warning on the booking page. Treating myself to Ian's category 4 swears for my birthday.
Sorry, missed Nancy's reply! Agree with you, odd not to use the overall ambition for young people as the frame/context for this debate.
The new Youth Strategy, whilst not all the things you mentioned, is actually pretty good. First time in a long time we've had some clarity/direction on youth policy and they did a lot on youth engagement for it. Effective join up between departments to deliver it remains the unknown
New post just out:
"Power to the People"
Today we have a guest post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social on how Labour can counter the "Britain is Broken" narrative by investing in civic life and giving people more control over their community.
(Free to read)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...
Don't think the #REDJanuary crew are here but day 2 run in the woods was an absolute corker. Have it as a timeline cleanse if nothing else.
Enjoy Rilke. I was a latecomer to Letters to a Young Poet this year but it's the kind of writing that hits you in the soul in all the good ways. Now off to put Mother Mary on my book wishlist. Happy Christmas to you and yours, Trish
For the love of all that is good and pure, don't open the box marked 'sticky stuff'.
Another cracking year for the utter carnage that is #DuvetKnowItsChristmas. The fundraiser for Centrepoint is well worth it so if you've got a few quid to chuck in, link is in @rhodri.biz's post 👇🏻. Rhodri, as ever you are a true gent🎄
Came here to say this. First heard it in the film Hannah and Her Sisters maybe 35 years ago. Gets me in the soul as much today as it did then.
Last month @nick80.bsky.social posted on LinkedIn seeking an accessible history of relational public services. I'm pleased to say myself, @beccadove2.bsky.social and @antlerboy.com have tried to rise to the challenge. We know it's incomplete but we hope it's useful. www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
Fancy reading an unashamedly unfinished history of relational public services? @nick80.bsky.social asked his Linkedin network if such a thing existed. @simonparker.bsky.social, @antlerboy.com and I had a go, drawing on 200 comments on Nicks post. Its a fascinating story
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
Mum to a first year A level politics student here. They seem SO engaged in the curriculum (with great teachers who use smart instruction design). Didn't imagine my 16 year old coming out of college fired up about FPTP to the point of chatting about it all the way home. And yet here we are.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... off topic but I must have listened to Russell's Reith Lectures a dozen times. Mainly because they're interesting but also because I get ensorcelled by his voice.
As ever, this is sobering but nonetheless required reading on where public services find themselves in 2025 (and beyond) and why. Top notch work from the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk team.
@theresthistory.bsky.social just did a series on Mary and talked a lot about Jenny Wormauld's biography. Not read it myself but it sounded both good and excoriating!
Chuckling here in Bedfordshire. Tempsford literally has the A1 running through it. It's not Asgard.
Sure Start is coming back.
The Labour government is to open 1000 Best Start Family Hubs covering every local authority. The first will be in place by April 2026 & all by 2028.
They will combine existing Family Hubs & the Start for Life programme & also cover areas without these services.
1/2
Biased I may be but Camden young people really are something extraordinarily special. When the people closest to the system and the people most affected by the system come together to change the system, magic can happen. Cant wait to see where they take this next.
3. 'Showing by doing' matters a whole lot more in relational practice training than whatever you've written on a slide deck. You know relational practice when you see it and feel it. Same deal must apply when you're teaching it.
2. Our professional world in childrens services needs to shed its obsession with jargon and fancy words. We really really don't need it and we should examine why we think we do.
So much to reflect on but three things at the front of my mind:
1. Young people know what they want and need from relationships with professionals. They'll tell you about it if you create a space that privileges their voice and influence. Lundy principles help participatory design no end.
The young people are on a mission - to take Camden's relational practice framework, deconstruct it, and design a practice session they can deliver themselves.
Their motivation? To make sure women and girls in difficult situations get a positive experience of the professionals who want to help them
Today was the first collaborative session of a group of Camden Youth Assembly members, Camden Youth Service, Fitzrovia Youth In Action and the Camden Centre for Relational Practice. Young people initiated the project after leading a youth assembly on VAWG last year.
When young people design relational practice training in their own words, on their own terms.
And a short thread of why community-led participatory design matters a great deal🧵
I'm so glad it's not just me, I keep expecting Steve Bunce to pipe up on the tiebreaks.
I know the world is a bit of a bin fire and everything but for the love of all that is good and pure can someone please tell me how to turn off Copilot in Word.
Came home from the big shop with a Biscoff vienetta. I have never been more popular.