Lambeth Early Action Partnership (a collaboration between Local Authority, CCG, Public Health, Voluntary Sector and other partners) has been developing a vision for radical re-shaping of early years services in the Borough, and asked ThePublicOffice to help.

Having understood the complexities and ambitions of the programme, we designed and ran a creative workshop to engage senior managers and practitioners from across children and family services in collaborative system redesign. Stimulated by powerful exemplars from around the world, and responding to carefully curated tasks, practitioners moved – together – beyond how things happen to be organised currently, to imagining a new family-centred pathway of support from conception onwards. A lively feedback document captured the energy, ideas & commitment of the event.

Thinking outside of traditional service silos like this is a real challenge, and to ensure that the momentum in the workshop was sustained, we designed a visual representation of the new system participants had envisioned, particularly driving a focus on the informal aspects of the system – community and peer-2-peer support. LEAP have used this to further deepen the shared vision and commitment across relevant services and professionals.

ThePublicOffice brought fresh thinking to our work. The processes and materials they used were well chosen, creative and engaging, and prompted participants to look at old problems in new ways.Lambeth Council