Insight Brief: New Relationship with the Public Engagement Strategy

Liverpool City Council's New Relationship with Citizens is not about cutting services in response to financial pressures, but about proactively helping and encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles, thus reducing or delaying the need for formal services. To deliver this new narrative, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the expectations of individuals, communities and service providers if the most is to be made of diminishing resources while securing public wellbeing. Citizens will be seen as problem solvers and co-creators actively engaged on creating what is valued by, and is good for, the public. The challenges that citizens face are complex and multi-faceted and therefore we need to look holistically at what factors can help citizens have the strength and resource to help themselves. The challenges citizens face are not just economic, but also relate to their social interactions, their sense of value or visibility to others, the way they are served and the opportunities they can access. Wellbeing and resilience are at the heart of people having the motivation and strength to contribute more. Wellbeing and resilience are a foundation that needs to be built upon and grows from citizens being in more control, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.