Rethinking Public Services

Social care is at breaking point. With rising demand, shrinking budgets, workforce shortages, and increasing complexity of need, many councils are struggling to deliver even the basics—let alone innovate. The question is no longer if the system is under strain, but how we respond.

This panel brings together senior local government leaders, care providers, policy experts, and frontline professionals to explore the realities of delivering social care under pressure. We’ll examine:

• The structural and financial challenges driving capacity limits
• The impact on service users, carers, and communities
• Opportunities for reform through integration, prevention, and digital innovation
• What councils need—from central government, partners, and each other—to move from survival to sustainability

This is not just a conversation about crisis—it’s a call to rethink the future of care. Join us for a frank, solutions-focused discussion on how the public sector can lead with compassion, creativity, and courage.

Libraries, leisure centres, parks, and community hubs have long been the beating heart of local life—places of connection, learning, wellbeing, and refuge. But in the wake of funding cuts, rising costs, and shifting priorities, these spaces are increasingly under threat. Closures, reduced hours, and privatization have left many communities asking: What do we lose when we lose public space?

This panel brings together council leaders, cultural strategists, community organizers, and public service advocates to explore the future of civic infrastructure. We’ll examine:

• The social and economic value of libraries and leisure services
• The impact of closures on health, education, and social cohesion
• Innovative models for sustaining and reimagining public spaces
• How councils can protect what matters most—even under pressure
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This is a conversation about more than buildings. It’s about belonging, equity, and the role of the public realm in shaping resilient communities. Join us as we ask: How do we move from loss to legacy?

Young people today face unprecedented pressures—from the cost-of-living crisis and social media to academic stress and family instability. Yet the services designed to support their mental health are stretched thin, fragmented across agencies, and often difficult to access. The result? Too many young lives falling through the cracks.

This panel brings together local authority leaders, youth workers, mental health professionals, and policy advocates to explore how the public sector can better respond to the growing mental health needs of children and young people. We’ll examine:

• The systemic challenges facing youth mental health provision
• Opportunities for early intervention, integrated care, and community-based support
• The role of schools, councils, and voluntary sector partnerships
• How to co-design services with young people themselves—and rebuild trust
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This is a conversation about care, connection, and courage. Join us as we ask: What does it take to build a system that truly supports young minds—and how can the public sector lead the way?

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services are under extraordinary strain. With rising demand, stretched budgets, and growing complexity of need, many local authorities are facing a system pushed to its limits. Families are waiting too long, professionals are burning out, and children are missing out on the support they deserve.

This panel brings together council leaders, education specialists, parent advocates, and health professionals to confront the realities of a SEND system on the edge—and explore what it will take to pull it back. We’ll examine:

• The drivers behind escalating demand and financial pressure
• The impact of fragmented provision and delayed assessments
• Opportunities for integrated working across education, health, and care
• How councils can lead reform with compassion, accountability, and ambition

This is not just a conversation about crisis—it’s about courage. Join us for a frank, solutions-focused discussion on rebuilding trust, restoring capacity, and reimagining SEND services for the future.