Neighbourhoods of Care

Author: Simon Duffy

Where we take care of ourselves, each other and the planet

Care should be at the centre of any attempt to imagine a better way forward for our society and our world. We need to value care and start to take care of ourselves, each other and the planet. This demands we create neighbourhoods of care.

From the Preface:

One of the fundamental tasks of the twenty-first century is to put care at the heart of our thinking and our world.

Care includes healthcare and social care, but these services are not the most fundamental parts of care. Care is a fundamental duty for all citizens and it is an essential and beautiful part of being human. Most care is already provided by people outside services, out of love, and the only sustainable way forward is to build on our natural capacity for care. This paper will explain:

• Why we must organise care on a neighbourhood basis.
• What principles should guide our collective work.
• How this change can be achieved in practice.

The concept of Neighbourhoods of Care is not new. In many ways we will need to relearn practices that were common in the past. We also need to remember that care is already an essential part of life and that most care is provided by families, and predominately by women. Social services and funding systems are only one part of a much richer picture. This is not fantasy; there are examples of neighbourhood-based approaches around the world and in South Yorkshire.

However we do need a fresh approach. Our thinking draws on the wisdom and experience of many people, communities and organisations. We will refer to some of this in this paper. In 2024 leaders across South Yorkshire met to explore what this idea might mean in practice. All 4 local authorities (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield), the NHS and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) agreed to work together to develop and deliver a South Yorkshire Neighbourhoods of Care Strategy.

We are only at the start of our journey and all our partners may not share every view expressed in this paper. But this paper uses data and experiences from South Yorkshire because we believe that we’re in a good place to make progress together.

This paper is provocative. It is meant to encourage discussion and action. The proposals here cannot be achieved over night. We must reverse 50 years of policy-making that has centralised power and over-regulated care. However conversations with leaders across our communities indicate that the time is right. We all know the current system is broken, that radical change is necessary and that the future direction is towards citizenship and neighbourhoods.

Simon Duffy and Kelly Hicks

The report proposes that:

1. We face urgent and severe challenges that we must address. Human wellbeing and environmental sustainability are under threat and growing inequality and insecurity is undermining the integrity of the current system.
2. We rely on each other for mutual care and support, but we do nothing to support citizenship or develop Neighbourhoods of Care. The relationship between people and the public services has become too distant and transactional. We need structures that help people to connect and to have more power.
3. We can unlock citizen capacity so people can take better care of themselves, each other and the planet. We can redistribute money and services fairly, prevent crises and improve lives. This is the only sustainable way forward.
4. South Yorkshire is in a good place to start this work. The problems created by deindustrialisation, centralisation and growing cynicism mean the need for change is urgent. The values, energy and skills of local people and the resilience of community organisations and businesses give us a good foundation to build upon. We already have enough in our communities and across the care system to start, if we are willing to change. This work also naturally aligns with other reforms in finance, democracy and the environment.
5. There is no one actor or system that can achieve all the necessary changes. The strategy outlined below is multilayered and will require many new partnerships; but it can be achieved and South Yorkshire can lead the way.

This strategy was developed by Citizen Network and People Focused Group, in partnership with local partners in South Yorkshire, including statutory leaders and with our global partners. It is proposed as a plan for transforming South Yorkshire, but it could be adopted in other places too. 

If you are interested in these ideas please stay in touch by joining Citizen Network and if you want to cooperate with Citizen Network or People Focused Group then please just get in touch.

Read and download the free pdf in your browser, link below.

The publisher is Citizen Network. Neighbourhoods of Care © Simon Duffy 2025.