Work to foster more productive relationships among regulators, inspectors, and practitioners began in 2021, with the aim of improving services for people experiencing multiple disadvantage. This report considers a different approach to regulation in Manchester by identifying entry points for change. The work is the first attempt within the UK to bring together this range of actors to bridge the gap and foster collaborative regulatory practice through experimentation.

This report is a product of an action enquiry that began in 2022 to identify entry points for change. This work signifies the first attempt within the UK to bring together this range of actors to bridge the gap and foster collaborative regulatory practice through experimentation.

Insights from this work have highlighted four key barriers to more collaborative regulatory practice, each representing a missed opportunity for regulation to serve as a catalyst for learning across organisations and, ultimately, public service improvement:

1. The predominant approach to evaluating service performance focuses primarily on the providers instead of the experience of the people using the services.
2. The current accountability structure, both in provider organisations and from regulators and inspectors, does not incentivise responsibility or positive risk-taking.
3. A culture of fear and anxiety around inspection hinders productive relationships and collaboration.
4. Ambiguity about the remit of regulation creates myths and a culture of risk aversion among practitioners.