18 & 16 June 2013 – 21st European Social Services Conference, Dublin.

Nurture Development Managing Director, Cormac Russell, delivered both workshops and a keynote address at the event.

Cormac Russell’s inspirational speech focused on social change and its two main drivers: the public system and the community. Cormac emphasised the need to switch the attention from what is wrong to what is strong, focus on the assets and strengths of people in the community. “There has been an assumption that communities, particularly the most disadvantaged, will only get better if external agencies come to help them. This means that we have created a two-tier society, those with problems and outsiders with knowledge to fix them… But is it social change?” he asked.

The conference brought together renowned panelists to discuss social investment in Europe and the need to balance its economic and social values.

The event was organised by the European Social Network in cooperation with the Irish Presidency of the European Union; and the theme of the conference was ‘Transforming Lives! Reshaping services for a changing society’.

Download the full programme.

More info on the 21st European Social Services Conference: Workshops.

More info on the 21st European Social Services Conference: Day 2, Building partnerships in the community, health, housing and technology.

Watch all videos.

Have you seen our video highlights from day two at #ESNconf in Dublin? http://t.co/MIGil4KuM6 #reshapingservices @CormacRussell @ChrisWorman

— ESN (@ESNsocial) June 19, 2013

Inspiring words from @CormacRussell at #esnconf re asset based communities. Importance of focussing on assets not deficits in communities! — Me, Myself and I (@MMI_SGI) June 18, 2013

Inside every public service there is a citizen waiting to be liberated -Cormac Russell #esnconf — Brian Lee-Archer (@brianla1) June 18, 2013

Image taken from the European Social Network (ESN) Storify.