The System Shifters: how the Wise Group Is rewriting the rules of Social Impact
This is a guest blog by The Wise Group.
When it comes to changing lives, the Wise Group doesn’t just ask what work - we ask what needs to work. In a landscape where public services too often feel transactional and reactive, we’re flipping the model. Not by patching over problems, but by fundamentally redesigning systems to support people and place.
We call it being system shifters - a strategic, relational, and results-driven approach to transformation that focuses on connection, prevention, and long-term value. And it’s working.
At the Wise Group, we believe that struggle and disconnection don’t arise in isolation - they are shaped by systems. So we’re building better ones. We start with people: those who’ve faced trauma, exclusion, or long-standing barriers to opportunity. Then we build the scaffolding around them - through trust-based mentoring, integrated services, and community partnerships that work in real time, in real places.
Our Relational Mentoring model is at the heart of this shift. It’s not case management. It’s not a hand-off. It’s a consistent, values-led relationship that helps people navigate complexity and rediscover possibility. When someone says, “My mentor helped me feel human again,” we know we’re doing what matters.
But this isn’t just about individuals. It’s about systems. From justice and employment to energy support and family resilience, our work stretches across the UK. We’re co-leading Glasgow’s flagship Flourishing Families pilot. Supporting inclusive growth in North East England. Embedding mentoring in health, housing, and local economic ecosystems. Wherever we go, we’re building trust - and building evidence.
The results speak for themselves:
94% of those we mentor make tangible progress in employment, wellbeing, or personal stability
We generate £3.30 in public value for every £1 invested - through reduced demand on reactive services
Our mentoring approach reduces reoffending by 41%
And we see sharp drops in emergency service use, temporary accommodation, and service disengagement
This is not just support - it’s transformation.
What makes us distinctive is our ability to turn deep relationships and local insight into strategic, scalable impact. We’re not only delivering programmes - we’re co-designing the future of public services. Our model is devolved-ready, aligned with national and regional ambitions for prevention, inclusive growth, and resilience. And it’s already delivering results in some of the most complex policy environments in the UK.
Now, we’re looking for partners who want to go further - system leaders ready to move from short-term fixes to sustainable change. Together, we can embed mentoring into early help, align with Just Transition and family support agendas, and show what’s possible when services put people first.
The Wise Group isn’t here to manage demand. We’re here to reimagine the system.
We are system shifters. And we believe it’s time the system changed for good.
