Phil is pictured with Owen at Camphill Village Trust. I am often intrigued by the question ‘How are you today’? Sometimes, I ask it as an easy conversation starter, expecting the response to be an affirmation that we are all doing sort of ‘OK’ thereby finding some common ground to enable us to quickly move on. I am often intrigued by the question ‘How are you today’? Sometimes, I ask it as an easy conversation starter, expecting the response to be an affirmation that we are all doing sort of ‘OK’ thereby finding some common ground to enable us to quickly move on.
When I visit my family in New Zealand, I have to re-train myself. It seems to me that in New Zealand there often seems to me a real interest in ‘how you are’ and ‘what you are doing’. So, I come prepared to both ask and answer in a genuine way. It is not unknown for simple transaction in a shop with a stranger to take 10 minutes!
When you give or receive an answer that offers more than the obligatory ‘I am good thanks but what about this weather’ it may take us out of our comfort zone, and we can be challenged by this but on other occasions we may find ourselves walking through a door of opportunity that opens an infinite range of possible directions and collaborations.
This to me is the beginning of co-production. It’s the awareness to ask the questions and being open to creating an environment where we encourage people to be confident, comfortable, and brave enough to tell their stories, share their ideas and most importantly how they plan to achieve them.
I work for Camphill Village Trust, a charity committed to the culture of co-production; underpinned by a belief That everyone should have a life full of opportunities and that every person should be fully involved in co-creating what this means for them.
This must start with asking the right questions, listening to the responses and harnessing everyone’s collective skills and talents and being brave as we go forward together.
Feeling valued
Recently I had the honour of co-delivering an embedding co-production workshop with Owen. Owen decided that the best way to tell his story was to read us his self-penned poem ‘I am as good as’. It was a powerful way to remind all present that there are times when we do not feel valued for the many skills and talents each of us has. Yet whilst we are all unique, we are all as good as each other.
I left that workshop making a pledge to always take the time to ask the right questions and then really take an interest in the powerful stories people share.
I think that this is a pretty good starting place to be part of co-producing lives full of opportunity for us all.
In Worcestershire the two organisations who provide children’s and adult’s social care are working together to share and learn from their experiences of Co-Production. What began as a joint approach to thinking about Co-Production Week, has developed into a joint Co-Production working group. We have reflected together on how we both approached the same project, where we had the same timescale for completion. We both took different approaches and have reflected on the factors which influenced our approaches.
Challenge
Both organisations faced a potential barrier to full Co-Production due to a fixed timescale outside their control.
Key to successful co-production
Both concluded that the most important element of successful Co-Production was clear communication, both with internal staff involved and with people who would use the service externally.
Worcestershire Adult Social Care has recently launched a Co-Production forum called Building Together. The forum will include a paid Board of 10 people with lived experience and carers, as well as a peer network.
At the recent Building Together launch event there was emotion and applause in the room when the Director of Adult Social Care, Mark Fitton, signed a pledge to Co-Production on behalf of the council. The trauma informed pledge was created by the People with Lived Experience Advisory Group of the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership. Worcestershire Adult Social Care is the first local authority to commit to the pledge and it is already changing practice.
Carrie Lewis, New Possibilities visual practitioner, captured the voices of people who shared their experiences at the launch event. We are using the visual tool to focus on what people told us Co-Production means to them and how we can work in a true partnership approach. The focus on clear language which people understand is already changing what language we use as an organisation.
In order to have a health and social care system that works for everyone in society, it’s important to speak with, listen to, and design services that include everyone in society. Black, Asian and minority ethnic people are often misrepresented or excluded by public services, so it is vitally important that their voices are heard. This is where co-production plays an important role. Part of our expertise at the Race Equality Foundation, is producing evidence based on lived experience to better shape public services. In the last year we have worked on a wide range of projects: from looking at data collection when recording ethnicity, to parenting support, to adolescent physical and mental health, the probation services, prison services, the environment, social care, and Covid19. The aim of our work is for better outcomes for people using public services by helping to ensure everyone’s voices are heard and their needs are met.
When it comes to health and social care, Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities often face unique challenges and experiences that may not be adequately addressed through a one-size-fits-all approach. Coproduction ensures that their perspectives and experiences are taken into account, allowing for more tailored and effective support.
Involving Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals in decision-making processes acknowledges that they are the experts in their own lives and can contribute valuable insights that professionals may not possess. This collaborative approach helps to bridge the gap between service providers and the communities they serve, fostering trust, mutual respect, and cultural competence.
We value coproduction because it:
- recognises that individuals should be active participants in the design and delivery of services
- promotes a sense of ownership and empowerment
- leads to more culturally sensitive and inclusive services
- can identify systemic issues and disparities within health and social care systems
- fosters a sense of social justice and equity.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities often have unique cultural, religious, and linguistic needs that can significantly impact their health and well-being. By involving people from these backgrounds in service planning, providers can gain a deeper understanding of these needs and design interventions that are respectful, accessible, and culturally appropriate.
A key part of our work is identifying and highlighting that Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities frequently face inequalities in access, quality, and outcomes of care. By actively involving individuals, coproduction enables a critical examination of these disparities and the implementation of targeted strategies to address issues. This can help reduce inequalities and promote better outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic people.
Responsive, inclusive and effective services
Ultimately, co-production acknowledges that every individual, regardless of their background, deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. By ensuring that Black, Asian and minority ethnic voices are at the centre of decision-making processes co-production can lead to transformative change in health and social care, making services more responsive, inclusive, and effective for all.
This Co-production Week, let us acknowledge and celebrate working together for positive change and inclusion. The more coproduction there is, the better our health and social care system will be, as it will reflect and meet the needs of everyone, regardless of their ethnicity or background. This is good for both service providers and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, paving the way for a more equitable and person-centred approach to health and social care.
Examples of Race Equality Foundation co-production
Blog authors
The team behind the film ‘John’s Fight for Freedom’, which is launched officially during Co-Production Week 2023, explains how the idea came about and how fruitful their co-productive approach was in the making of the film: SCIE Co-Production Steering Group member John Evans OBE, telling his story of being a Disability Rights campaigner; filmmakers Sybil Ah-Mane and Russell Hall from Flexible Films; Jana Bleckmann-Evans, John’s wife, who filmed some additional footage and features in parts of the film; and Laura Able, who instigated the entire project.
Sybil
Laura got in touch with us and John after visiting the exhibition about the “Nothing About Us Without Us” Movement, currently on display in the People’s History Museum in Manchester. She told us about how proud she was to see this exhibition take place, and how pleased she was to see a photo of John in there. Soon the idea unfolded to create a whole film about John and his life and work.
We immediately loved that idea. We had met John in 2004 and have filmed him for lots of SCIE and TLAP projects. John’s story is so inspiring, as it is full of challenges and breakthroughs.
Laura
I feel that John’s story is very important. He and his colleagues of “Project 81” not only paved the way for Independent Living in the UK; they are also still crucial in keeping the boat afloat, working tirelessly to ensure that the situation doesn’t worsen among austerity measures, Brexit effects, the implications of the Covid pandemic and other obstacles.
To now watch and hear John telling his story is as exciting as it is necessary – especially for younger generations, as the message John and his fellow fighters have been sending out over the years is so relevant.
Russ
The beauty of this project is that John’s story is basically one of co-production – and the film itself is a perfect example of what co-production can achieve. As Sybil and I usually work co-productively, it was natural for us to involve John and Jana in the production from the very beginning.
Sybil
We decided on the key messages together and John and Jana were part of the editing. When we realised that we needed more visuals, Jana was happy to film them after a training session with us. Both Russ and I strongly believe in the power of co-production, and the final film proves the point: it is informative, authentic and heartfelt, and I can say we are very pleased with the way it turned out.
John
I was quite taken by the idea of producing this film with “Flexible Films”, as Jana and I had been talking about a film on my life’s journey for a while, so the time felt right with Sybil, Russ and Laura on board. We knew we could do it as a trustful collaboration, so I agreed immediately to go ahead. It felt that they were the right filmmakers for the job.
Jana
What has been most impressive to me is how natural the making of the film has felt from the word “go”. I think it has to do with the fact that it was co-produced as well as with Sybil and Russ’ unique personalities. They have the ability of making you feel comfortable and relaxed with the filming situation almost instantly, despite all the gear they put up around you, so it is easy to open up and tell your story.
John
I was in control of pace, content and the editing of the interview. To me, the positive effects of this approach shine through the entire final film. As Sybil told us, this does not come naturally to filmmakers, for they often have a vision of what the film should look like and seek control. To hand control over to me meant setting the tone for what I think is a unique account of my life and work, rather than their idea of what it must have been like.
More information
As someone who has got co-production wrong on many occasions, here’s five traps to try to avoid when co-producing in the real world:
1. Co-producing something that is already agreed
This is a classic: You’re launching a new service when you realise you haven’t engaged with any service users. You quickly plan a ‘co-production’ session to ask people about something that is already decided. People aren’t daft and will soon work this one out. If you are consulting on something rather than co-producing, then say so. Be clear on the purpose and what can and can’t be influenced.
2. Don’t wander from the path!
It is worth remembering that co-production involves people, and people don’t always stick to your carefully outlined session plan. It can be tempting to shut people down. Here are a few ways to counter this:
- Build-in time for people to ‘vent’, particularly if the subject is emotive
- Have a flipchart for ‘parked subjects’, to discuss at a later time
- Scrap your session plan and see where the discussion takes you. This is where unexpected learning can happen.
3. The tokenistic service user
I’m just leaving this one here: inviting one service user to a meeting full of professionals is not co-producing. If you want to meaningfully engage, then really think about the power dynamics of who is in the room.
4. Blank flip chart syndrome
Most co-production sessions go something like this… here’s some information on a topic, discuss in groups, write on a flip chart, feedback group-by-group…
This is not the way to inspire new thinking on a subject. Be as creative as you can with things like images to stimulate conversation and get people drawing or walking around the room. A useful resource is below.
5. Off into the sunset, never to be seen again
Finally, a good co-production session will get people passionate about a topic, but too often they never hear from the facilitators again. If you value people’s input, then make sure you get in touch afterwards to feedback on how you have used their input.
Sheffield Flourish is a charity that works collaboratively on innovative digital and community projects, recognising the untapped strengths of people who’ve experienced mental health challenges.
I want to see as many people with lived experience as possible included in the development of social care support and services, as this is the best way of maximising the chances that people will receive the support they want and need, rather than receiving what other people have determined is best for them (if they’re lucky). Support providers often fail to provide meaningful opportunities for people with lived experience to shape their work, and they sometimes justify this approach by claiming that the people who want to become involved are not representative of the groups that services are provided for. It’s true that individuals can’t routinely represent groups, but this applies to individual workers as well as people who access care and support. In other fields, experience is highly valued and signifies expertise; in the field of co-production, it can be reduced to dismissing people as ‘the usual suspects’, failing to acknowledge that these ‘usual suspects’ include individuals who have worked to improve the lives of marginalised groups for many years and learned to operate in alienating systems, sometimes at great cost to their emotional wellbeing.
If social care organisations want to engage with communities and people who access care and support, they need to do the work that will enable this to happen. They need to talk to people in language that they understand, meet with people in ways that allow them to be heard, and act on what people tell them. They should be reaching out to Disabled People’s Organisations and working alongside them on the basis of equality. They should actively seek out the views and opinions of ‘the usual suspects’ and implement their learning. They should be willing to respond to what people say they want, and trying to provide it, rather than dismissing people’s hard won points of view because it is easier to do that than it is to rise to the challenge of making a meaningful response.
This group has found the project so helpful and enjoyable to be part of, they named themselves the ‘SCIE Fliers’. Made up of a group of experienced self-advocates, their insights and experiences were pivotal to the ‘Am I invisible’ resources that were produced earlier this year. This blog gives an insight into what they faced during the pandemic and the way things can be improved now. The SCIE Fliers have recently been talking about making telephone calls to get important information, about your health, benefits, energy supplies or travel plans. It is often said that it can be very hard just to get through to where you are trying to call for the information that you need. It may take a long time before the phone is answered. Some of the staff are really nice to talk to, others not so much.
You can also find yourself on hold for even longer, which can prove very expensive for you or whoever is helping you to make the call. Trying to work out which option you require from the menu of choices you are faced with, can often mean that you forget which option you need.
Talking straight for everyone
We discussed what the organisations that we communicate with need to do to make this whole process more accessible, clear and friendly. Some of them may have a list with the names of people who are flagged in order to alert their staff that this individual has additional needs which can be helpful, although we felt that ‘talking straight for everyone’ should be in the system.
On balance, we did not feel that we should have to say that we have a learning disability in order to get a more effective service. However, one person was told after some time on the call “you should have said that at the start, Mr …”
If you have a bad experience on the phone with someone that is impatient and rude, it may put you off from accessing services that you really need. Having to go over your story again because they haven’t read the notes is also very frustrating, even more so if you have a speech impediment.
We feel that the telephone staff need further training from people with learning disabilities and autism, so that they do their jobs better for all customers, especially older and disabled people.
It should be how they treat everyone.
I believe that in order for co-production to work you first need to identify the need. For me this included the needs of my children and their schooling and I did this with the help of a newly qualified social worker who was open to new ways of thinking. Little acorns grow into big trees. As a recently separated disabled mother of two children at primary and nursery school, I had to independently get them to their daily activities on time every day. Not being a driver, this was a problem as the children’s father objected to me taking them to school on my mobility scooter, even getting an injunction to stop me doing this.
Money was tight so I developed a plan with the help of my social worker to cycle to school on a tricycle, supervising my children on their own bikes. To find out where to borrow a tricycle I contacted Disability Sheffield, who gave me Cycling UK’s local development officer’s contact details. His name was Steve and together, we co-produced a plan which involved road safety and me building up stamina and the provision of a tricycle.
New project named
My children are now grown up, but I continue to cycle for health benefits and to access shops, doctors and my own activities. Working with Cycling UK’s development officer we identified a need for a Sheffield based disability cycling service as we had to source my trike and support from around the country. We called our new project Sheffield Cycling4All and it has grown enormously since the first early days.
This is an excellent example of how good co-production can work for people like me as well as the organisations involved. Although I was a founder partner in the beginning and helped run the sessions for 10 years, carrying the Olympic torch on behalf of disabled people in the group, I have since stepped back from the day to day organisation and am now much more involved in the National Co-production Advisory Group.
Depending on your professional background, lived experience of accessing services, where you work and engage with services, your perception of what co-production is will differ. When I worked in youth services, I hadn’t heard of the term co-production. I would consult young people on their views on strategies and programmes. Then, we would deliver the programme ourselves and discuss the outcomes with the same group of young people, covering what went well and what would be better to do next time to keep improving the service. There wasn’t wider engagement with others who took part in activities and programmes, and thinking about it now, I wonder how I would have done things if I knew co-production was a thing.
Since joining SCIE I’ve heard the term co-production being used a lot and was quite intrigued in the beginning. At SCIE: “We acknowledge there is no single perfect definition of co-production, but we use the following as a good starting point. We see co-production as a process that involves people who use services being consulted, included, and working together from the start to the end of any project that affects them. When co-production works best, people who use services and carers are valued by organisations as equal partners, can share power and have influence over decisions made”.
I was present at SCIE’s panel event during co-production week in 2022 (read my blog post below) and spoke to people from various professional backgrounds and with lived experience of accessing different services. Since then, there has been some keen interest on what the practice means to different people, what other terms are used in different settings, and what barriers may exist in its implementation.
To understand this, we have launched a survey for adult social care professionals and people with lived experience of adult social care services, to look at how familiar people are with the term co-production and its principles. The survey is not to test anyone’s knowledge, but to explore differences in language, opportunities, challenges and barriers. The survey will close on Tuesday 4th April 2023, and the findings of the survey will be reported between co-production week from Monday 3 July 2023 to Friday 7 July.
Ready for Social Work Week, we have launched a survey for adult social care professionals and people who draw on services, to share their thoughts and experiences on co-production. The survey will close on Tuesday 4 April, and its findings will be reported between National Co-production Week from Monday 3 to Friday 7 July.
It’s been a long time since I’d attended an in-person event due to Covid and working remotely. But, during Co-production Week 2022, we held a panel event and I had the opportunity to be there. I had best view of it, sitting at the back on my laptop taking notes and taking it all in. Co-production is about working in equal partnership with people using services, carers, families and citizens. In that room in early July, there was a diverse presence, from Social Care Leads, Heads of Services, Project Managers, Population Health Programme Manager, Quality and Compliance Manager, Lived Experience Lead, Head of Community Participation; and others from various charities and health and social care settings.
- SCIE report: Developing our understanding of the difference co-production makes in social care
- Co-production Week
It was interesting to hear questions on sustainability of co-production methods and building on the support of senior leadership, especially when roles change or someone leaves their job. How does one prevent coproduction from slipping through when there’s a lot to juggle? How do we engage the people we want to work with and gain their trust, without ticking checkboxes whilst ensuring that funding is justified through demonstrating impactful evidence?
Then following on from what Andy, Director of Involvement at Revolving Doors charity, said, find out your workplace priorities and challenges, what needs to be addressed and offer co-production as a solution; rather than merely presenting co-production as a separate approach to existing ways of working.
Being the designated notetaker during the event meant I could swap the screen to Twitter. I saw people from the event posting pictures of the presentation and quoting the panellists, which was so encouraging to see. The room was buzzing with conversations, and I can’t wait to attend further face-to-face SCIE events soon.
Panellists on the day
- Andy Williams – Director of Involvement, Revolving Doors charity
- Deborah Rozansky – Director of Policy, Research and Information SCIE
- Fiona Flowers – Head of Practice Development SCIE
- Kathryn Smith – Chief Executive of SCIE
- Kevin Minier – Co-production Board Member SCIE.
Face-to-face events coming soon
A panel event giving insights into the local government care reforms. If you would like to be notified about these events, please let us know by emailing: info@scie.org.uk.
Beve Smith is an ex-midwife, has lived experience as a carer and is a member of the Kirklees Co-production Board. Dulcie Leach is retired from educational services, has lived experience as a carer and is also a member of the Kirklees Co-production Board. Alex Chaplin is a Policy Officer at Kirklees Council. Tamsin Macdonald is manager of Kirklees’ Local Area Coordination Programme. Tamsin: 2020 was an exciting time because it was when the Council published our Five year Vision for Adult Social Care. Within the vision it says: “Our vision is about people as active and equal partners in how we work together to co-produce, co-design, co-deliver and co-evaluate care services in Kirklees”
With some support from The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) we coproduced a plan and decided to try and test and learn through taking a co-productive approach to two projects – Developing an integrated contact centre service for health and care and reviewing our Direct Payments policy. It was through this work Alex and I met Beve and Dulcie and together with many others, we also created a new Coproduction Board.
Dulcie: There was a wide breadth of people when we met at the beginning. We didn’t know each other and some of us were quite hesitant. Through some long conversations, we started to realise that we all had shared stories and experiences. We were wondering if we would be listened to and truly heard. Some people said “we’ve been here before and it didn’t work out”. We had lots of conversations to unpick this at the beginning, questioning if we would ever see the fruits of our labour.
Tamsin: As council officers, some of us also felt hesitant. We didn’t know what the outcome was going to be and we couldn’t predict the timelines. That can be quite a scary space for people to step in to, I think.
Alex: One thing I’m really proud of is that we have come past that now and are starting to see our coproduction journey move into the next phase with the review of the Direct Payments policy. We now have all the documents signed off and we are beginning the work of embedding this new improved version with training and things like that.
Tamsin: We’re all really hopeful that ultimately this will lead to more people across Kirklees receiving a Direct Payment that helps them achieve their vision of a good life, feel more independent and in control.
Dulcie: Some people think that when people get together, they are going to ask for heaven and earth or make unreasonable demands. In the coproduced work that we’ve been involved in, we’ve found that all people really want in terms of their care and support are the things that anyone would want to live a good and normal life. To be a part of community, have friendships and good relationships.
Beve: We know we’re getting it right when it feels like a meeting of equals. We’ve all been kept in the loop all the way through and feel that we have truly participated in the process. We talk about power sharing a lot and this is what it feels like. Moving from a sense that things are being done to us, to a place where we are all moving together in the same direction. We’re starting a movement. It feels like being a part of the change we want to see.
Dulcie: We have lots of things we can be proud of. We might not always agree with each other, but we appreciate what each other’s strengths are and have respect for each other.
Tamsin: It’s about getting there in a steady way where we all feel like we are a part of something. Everyone has something to offer, it is just a matter of working out ways that people can contribute. That’s why it’s so important to get to know each other, learn about each other, and share our gifts with each other.
Beve: It’s not actually as radical as it seems. It is radical in terms of what can be achieved but it’s not as hard as we thought it would be.
Alex: It’s definitely worthwhile doing. It just takes a leap of faith, quite a bit of confidence and most importantly… a lot of time! But what you come out with at the end is really invaluable.
Valerie Wood is a full time unpaid carer who retired from the NHS to be a care partner for her husband, who has Motor Neurone Disease. Bryony Shannon is the Strategic Lead for Practice Development in Adults, Health and Wellbeing at Doncaster Council.
Getting started
Valerie: It just happened. It wasn’t like I knew what I was doing! I’ve been campaigning for years, and I started getting interested in the #SocialCareFuture movement on Twitter and came across Bryony’s blog about how language in health and social care can create barriers, and this really got me thinking about how I could influence change in a more ‘hands on’ way. I was already involved in the Carers Action Group in Doncaster, then Bryony asked me if I’d like to join some workshops looking at people’s experiences of access to care and support. Bryony: When I first got this job, I didn’t really know how to get started with embedding co-production. But our approach has evolved organically through lots of connections and conversations, and it’s become really clear to me that – as with most things in social care – co-production is all about relationships.
Wait a minute!
Valerie: I come across the word co-production in an awful lot of reading material. You trust when people mention co-production that it is co-production, but then the more I found out about it, the more I learnt, I realised that the word co-production was being compromised. And then you think, wait a minute! If you’re saying you do co-production, then do it. If you’re not doing it, fine. But don’t tell me you’re doing it when you’re not.
Bryony: I remember sharing the ladder of co-production with Valerie. That’s when we realised that lots of ‘co-production’ she’d been involved in was actually consultation or engagement. Looking at the ladder of co-production together really helped.
Valerie: I also find Think Local Act Personal’s (TLAP) Ten top tips for co-production useful. I use that regularly. Often professionals tell us they want to co-produce something, then put the pressure on us to get through things quickly. If you want us to be part of things, you have to give us time.
Bryony: Co-production is about creating something together. Co. Production. And if you’re going to do co-production properly, you’ve got to acknowledge it takes time. But it’s time well spent, isn’t it? Because you’re getting things right and doing them in the right way.
Valerie: Our work on the principles met all those top tips for co-production
Co-producing our practice principles
Bryony: We’d adopted the #SocialCareFuture vision and signed up to TLAP’s Making it Real framework, but I was also keen to co-produce some local principles to underpin our practice. We drew together a small group of people with lived experience and people working in Adults, Health and Wellbeing to talk about what those principles could be.
Valerie: We started with an idea that blossomed. Bryony ensured everybody had an equal status and an equal say. I never ever felt that anybody was more important in that group. We decided how we were going to work together and how we would make a difference. Bryony supplied the background information – you can’t go into any of these workshops and be a true partner if you haven’t got the background information supplied to you, then it’s up to you whether you read it or not.
I did get confused sometimes though. The professionals were chatting away like nobody’s business and I had to keep asking if they could explain this and that. I think you do need to consider how much information is needed and not make assumptions. I didn’t know about TLAP or the Be Human Movement then. But it was good. I liked it.
I think personalised care keeps getting missed out, I really do. It’s still very much service centred, not person centred. I feel like we’re very good on paper now, we’ve got a good framework. I really do believe in it. But now it’s about making sure it gets translated into practice. That’s the really important bit.
The next step for me is for the co-production to work in practice and be meaningful for people to have the social care future they hope for, and for the framework we all co-produced.to be fully supported by an excellent implementation plan.