The Co-production Charter sets out how SCIE aims to work with people who use services, their carers and equality groups. The Charter has been developed through consultation with members of our Co-production Network, SCIE staff and Board. The charter demonstrates SCIE’s aspiration to model the behaviour we promote. the charter is part of ‘Co-production’, SCIE’s approach to the involvement of users and carers.
SCIE is committed to developing co-production with people who use services and carers.
Co-production means working with people who use services and carers as equal partners in the design, development, commissioning, delivery and review of SCIE’s services.
Co-production is central to achieving the Government’s objectives of personalising services and increasing choice and control for users and carers. It will help SCIE to ensure that it meets people who use services’ and carers’ priorities and should also be seen as key to the quality and improvement agenda.
The jigsaw or whole systems approach to participation was developed by SCIE. It sees organisations as a jigsaw consisting of four pieces: culture, structure, practice and review. The principles are organised using this model.
The Charter applies to SCIE’s work with adults, children and young people.
Culture
The ethos of an organisation, shared by all staff, which demonstrates a commitment to co-production.
SCIE will:
- value and make meaningful use of the input of people who use services and carers in all key activity
- learn from our own and others’ experiences of co-production.
- work to ensure that participation is a positive and mutually beneficial experience for everyone including people who use services, carers, staff, trustees and other stakeholders
- aim to be a leading organisation in co-production
- encourage organisations we work with to develop co-production and champion participation in the social care sector and beyond
- be positive about employing disabled people, people who use services and carers
- staff and Trustees will champion and support co-production
- recognise and value the involvement of seldom heard groups and those protected by the Equality Act 2010, to ensure co-production solutions are fully informed by, and reflective of, these diverse experiences.
Practice
The ways of working, methods for involvement, skills and knowledge which enable people who use services and carers to become involved.
SCIE will:
- be clear about the scope of co-production and what can and cannot be achieved, involving people who use services and carers in the decision-making in the spirit of co-production. Where there are limits because of factors such as finance/funding, staffing, timing and/or other resources, we will be clear about how this will impact on co-production
- take active steps to minimise the impact of power imbalances between SCIE and people who use services and carers and work to create as equal a partnership as possible
- work with people who use services and carers to plan the processes of co-production and identify the best approaches to involvement in different types of work
- provide feedback about the results of their input within agreed times to the people who take part in co-produced activities
- work with the widest possible range of people who use services and carers to ensure that co-production in SCIE reflects different groups of people who use services and carers and the diversity within those groups
- make particular efforts to ensure that people from seldom heard and underrepresented groups can participate in our work
- provide staff with the training, support and resources required to co-produce
- Provide people who use services and carers the support and training they need to take part.
- use digital/computer-based approaches when appropriate to complement but not replace, face-to-face contact
- use different approaches to co-production that meet the access needs of specific groups, being flexible and responsive as possible to individual requests.
Structure
The planning, development and resourcing of co-production evident in the organisation’s infrastructures.
SCIE will:
- offer people who use services and carers a fee or equivalent training or other benefits for their participation
- pay any reasonable expenses associated with taking part in any co-production activity
- address access and support issues, including physical access, accessible information and support to deal with emotional or psychological barriers to participating
- give people who use services and carers participating in SCIE’s work clear roles that define what is expected of them and what will be involved in fulfilling that role
- for SCIE staff, use job descriptions, objective setting and annual appraisals to promote co-production
- involve people who use services and carers in staff recruitment processes when appropriate
- aim to have at least two people who use services on the SCIE Board – one of whom will chair the Co-production Network
- ensure that all Board papers have a section that covers co-production implications.
Review
The monitoring and evaluation systems which enable an organisation to evidence change effected by co-production.
SCIE will:
- ensure project management and other systems prompt, record and monitor co-production
- produce an annual board report on the impact of co-production which will be co-produced with the Co-production Network
- produce an annual board report on equality and diversity in SCIE which will be co-produced with the Co-production Network
- regularly review the Co-production Network and its membership to maintain its effectiveness
- audit staff diversity annually.
Definitions of terms
People who use services
SCIE defines people who use services as people who require long-term support from social and health care services. This includes people who need or are likely to need services but are not currently using them.
People who use services are individuals who have roles and relationships like all members of society and services should support them to be full and equal citizens.
We recognise that for many people there are other dimensions to being a person who uses services in terms of experience of inequality and discrimination in many areas, often including their dealings with services.
Carers
Carers are people who provide unpaid support for others who could not manage without this help. They are usually family members and partners but can also be neighbours or close friends of the person they support.
Carers can experience inequality and discrimination and particularly can find that their role as a carer restricts opportunities in areas like employment and social activities. Caring responsibilities can also impact on the person’s own health.