Ran from 29 June – 3 July 2026
Thank you for another wonderful week
At SCIE, we champion the power of co-production in shaping better, more inclusive social care. This year’s theme was Care Equity — exploring what it means to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, identity or circumstances, has equal access to high-quality social care.
Co-production Week highlights how working in genuine partnership leads to stronger, more responsive services. It brings together people who use services, carers, practitioners and organisations to share learning, inspire good practice, and spark important conversations about the future of care.
The online events that took place in Co-production week were recorded, and will be available to watch in the coming days.
Read our new blog on Care Equity by Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, Associate Director, Think Local Act Personal (TLAP).
If you’d like to talk to us about what we do at SCIE and how we can support you, get in touch.
A word from Isaac Samuels OBE
New research:
Experiences of inequities in social care
Read the early findings from SCIE’s forthcoming research on care inequity – and explore why fairer, more person-centred social care matters.
Co-production case study: Bath and North East Somerset Council review
Read how SCIE’s independent review is helping Bath and North East Somerset Council strengthen co-production – and see what other councils can learn from their approach.
Co-production Week: Online sessions
SCIE’s Co-production week 2026 was a week full of inspiring, practical and thought provoking sessions exploring how co-production can drive fairer, more equitable care. Each event brought together people with lived experience, practitioners, leaders and partners to share learning, challenge thinking and shape change.
Co-production: The key to achieving care equity
Recorded Monday 29 June 11:00 – 12:30
Discover the Care Equity Evidence Hub, hear the latest insights from research, and view the interactive discussions about tackling inequality. With lived experience at the heart, this session offers powerful perspectives and practical ideas you can use in your work.
Who’s Missing? Inclusive co-production in practice
Recorded Tuesday 30 June 13:30 – 15:00
This engaging session explored how to reach and involve communities whose voices are too often unheard. Featuring real examples from local authorities and insights from lived experience, it highlighted what inclusive co-production looks like in practice.
Leave with fresh ideas and practical approaches to make your work more inclusive and impactful!
Artificial Intelligence Playbook – co-produced by people with lived experience
Recorded Wednesday 1 July 10:30 – 11:30
This interactive session showcased the West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services AI Playbook which has been co-produced with people who draw on care and support to improve choice, control and everyday life. Watch a live demo, hear from contributors, and explore how this tool could work for you.
Try it out, share your feedback, and help shape the future of AI in care!
Towards Fair Care
Recorded Thursday 2 July 14:00 – 16:00
This interactive workshop created space for open, honest conversations about care equity. Bringing together lived experience, carers and system partners, the session explored barriers, challenges and solutions through discussion and shared learning.
Valuing and recognising lived experience: from good intentions to fair practice
Recorded Friday 3 July, 14:00 – 15:30
How do we move from saying lived experience matters to truly valuing it?
This powerful panel tackled the realities of recognition, payment and fairness in co-production. Explore challenges such as benefits, power and trauma-informed practice and help define what good looks like.
Expect honest discussion, practical solutions and clear calls to action!
A conversation about working together
What happens when the people who use services help shape them? That’s co-production and it’s at the heart of everything we do at SCIE.
In this video, our Interim CEO and the Chair of our Co-production Steering Group welcome you to Co-production Week 2026 and explore why working together leads to better outcomes for everyone.
More about this year’s theme
Care equity sits at the heart of SCIE’s work. In April 2026 we launched the Care Equity Evidence Hub, a curated resource bringing together research, case studies and data on inequities in access to, experience of, and outcomes from social care. Co-production Week 2026 will build on that foundation — exploring how working in genuine partnership with people who draw on care and support can drive meaningful progress towards equity.
The theme puts equity at the centre of the conversation and challenges us to reflect on:
- who is involved in shaping services
- whose voices are heard and whose are missing
- how we can break down barriers and promote inclusion
- what fairness really looks like in care and support.
Equity in co-production means ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to contribute, particularly those whose voices are too often overlooked. It’s about embedding fairness, respect and inclusion at every stage of design and delivery.
What is co-production?
Co-production is about working in equal partnership with people receiving social care, carers and families, so that they can influence the way that services are designed, commissioned and delivered. It offers the chance to transform health and social care to a model that offers people real choice and control. By working this way, we can build systems that truly reflect people’s needs, strengths and aspirations.
Throughout the week, we will:
- Highlight the benefits of co-production in practice
- Share examples of effective and meaningful partnership working
- Stimulate discussion and debate
- Celebrate the contributions of people with lived experience and carers
Support the week on social media
Social media toolkit, including links, hashtags, images, and social media messaging.
Blogs and Media releases
Get involved
Whether you’re a professional, a person with lived experience, or part of a community organisation, there are many ways to take part:
- join events and discussions throughout the week
- share your co-production stories and achievements
- reflect on how your organisation promotes equitable partnerships
- start conversations about improving practice.
Let’s come together to explore ‘Who gets care?’ and work towards a future where co-production and equity are at the heart of social care.
Our co-production history
SCIE has a long history of being at the forefront of co-production. To find out more about SCIE’s work around co-production see: