Putting people at the heart of decision-making

New survey: 72% of staff and 56% of people with lived experience know about co-production

There’s good news today for those who want to see people who draw on services being put at the heart of decisions made about their lives. A major new survey looks at how co-production is perceived in the UK today. Co-production is about working in equal partnership with people using services, carers, families and citizens. Co-production offers the chance to transform social care and health provision to a model that offers people real choice and control.

The survey, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, explores how the term co-production is defined by staff in the adult social care workforce and service users; looks at individual experiences and the lessons learnt from working in a co-productive way; and examines a potential lack of cohesion between various levels of the workforce hierarchy and people who draw on services. It comes at the start of the eighth annual National Co-production Week, organised by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

• Co-production survey
• Co-production Week 2023

The survey reveals that 72% of the workforce and 56% of people with lived experience have heard about co-production. The results also reveal that leaders and managers have different views and experiences of co-production, compared to those on the frontline. Managers with the least exposure to frontline working appear to have a much better knowledge of co-production than those working in direct care delivery. A third of workers state that the organisational culture of their place of work can be a barrier to successful co-production.

Co-production and people who draw on services

The survey has found that 59% of people with lived experience report having had opportunities to be involved in co-producing their own care and support, whilst only 37% have been involved in co-producing services or policies. Many respondents – both in the workforce and those who draw on services – spoke of a sense of distrust and disillusionment with co-production, saying it can become diluted and lose its meaning. Key barriers experienced by social care staff, when implementing co-production, are time (reported by 47%), organisational culture (31%), cost (26%) and communication (25%). However, results suggest that when workers in the public sector have good opportunities for partnerships with people with lived experiences, then co-production is more likely to happen.

One respondent responded to the survey by saying: “At the moment people can throw the word [co-production] around without any real meaning”.

Findings

Here are some of the findings from the survey:

• 72% of staff working in adult social care reported previous familiarity with the term ‘co-production’, whilst this figure stood at 56% of individuals with lived experience
• It was found that senior leaders with the least exposure to frontline working had a much better knowledge of co-production (95% familiarity) than those working in direct care delivery (41%) at the time of taking the survey
• 59% of people with lived experience reported previous opportunities to be involved in co-producing their own care and support, whilst only 37% had been involved in co-producing services or policies
• Respondents voiced issues regarding the inclusiveness and representativeness of co-production, describing instances where we are not reaching out to all, and extending participation beyond the ‘familiar voices’.

Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, says:

Recommendations

Following analysis of the data and working in partnership with people who draw on services, a number of calls-to-action have been drafted, to see co-production more securely embedded in care services. Here are some of the recommendations following the survey:

1. It is crucial that sufficient resources are allocated towards co-production, ensuring staff have protected time to carry this out. Investment in such areas will equip staff working in adult social care with the necessary tools and resources to engage in co-production effectively and meaningfully, and ensure services are fit for purpose.

2. There is a need to prioritise comprehensive training and education for every staff member working in adult social care, empowering them with the knowledge of co-production, what it is and how to apply it across diverse roles in the sector.

3. To avoid instances of misinterpretation and misunderstanding, a consistent definition of co-production needs to be shared widely, with practical examples that bring the skills, values, and behaviours of co-production to life.

Notes to editors

• Co-production survey
• Co-production Week 2023

1. The analysis of the data took place with members of the National Co-production Advisory Group (Who work with TLAP – Think Local Act Personal) and SCIE’s Co-production Steering Group. However, staff working in adult social care need the funding, time, tools and resources to do co-production effectively, and meaningfully. Other recommendations include developing and sharing a consistent definition of what co-production is, as well as sharing practical examples that bring the skills, values and behaviours of co-production to life. All of the ‘Calls to action’ feature throughout our report, aligning with their respective sections to emphasise their significance and relevance

2. In total, 997 people took part in this survey, with a completion rate of 84%. In terms of number of respondents per group, 640 identified as working in adult social care, with 195 completing the survey as a person with lived experience of adult social care. On average, survey respondents were aged between 55 – 64 years and were predominantly (58%) women. Among the survey respondents, there was a substantially higher proportion of responses (80%) from individuals who identified their ethnicity as White (English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British).