Co-production

What this means

Genuine co-production – beginning from an open discussion about what matters to people in terms of how resources are used, and being properly supported through time and payment – is fundamental when arguing for more resources, and ensuring that available resources are used more efficiently. Bringing the right people together, supporting creative thinking and encouraging challenge, leads to well considered and people-led solutions.

The conversation needs to start with people, and not always be framed as:

…an issue that the system wants to address.

What are the inefficiencies and good practice that citizens identify? How can the conversation start with these factors, rather than those which an organisation has identified? Co-production always needs to be framed as integral to More Resources, Better Used. As one group member simply put it:

Let us help.

Co-production needs to be both on a service-wide scale, but also an individual basis – taking people’s strengths and preferences into account.

Why is co-production so important?

In these videos Cath Sorsby and Kadie Chapman reflect on the importance of co-production and being involved in the project:

The research

Co-production is of central importance throughout the whole of this evidence review, and you will find it useful to refer to read the other sections. In terms of More Resources, Better Used, co-production may reduce inappropriate and wasteful interventions, since co-produced services come from the genuine voice of lived experience (Penny & Slay, 2014).

However, if co-production is not clearly and realistically defined – and co-defined with citizens – there is a danger that its meaning is diluted, and its potential to transform services is reduced (SCIE, 2022; Norah Fry Centre, 2018), or even that it results in poorer outcomes (Crompton, 2019; Osborne et al., 2016).  It is of central importance for co-production to be a success, that everyone feels valued, and has an equal say (Weaver, 2019).

Crompton (2019) found that leaders could see co-production as a ‘normative policy good’, meaning that they could view it as an end in itself (rather than as a method to thoroughly change things). This risked co-production being seen as a box to tick, with challenge from citizens to the existing system not always welcomed, and where citizens were added to existing decision-making structures instead of using co-production to redesign those structures (Crompton, 2019). Telltale signs that this was happening included using technical terms without explaining them fully, and meetings being held ‘backstage’ without citizen involvement (Crompton, 2019).

What you can do

If you are a senior leader: The More Resources, Better Used group shared examples of what worked for them in co-production. Fair pay, equal representation, support after a meeting as well as during it, were all important. One member shared the experience of a co-production group only having names on nametags, rather than defining people by a professional or lived experience role. This had the effect of making people feel empowered, and that “Together, we could all share our insights equally.”

Think about how you currently co-produce (you may also find it useful to refer to the co-production sections of this review).

Do you have a co-production policy (and was the policy co-produced)? How are the areas for co-production decided upon? Who decides on them? How are people recruited – both people with lived experience and professionals – to a co-production project? Is extra time and training given to understanding technical or complicated budgetary issues, and is this understanding continually checked? Are payment and expectations clearly set out?

You may also consider how co-production is viewed in your organisation. Is it considered as something to improve efficient use of resources – with an openness to far-reaching change – or is it only framed as an ethical way of working? Ensuring it is seen as an investment for improved use of resources rather than solely as ‘a good thing to do’ is crucial. Otherwise, co-production could be seen as an added extra, rather than being mainstreamed as something fundamental to better use of resources. Changing this narrative – by making the link clear between co-production and better use of resources – is something a senior leader can do.

Further information

Read

SCIE has a 2022 guide, Co-production: What it is and how to do it. SCIE has also collated a series of examples of co-production in social care.

The National Institute for Health and Care research has some payment guidelines on involving people in research, which may also be helpful when thinking about co-production in social care.

Engage

Think Local Act Personal has a range of resources to support co-production. This includes the podcast 'How do you create the right conditions for co-production?'