What is co-production?
Co-production means people and communities including carers and colleagues working together to develop and shape plans and services, rather than professionals making decisions alone.
Co-production suggests that to provide truly effective public services, we need equal partnerships between all stakeholders. It encourages transparency about how and why things are done, and sometimes being honest about what is not possible.
"In understanding that co-production is about a fundamental shift in a balance of power, we are encouraged to think about the power that we hold and how that shows up. There must be consideration given to the ways that power can be shared and redistributed in the process of co-production" (Taken from Trauma informed Co-production, see below).
Co-production is a way to involve people by sharing power with them. The Coalition for Personalised Care defines co-production as: ‘a way of working that involves people who use health and care services, carers and communities in equal partnership; and which engages groups of people at the earliest stages of service design, development and evaluation.’ (NHS England in Working in Partnership with People and Communities Guidance 2022)
Involvement is a continuum which can run from informing people to co-production and co-design. Different forms of involvement will be appropriate for different types of service transformation, change, planning and decision-making. All are important and valuable. All involvement is better when built on trusted relationships.
The NHS England infographic below shows the different ways to involve people and communities. These are:
- Inform - sharing information about proposed changes so people understand what they mean.
- Consult - asking for people's opinions on one or more ideas or options.
- Engage - listening to people to understand issues and discuss ideas for change.
- Co-design - designing with people and incorporating their ideas into the final approach.
- Co-production - an equal partnership where people with lived and learnt experience work together from start to finish.
Here are some examples in West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership:
Training and resources
Leeds Health and Care Partnership
Leeds Health and Care Partnership have developed training with volunteers who also co-present the training. The co-production training is for members of the public and staff to support them to work together to champion the needs and preferences of local people.
It is part of a range of training that covers a wide range of topics which aim to give people the skills, knowledge and confidence to work together effectively and put local people at the centre of our decision making (other sessions are currently on hold).
The training is suitable for:
- Members of the public who represent local people on groups
- Staff who work with patients and members of the public to involve them
- Commissioners and providers of health and social care services
Here are slides for co-production training and involvement training.
Patient Participation Group (PPG) Network
They also co-produced / continue to co-produce the Patient Participation Group (PPG) Network (https://www.healthandcareleeds.org/have-your-say/shape-the-future/find-out-about-other-involvement-work/ppg/ppg-network/) which then led to us co-producing:
- PPG emails project: https://www.healthandcareleeds.org/have-your-say/shape-the-future/find-out-about-other-involvement-work/ppg/ppg-emails/
- PPG Toolkit: https://www.healthandcareleeds.org/have-your-say/shape-the-future/find-out-about-other-involvement-work/ppg/resources/
Wakefield Health and Care Partnership
During national co-production week in 2022 Wakefield held a conference.
More than 100 people from across the Wakefield district attended, representing individuals, the voluntary and community sector, community groups, the local authority, health and social care.
Nineteen speakers shared powerful examples of just some of the work that is happening in our district and the difference it has made for individuals and groups. Read more on their website including a conference newsletter and video.
Peer Leaders / Strategic Co-production Group
The Wakefield group members have completed or are in the process of completing NHS England’s free Peer Leadership Development Programme. The course promotes the benefits of personalised care, giving people the skills, knowledge and confidence to be able to use their lived experience at a strategic level by being part of discussions where decisions are made at a system level. Find out more on thier 'ways to get involved'webpage.
Have your say
You can have your say across West Yorkshire.
If you would like to know more about how you can have your say in health care services locally. Please follow the links below to each area, to see which engagements and opportunities are currently running.
West Yorkshire Programme Projects
Trauma informed co-production guidance
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit worked together in 2022 to produce guidance on trauma informed co-production principles. The guidance, authored by Lisa Cherry, Schools, Services and Systems Change Consultant, sets out an understanding of how to engage in co-production using a trauma informed lens. The guidance has some great tips offering things to consider, reflect on and questions to ask rather than instruction.
ActEarly Co-production Strategy
In 2022 Bradford was involved in appreciative enquiry with over 100 community groups to develop a strategy offering important values, principles and directions on how to deliver effective co-production for the ActEarly programme. Nothing About us Without Us.
Stroke Co-creation
This project was commissioned by NHS Leadership Academy North East & Yorkshire, in partnership with WYHCP and the West Yorkshire Integrated Stroke Delivery Network (ISDN) in April 2022. The New Citizenship Project were commissioned to design and facilitate the process; they are a participation consultancy with experience in co-creation and patient involvement. The aim was to explore how survivors and their families, health and care professionals and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector could work together to help more stroke survivors have a better recovery. Find out more by reading the slides.
Maternity Development Workshop
In West Yorkshire we are committed to providing the best care possible to those accessing our services. This work emerged following conversations between the Local Maternity & Neonatal System (LMNS) and Harnessing the Power of Communities (HPoC) around how to better engage with the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and people using maternity services to understand and tackle barriers and challenges faced by women, parents and their families and identify how we might work together to improve outcomes and reduce health inequalities. We therefore invited people to attend a workshop to learn together from the group’s lived and learned experiences. Read more in the workshop report.
Working with Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector
The Harnessing the Power of Communities Programme has set its priorities and co-production is central to these. You can read more in this presentation.
Support
For support and to know more about co-production you can contact arfan.hussain3@nhs.net
National support – Future NHS has a workspace on experience of care co-production for anyone who has access. This offers events, and a share space.