A strategic co-production group who meet every 6 weeks, jointly chaired with an independent consultant with lived experience and principal occupational therapist.
10 top tips of working together
- Co-production must start as an idea that blossoms with everybody involved having an equal voice
- Come to the table with a blank agenda and build it with people who use your service, their carers and families
- Involve people who use services, carers and their families in all aspects of a service – the planning, development and delivery
- In order to achieve meaningful, positive outcomes, everybody involved must have the same vision, from front line staff to management/board members
- Start small and build up to bigger projects, empowering people to get involved as equal partners
- Acknowledge that a range of skills are needed for co-production
- Recruit the right people that support co-production
- People who use services, carers and families should be clear about what their expectations are and be fully engaged in the process
- People who use services and their carers know what works for them, so you cannot get it right without them
- Don’t take responsibility for solving every problem – allow the group to find collective solutions