Part 3b. Group co-production

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If you can influence how your service functions and delivers to its objectives, then you can shape a service built on service user, patient and carer experience, by bringing a group together to co-produce your service design (or improvement or transformation).

Valuing all participants, and building on their strengths

You find ways to use and develop the assets and resources that are present in your teams; in your service users and carers; and in your networks and their communities. This will contribute to building everyone’s confidence and capacity further.

In practice, you might want to start by mapping who and what you know.

Developing networks across silos

You help people to make connections with other actors, stakeholders, communities, groups or networks, by bringing together a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders from a range of backgrounds and experiences.

In practice, here are some pointers about inviting people to join your co-production group.

Doing what matters for the people involved

You focus on creating good outcomes (the difference your work makes in someone’s life) more than on outputs (what you did and how much or often). To find out what these outcomes are, you start with creating dialogue, and you listen to those who are not usually heard in these contexts.

In practice, there are a few key questions you want to weave into the dialogue.

Building relationships of trust and sharing power
  • You respect everyone’s perspective and the value they bring to the table.
  • For people to trust you, you need to demonstrate trustworthiness. It’s up to you to show up, think with empathy about people’s experience in this group and challenge, close communication loops and tell people what’s happening as a result of their involvement. Don’t be a bad friend who only gets in touch when they want something!
Enabling people to make change happen
  • You help people to build the life they want by enabling them to take action.
  • You enable your team and colleagues to work in a person-centred way.
  • You keep working on your mindset and values, and on how you understand (and relate to) power.
  • You learn that YOU don’t have to fix everything. (We’re trained to take responsibility, but this also disempowers others if we don’t let them do their share.)
  • You learn to say, “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out together.”; to show up with questions instead of answers; to bring the things only you can do, and to look or listen for the things only others can do, adding to your collective strength.
  • You learn to show up with curiosity, compassion, empathy, kindness - towards others and towards yourself.

 

Group co-production holds the potential to transform services, outcomes and lives. If you’re being tokenistic you will not only waste everyone’s time (both professionals, and service users and carers), but also damage relationships, trust and goodwill towards any future participation or involvement endeavours. Make sure that if you’re embarking on a co-production process, you’re doing it for real, not for show; and that you are committed to act on the group’s findings.

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