Everyone who uses services has their own unique set of skills and abilities.
Co-production enables you to focus on what people can do, what they can contribute and not just what their issues are.
What co-production is
There are a number of different definitions used across the sector for co-production.
The key elements are to work equally and jointly with residents and to recognise that building on each other’s strengths can create the best outcomes.
“Co-production is a relationship where professionals and citizens share power to plan and deliver support together, recognising that both partners have vital contributions to make in order to improve quality of life for people and communities.”
Co-production network, 2012
“Co-production is an embedded approach where decision makers (for example public funding bodies) have a culture and environment whereby local people and communities are valued as equal partners. There is a sharing of power and belief that local communities and people who use or require care and/or support are best placed and most informed about what will help them in their needs and wishes.”
Association of Directors for Adult Social Services, 2022
“Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families, and their neighbourhoods. Where activities are co-produced in this way, both services and neighbourhoods become far more effective agents of change.”
Nesta, 2013
Six principles of co-production
Co-production is a way of working. There are 6 common principles for co-production activity that help us to recognise it is taking place.
Some of these principles overlap with other approaches but to be genuine co-production, all elements are happening within the same activity.
These principles provide the model for recognising when co-production is taking place in Bracknell Forest.
1. Recognising people as valuable assets
2. Building on those skills and abilities
Co-production also focuses on helping people use their skills and abilities. It provides opportunities for them to grow and develop both as an individual and as a community.
3. Promoting give and take
Co-production combines the skills and abilities of all the people involved. In this way, everyone contributes their expertise which builds trusting relationships between residents and professionals and fosters mutual respect.
4. Growing networks
Co-production grows people’s personal and professional networks. This enables people to share knowledge and information.
5. Sharing responsibility
Professionals and people’s traditional roles are redefined so they are not exclusively focused on those providing services and those receiving services.
6. Facilitating rather than delivering
In a co-productive process, people delivering services become facilitators rather than providers. Their role focuses on enabling people and the co-production process rather than doing things to people.
Co-production is not
Co-production is not:
- public participation in events or online surveys where proposals are already formed or the options are limited
- volunteering to do things for other people when those people don’t have an opportunity to make a contribution too
- personalisation and individual budgets when people’s involvement is focused on choosing from predetermined options to address professionally identified needs
- partnership working between public and voluntary sector organisations when local people are not directly involved in the conversation too
These alternative ways of working are not wrong, and there will be occasions where the above engagement is the most appropriate. However, it is important to be clear that those methods are not co-production activity and should not be described as such.
Why we should co-produce
Co-production taps into the huge number of local skills, passions and experiences (assets) that exist in every community. These include the time, energy, experience and expertise of residents, their families, and neighbours.
Co-production helps to break down barriers between different kinds of people and build stronger networks and groups. It gets beyond service silos and isolation, and enables people to work together and use resources more effectively.
It helps to build up everyone’s capacity to take action to help themselves and each other.
It releases the direct wisdom and experience that people have about what they need, how their needs can be met and what they can do with and for others. When these are combined with professional expertise, there are likely to be better outcomes.
It minimises waste by developing solutions with people rather than doing things ‘to’ and ‘for’ them. It can shift the focus towards person-led, community-involved, preventative services that relieve the pressure on more costly acute and specialist interventions. This can improve efficiency.
For all these reasons, co-production helps to get things right the first time, to improve people’s wellbeing and prevent needs. It makes the best use of the skills and time of the professionals that work within services.
How we are moving toward co-production
To develop our approach to co-production in Bracknell Forest, we are developing a range of materials to support professionals, the voluntary and community sector and local residents. These include:
Co-production framework
This document sets out our intentions and provides a clear definition and set of guidance on how we will approach co-production across the borough. It will encourage consistency across all our work and will be reviewed as our learning evolves.
Co-production toolkit
This resource will draw together practical tools, stories, examples and materials. It aims to help people work together on co-production in Bracknell Forest and enable people to learn from each other’s experiences. It will be constantly updated with local examples and materials that people have found useful in their work.
Co-production training
A series of staff training events will be delivered, introducing the core principles of co-production and practical methods that support it.
Co-production pilots
Working with local teams to use a range of methods to develop, implement or enhance existing co-production activities through practical support, evaluation and reflection.
Why we have a framework
The Bracknell Forest framework itself has been co-designed with a range of people from the council, voluntary sector and residents, making sure people have been involved throughout.
It provides a shared goal and vision, an ambitious sense of how to transition towards co-production and support the council’s commitment to co-production.
It clarifies what co-production is, and what it isn’t so that everyone is clear.
It helps to develop consistent approaches to doing co-production at the council and the rationale for focusing in this way.
It will act as a springboard for people to bring co-production into their work in as many different ways as possible. It will include our learning as we go, adapting the framework as our confidence increases and growing the network of people ambitious to work in this way.