From engagement to co-production – How we do things in Leicestershire

By Claire Cluer, Co-Production Officer for Adult Social Care within Leicestershire County Council.

I started in this role 3 ½ years ago and only now with the Engagement Advisory Panel do I feel like my role has come alive!

Whilst true co-production can and should be strived to achieve, and we do have some great pockets of success, we recognised the need to focus and improve on all the layers that build co-production as the concept that it is. 

What did we learn?
I started off with a small co-production planning group that co-developed some staff guidance around basic engagement. At its very first meeting I remember a carer saying to me, “this is all well and good but if people above you are not committed, what’s the point”. This comment stuck with me.

Lessons learnt over the first 3 years include:
• Senior governance is crucial for any advisory / working group 
• Building working relationships takes time
• Sharing power can feel like it is unwanted. As well as offer it, we need to support and nurture this skill and confidence in people

What are we doing now?  
We have launched our new Engagement Advisory Panel. The work is governed by our Departmental Management Team. The panels will have 9 members representing different areas of social care. Its purpose is to support the increase both quality and quantity of engagement related work when producing strategies and designing/reviewing services.

The panel will review engagement plans and provide constructive criticism, suggestions and support. Members will receive training to support them in this role and will be shaping the content of this.
They will also co-produce a one-page yearly plan. It will have clear actions to improve how the council works with people who use our services and their carers. 

This process will make the council more accountable in how we engage and work in partnerships with the people who use our services.

Staff Briefings

We are also holding two staff briefing sessions during co-production week. These are to inform staff about the panel and how they can work with them, as well as raising the profile of co-production and other good working practices.

You can keep updated about the development of the panel