Reflections on my first Co-Production Week

By Kate Pieroudis, Co-production Development Manager at the Social Care Institute for Excellence

It didn’t start well. I locked myself out while getting milk so disturbed 30 older people in the Community Centre across the road doing their rehabilitation exercises explaining it was an emergency- the first day of Co-Production week and could I borrow a ladder? They blinked at me, bemused.

As I was scaling the 30ft garden wall with their ladder- the lovely crystal-wearing bohemian French man who runs the Centre and my very posh neighbour (ready to call an ambulance in case I fell) both applauded as I disappeared through my bedroom window- a fine example of co-production, I wondered? 

I dusted myself off and started Tweeting about the launch of our report ‘Breaking Down The Barriers to Co-Production’ – informed entirely from people who came to our Co-Production Festival last year. Standout thoughts from the report- people we asked said the two things that would strengthen co-production the most were bringing together evidence of what works in co-production and more leadership from senior managers.

I then shared the great blog from Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission.

Tuesday saw the launch of the first ever Co-Production Podcast! Oxfordshire County Council and Kirklees Council told us about the barriers to co-production in large complex organisations: lots of teams, shifting priorities and shrinking pots of cash with practical solutions to how they’ve succeeded in setting up a Co-Production Board with SCIE’s support in Oxfordshire and co-producing a policy on how they pay carers in Kirklees. Professionals were interviewed by local people- a perfect example of sharing power- the theme of Co-Production week 2019.

140+ people joined our Webinar on Wednesday on how to run accessible and inclusive events including one from Canada! (co-delivered with people with leaning difficulties). We launched the co-production ‘attitudes’ survey and two fantastic members of SCIE’s Co-Production Steering Group ran a successful Twitter event that night.

For me though, the jewel in the Co-Production week crown has to be our Co-production Festival. Over 150 people attended to celebrate co-production, collaborate and innovate- our Chief Executive Tony Hunter stood on chairs, worked the room and whipped up a semi-frenzy with his rendition of ‘I’m a Believer (Co-Production YAY!)”. Headliner Lemn Sissay told me as we put together the finishing touches to his blog  “What SCIE is doing by running this Festival is beautiful- providing a space where young people will be heard” Our six seminars went swimmingly and over lunch I saw people exchanging ideas and contacts for more co-production to hopefully happen.

I woke up to a text from Lemn Sissay saying “I should say thank you. To be in a place where my ideas and story are received is incredible for me.”

And that’s the message – people sharing their stories means relationships being built that leads to more equal power sharing between professionals and people who use services and carers - the key ingredient for meaningful co-production to happen.

*names and identities of Hackney residents changed to protect the innocent