David Cook, WCVA’s Health and Social Care Project Officer, reflects on lessons learned from the recent National Co-Production Conference.
Public services should be designed in partnership with the people who use them, rather than being imposed upon communities. That’s co-production in a nutshell.
WCVA believes strongly in co-production. We highlight the benefits to decision-makers across Wales, we link organisations working co-productively to each other, and we have our own internal Co-production Champions group, which advises staff on all matters co-production.
It’s a passion that runs deep, so we were excited to attend the recent National Co-Production Conference held by the Co-Production Network for Wales, bringing together people from a variety of sectors.
They were keen to learn more about how co-production can be better implemented across Wales and make people’s lives better.
THE VITAL ROLE OF CO-PRODUCTION
The day kicked off with an address from CEO of Co-Production Network for Wales, Gwendolyn Sterk. She highlighted a growing understanding of what co-production actually is and can do, but also a hesitancy by many decision-makers to embrace what’s required to make the difference it could.
This was followed by a short video from Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice. She talked about the vital role co-production has to play in successfully achieving the aims of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan. She also discussed how it provides the foundations for the new Vision for Volunteering, which will launch at WCVA’s free gofod3 event in July.
NO CO-PRODUCTION, NO SOLUTIONS
Next came a ‘fireside chat’ between academic Dr Karen Salt and Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner, around how co-production is being implemented. Dr Salt noted that ‘participatory learning often doesn’t translate into practice’, while the Commissioner noted that delivery of the Future Generations Act ‘isn’t where we need it to be’.
If solutions to Wales’s problems aren’t co-produced then the big issues can’t be solved. They spoke too about the importance of infusing co-production with an ‘ethics of care’.
In another panel, it was noted how easy it is to slip back to merely informing people about services, rather than genuinely coproducing these with them. Also highlighted were issues around shifting from grants-based to commissioning-based funding, which creates more competition and stifles collaboration.
A VISIT TO THE ORACLE
Following this came workshops, a talk on the craft of facilitating co-production, then another panel, this time on the subject of putting co-production into practice, in which people involved in co-produced public services discussed their experiences.
There was a visit to the ‘Co-production Oracle’, who uses cards to help people open up new perspectives on co-production, work together collaboratively, and gain a greater understanding around the challenges of co-pro.
After the event Sara Sellek, WCVA’s Assistant Director of Engagement and Support, commented: ‘the conference was a powerful reminder of collaboration, lived experience, and shared ownership in shaping services that truly work for people and communities across Wales. I came away with renewed energy, practical insights, and a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of co-production.’
LESSONS LEARNED
So what did we learn? Well, we learned more about the foundational role co-production must play to create resilient public services. We learned about obstacles, from lack of cultural buy-in to a shortage of time, resources and even sometimes trust between partners.
We learned co-production isn’t always easy, it takes time and effort work in a truly collaborative fashion, but if it’s done right, the rewards are there for everyone. And we learned that if you’ve got a really sticky problem, it’s helpful to have an oracle on hand.
This was a really useful and inspiring day for everyone interested in co-production and how it can effect positive change. We’re looking forward to next year already!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact healthandcare@wcva.cymru if you’d like to know more about our work on co-production. And find out more about the sector’s work in health and social care by visiting our Health and Care Project web page.
WCVA is responding to the recent Senedd consultation on the FG Act, in which we’ll give some thoughts on implementation of the FG Act. When ready, we’ll post our response on our Consultations page.