Co-production in service design and deliver is a principle that has been widely adopted by statutory and other service providers. In Hammersmith & Fulham the local authority and health providers are committed to implementing co-production. It is seen as a means of co-designing and co-producing services, which involves all stakeholders, who are affected or have an interest in that service. This should lead to the development of more effective and appropriate services, which are accessible to all potential beneficiaries and achieve the intended outcomes.
Development is centred around a partnership approach involving all stakeholders as equal partners. Developing a targeted service for older people may include health, local authority, voluntary and community sector, as well as service users and residents. Everyone should have an input from the drawing board stage to final delivery of a service. This would mean identifying needs more effectively, designing a service that meets those needs more effectively as users perspectives are taken into account and reaching marginalised communities who may have been excluded.
A co-production approach should therefore lead to more efficient, better-targeted and arguably more cost effective services, addressing needs identified and achieving intended outcomes.
From a voluntary and community sector perspective, participation in co-production often presents challenges. These will often discourage involvement.
These challenges include:
- Being marginal to the process even when involved.
- Not being invited at the earliest stage of development
- Not being treated as an equal partner
- A top down hierarchical approach to decision making
- Exclusion through communication language and culture of statutory and larger institutions
- Lack of adequate resources to participate in the process
All these factors mean a lack of voluntary and community sector participation in co-production.
This often leads to lack of progress in achieving a co-produced outcome despite the commitment of all partners to achieve this aim.
Sobus is working with the local authority, health and voluntary sector and community sector partners in trying to address these challenges to achieve a genuine co-production environment in Hammersmith & Fulham.
For more information on co-production in Hammersmith & Fulham please contact shad.haibatan@sobus.org.uk
