A Toolkit for Co-Production Developed by Leeds Beckett University on behalf of Rape Crisis England and Wales, October 2017 Researchers: Pamela Fisher, Louise Warwick Booth, Susan Coan, Ruth Cross, Katrina Kinsella

A process and a disposition If you think you already, know what co-production is, then you’re missing the point! Whilst certain guidelines/principles are common to all forms of co- production, co-production is highly context dependent In Practice Co-production requires engaging in an ongoing learning process: at the level of the individual, the group, and the organisation

Co-production flourishes in a culture that provides: In Practice the organisational culture must provide Security: people are supported physically and psychologically Belonging: people feel valued members of a group Continuity: relationships are developed over time Purpose: people engage in meaningful activity to reach valued goals Achievement: people reach valued goals Significance: people feel that they matter and that they are accorded significant and status culture security belonging continuity purpose achievement significance

Some guiding values to start with In Practice 1. Offer people a range of incentives to engage in reciprocal relationships with each other 2. Engage peer and personal networks alongside professionals 3. Remove the distinction between the producers and consumers of services 4. Facilitate rather than deliver sessions – to draw on diverse forms of expertise 5. See people as assets with expertise 6. Work towards an equality between stakeholders in designing and delivering services Values 1. Reciprocity & Mutuality 2. Peer Support Networks 3. Blurring Distinctions 4. Facilitating, not delivering 5. Assets 6. Equality

A conversation with all stakeholders about the the project’s values In Practice 1. Jointly establish the values that should underpin the project 3. Make language accessible as people are often alienated by jargon and specialised language. This is a key barrier to co-production 4. Increase participation through opportunities for face to face and online dialogue 5. Don’t merely focus on achieving one definition of co-production. Elicit ideas about what co-production should or could be. 6. Establish an ongoing feedback loop between stakeholders At the Outset Stakeholder Conversations Establish Project Values Accessible Language Opportunities for Dialogue Elicit Co-production Feedback

Defining the project aims and objectives through co-production Stakeholders Service Users Carers Professionals External Organisations Partner Organisations Academics In Practice Define the aims and objectives of the project through a process of co-production Establish the principle of parity of different forms of expertise, e.g. experiential/expertise by experience, professional, academic and so forth

Individually and collectively identify the barriers to co-production Different Understandings of Co-production Time Place and Space Organisational Context External Factors Consider Strategies to Address Barriers In Practice Barriers may include practical challenges related to time and geography, differing understandings of co-production, pressures on organisations, and a range of external factors Consider how the barriers may be constructively addressed

Define roles and responsibilities In Practice How can roles be developed that mitigate the challenges whilst enhancing the creative potentials? Consider whether roles will need to be revised at different stages in the project? Consider whether definitions of success may need to be redefined in response to an emergent process? What is the work? Who does the work? How does the work get done? How is the work evaluated? Co-Production

Be realistic about consensus and develop strategies for dissensus Establishing the key principles for co-production is not usually too challenging It’s in the implementation that differences of opinion are likely to occur If there are no differences of opinion, this suggests that the project is not authentically co-productive Accept that unanimity is impossible BUT that the joint enterprise is more important than individual differences In Practice Establish mechanisms, formal and informal, for dealing constructively with conflicting views and/or distress in the context of a learning environment

Jointly consider Reflexivity In Practice Factors that promote or inhibit co-production Beliefs and behaviours that inform understandings of co-production How the participants evaluate co-production and the impact of their evaluation In Practice Engage in individual and collective reflexivity about your experiences of co-production. Avoid defensiveness and embrace opportunities for mutual learning

Overview A process and a disposition: look critically at yourself! Provide opportunities for individual and group reflexivity at pre-determined stages in the project Be realistic and consider strategies for coping constructively with dissensus Define the roles and responsibilities Define the project aims through co-production Ensure that all stakeholders engage in a dialogue that informs the values underpinning the project Consider the organisational culture: how can this support co-production? A process and a disposition: look critically at yourself!