Working in equal partnership with the people and communities affected by racial health inequalities is essential to create sustainable change and improvement in health and care services and systems.
Involving people and communities in transformation projects brings a number of benefits, including:
- Ensuring that projects focus on the underlying cause of a problem rather than simply addressing a symptom;
- Including the perspectives, creativity and expertise of the people most affected by inequalities;
- Building trust and relationships with communities who have historically been poorly treated by the health and care system.
Many health and care organisations also have a statutory requirement to involve people in change projects.
Co-production resources
Co-production is the term used to describe the closest form of lived experience partnership, wherein professionals and people with lived experience plan, develop and own projects together.
“Co-production acknowledges that people with ‘lived experience’ of a particular condition are often best placed to advise on what support and services will make a positive difference to their lives. Done well, co-production helps to ground discussions in reality, and to maintain a person-centred perspective.”
NHS England
A growing range of strategies, templates and other resources are becoming available to support co-production, including those with a particular anti-racist focus.
Below, we have listed some of the resources already being used by members of the Collaboration:
- A recipe for co-production – West Midlands Directors of Adult Social Services
- The challenge of co-production – New Economics Foundation
- Co-production and engagement with communities – NHS Providers
- Carrying out influence and participation activities: co-production – Mind
- How to get started with co-production in social prescribing – National Academy for Social Prescribing
- Co-production impact: A resource to support impact assessment – Social Care Institute for Excellence
- Co-production framework – Turn2Us
- Co-production in research – UK Research and Innovation
With thanks to everyone who has shared resources as part of the Collaboration.
Got a great resource you’d like to share with us? Get in touch!
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