This document summarizes the outcomes of a workshop on barriers and solutions to co-production. [1] It identifies several common barriers such as lack of trust in partnerships, negative attitudes and tokenism, and lack of community engagement. [2] Potential solutions are proposed for each barrier, such as honesty, understanding different perspectives, skills training, creative engagement methods, and decentralizing funding. [3] The document aims to facilitate further discussion on improving co-production through addressing these challenges.
1.
Co-pro: what, why, how workshop outcomes
Thank you for all your creative input to the workshop sessions – and apologies
for the lack of time in the morning workshop. Here are your responses to the
‘Barriers and solutions’ session.
If you want to get more involved:
Wales Co-production Network (events, meetings, networking, resources)
All in this Together (campaigning network, events, updates & resources)
Co-production Training UK (training & consultancy, resources, updates)
Happy co-producing! Ruth & Noreen
BARRIERS & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
1. LACK OF TRUST & GENUINE PARTNERSHIPS
Being on board re: new approach, engagement - eg LSB, third sector
Money "locked up"
Sharing information (professionals), celebrate success
Enablement focus
Copro relationship between LAs, third sector and community
SOLUTIONS
1. Honesty, openness, transparency
2. Understanding:
listen and hear;
build relationships;
improved understanding;
equal information / knowledge;
in other person's shoes - for real!
3. Action:
give line managers a day in the life of a group member;
copro board;
go to the marketplace;
forum;
events for consultation;
talking shop and honest conversations;
have a land raffle: people pay £1 per ticket;
involve group member in work for 1 weeks;
work together;
quick wins.
2.
2. ATTITUDES/TOKENISM/NEED FOR BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
throughout the system
Staff / service users / trust
Communication
Partnership working
Professional role, volunteers being valued
SOLUTIONS
Training, coaching, mentoring, celebrating success, circulating info, strategic push
Making connections, valuing participants, building on strengths, peer support, facilitation
Be patient
Frank conversations, agreed values for engaging, time.
What's in it for them: visualisation - what if that was me;
‘don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness’
Allow people to be open and respect their views
If that was me what would I like to happen
Open consultation, instigate trust by leading by example. Be open, honest.
Upskilling: giving confidence, stronger voice, being seen as experts
Giving something back eg skills, creative writing, film making etc
Listen and respond to what you hear, throughout development, delivery & review
Get people involved early - to understand what you are trying to achieve
3. LACK OF ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITIES
Neighbourhood management / communities first / families / changing faces
SOLUTIONS
Start here:
design programme delivery with target group of participants
Move to marketing:
flyer the local area
advertise via local paper, newsletter
multiple means of advertising
PR
Methods to engage:
have fun days, events, novelty, free stuff!
approach local primary school to get parents involved, work closely with head teacher
taster sessions, brainstorming exercises?
go with the willing
find the influential person(s)
approach community groups
contact youth organisations
MEIC funky dragon
outreach - local group, facebook, consultation
work closely with other partnering agencies (health visitor, preventative services team)
In the interim:
target group of participants to recruit new members
3.
4. PROBLEM OF HARD TO REACH GROUPS / DISENGAGED
Not just the usual suspects who turn up - getting the people you really need to reach
SOLUTIONS
1. Process
commit over a mid-term period to the area / target group
don't be driven overly by a timetable - if it's not right yet, don't do it...
+ taking time
2. Interesting promotion
using small scale micro-grants to find people we really need to coproduce with
reach out through radio
attend schools, reach people through children, early birds swimming class
charity shops, care homes, voluntary buisnesses/retail;
put adverts on roundabouts, bus stops - involve the local council,
especially if they have something to gain;
3. Directly talking to people
ask the people themselves what they want
tea urns
develop funky ideas
establish peer to peer
ask target group for their ideas
4. Sharing info
share databases with each other
5. VALUE FOR MONEY / FUNDING
Investment: time / buy-in / range / staff
Language -> evidence
Barriers: still need public funds, time, expectations
SOLUTIONS
co-op money, decentralised budgets
value for money: Social Value Act (2012)
credit union services for mutual funding
training to third sector in lean service provision
the economy is really a time banking scheme!
6. RESTRICTIONS FROM FUNDERS (target driven delivery)
+ 'red tape'/policies which tie our hands (h&s, risk)
SOLUTIONS
New funding mechanisms
fund on basis of results - so leads is loans
taper funding
Influence practice & legislation
review H&S legislation?
4.
Renegotiate
talk to as many people as possible to persuade them (+ KISS)
negotiate with funders - offer them something in return!
Pragmatism & risk
just do it and take the risk
allow emergent change to happen
Bring funders in
funders come out on regular visits to coproduce with the project
take the funders to meet the clients directly
include commissioners in the copro process - make them part of the group
Change the way we think about targets
lie about the targets
replace targets with visions
7. LACK OF COMMUNICATION / SHARING INFO / CELEBRATING SUCCESS
SOLUTIONS
Promote benefits of coproduction to governments and local authoritieGet around a table together!
Reward the community
Agree common outcomes / vision = people more willing to share
Share info:
on forums, network group for chat area
see whether service users will share so professionals don't have to be involved?
unified database system
Celebrate success:
try to get a local figure to attend a group meeting
engage the community in celebrating
Ruth Dineen / Noreen Blanluet
All in this Together
Co-production Training UK