THIS IS NOT THE LATEST BLOG ABOUT COPRODUCTION CORNER, CHECK OUT OUR NEWS FOR MORE RECENT UPDATES
Here at Southampton Voluntary Services, we are enthusiastic about the power of working together, making sure that people from all walks of life are involved in decisions that are relevant to their lives.
Our “Coproduction Corner” community is helping us to explore techniques for involving people in projects and policy.
REPORT FROM SOUTHAMPTON COPRODUCTION CORNER MARCH 2024
Our last session on 11 March was a friendly get together of people who care about working together. We started with a “leave your label at the door” approach, meaning we didn’t mention our job titles or employers, but instead tried to connect as human beings without a sense of hierarchy. We described something about what we were wearing, as a way of being inclusive to people with sight impairments and to help us remember each other (e.g. Lucy was the one with a slash design across her top, and Ronda was wearing a colourful necklace).
We tried some “Collective Patterning” where we collaboratively organised the ideas that we had collected previously what makes a welcome, safe and brave space. Part of this exercise was done in silence. It was really interesting to use silence as a technique, because it allowed people to read and reflect without the pressure of to putting their thoughts into words. It meant that we had to communicate in ways that weren’t around talking. People said they found it quite relaxing. We reflected that we could have made better use of the space that we had, so people could have circulated more.
Everyone had the chance to tell us about a project that they are keen to develop or address. We looked at the “Design for Wiser Action” concept of project design. The below framework was presented to the group as something that we could work on through Coproduction Corner sessions.
We agreed that this template should be amended to include a section on honoring what happened before e.g. so that projects recognise good work and activity that has happened in the past on the relevant topic. This template is the process of being revised as a result.
In order to collect people’s feedback and help us evaluate Coproduction Corner sessions as we go along, Janice from Owl XL asked the above questions:
- What does co-production look like to you?
- Why is co-production important for you?
- What was you lightbulb moment today?
We are asking people who attended to share their further thoughts on the session and techniques, and will report back by updating this blog.
NEXT STEPS: SESSION ON FRIDAY 26TH APRIL
Our next Coproduction Corner session will be on Friday 26th April 10am-12.30pm and will give people a space to explore their projects in more detail with others in the room. Anyone who wants to stay longer and eat lunch together afterwards can stay for longer and have informal chats (12.30-2pm).
Please book here: THIS EVENT IS PAST
Beforehand – please think about whether you want to bring a project to the group to explore using Design for Wiser Action techniques. One of the projects presented will be The Future of Coproduction Corner, and another around developing a protocol for small organisations/individuals to be renumerated for their skills and experiences when contributing to coproduction work.
26 April 2024: Timetable
10-10.30 – Welcome and getting to know each other
10.30 – Planning our projects together using Design for Wiser Action
12.30-2pm – shared lunch for anyone who wants to stay around or arrange their own mini session with selected people.
No pressure to come to the full session, but it would be lovely to existing and new friends of Southampton Coproduction Corner.
COPRODUCTION CORNERS: NEW THINGS FUND PILOT
Southampton Voluntary Services is working with University of Southampton, Owl XL, Board in the City, Monty’s Community Hub and Veracity Life to develop Coproduction Corner approaches and explore a few specific issues through coproduction techniques.
Our starting point is: Coproduction = working together as equals to develop policy and design / deliver services.
Vision Working together to develop policy and design / deliver services.
Aim To encourage and support coproduction approaches in the Southampton area, so these can be confidently embedded into policy making.
Objectives
- Build a coproduction community so people have a safe place to explore coproduction together. Learning about coproduction processes through doing (hands on activities). Understanding what makes people “ready for coproduction”. We are doing this through our Coproduction Corner sessions. We have hosted sessions in Sept and Dec 2023, March 2024 and are now planning more sessions for April and May 2024. We have been developing and agreeing ideas about what makes a place feel welcome, safe and allows people to be brave, as a starting point, and trialling different techniques to see whether they are helpful in developing some coproduction approaches.
- Exploring local people’s perspectives on health and care issues that are selected by the emerging coproduction community. In doing so, empower communities to influence policy-makers. We are doing this through a series of conversations that are being hosted by local community groups in the settings that make people feel comfortable to talk. Our intention is that by starting these conversations in the community, hosted by trusted community representatives, people may feel more comfortable to join in with our Coproduction Corner Community in the future. The issues that are being explored have been chosen through previous Coproduction Corner sessions. These are broadly:
- How trauma victims are integrated within communities and can have a voice in a safe welcoming environment, considering issues such as neurodiversity and socio-economic factors;
- Teenage girls and how parks and open spaces can improve their wellbeing; and
- Improving wellbeing in our community.
- A shared understanding of coproduction, expressed in clear inclusive language (this will develop the “starting point” definition expressed above). This will be worked on more at a future Coproduction Corner session.
- Making a plan for embedding coproduction in future activities. This will be worked on more at a future Coproduction Corner session.
The intention that this would provide learning and understanding of how to better embed coproduction techniques into health and care policy making.
CO-HOSTING
We are developing the ideas about needs to be considered in terms of co-hosting a session. If you are interested in what makes a good co-host, or would like to work with the team to offer or develop co-hosting skills, then please get in touch.
With best wishes,
Rebecca Kinge and Alex Ivancevic, Southampton Voluntary Services