Co-Production in West Berkshire

What is co-production?

Co-production is a term used for describing activities that involve citizens working with professionals to improve public services. It builds on, and is related to, consultation, citizen participation, public engagement, service user involvement and self-advocacy.

Think Local Act Personal, a government-funded national partnership of organisations which promote a person-centred approach in public services, says that:

"Co-production is not just a word, it is not just a concept, it is a meeting of minds coming together to find shared solutions." (Think Local, Act Personal - Co-Production)
 

What makes co-production different from participation?

Further details are available in our How to do Co-Production guide [10MB] .

Take a look at our  Co-production Working Together Essentials guide [4MB] . 

Co-production examples

The Community Life Connected Map

West Berkshire Council were asked by a group of small community groups if there was any way a map could be created to link grassroot community groups together during COVID-19, so they could help residents across West Berkshire find support available in their local area.

A steering group of 5 grassroots community groups and West Berkshire Council was created and worked together within the co-productive framework to create the Connecting Communities Together map. This map is a community resource which offers access to local community groups and organisations who are able to offer help and support, provide opportunities to connect with others or have volunteering opportunities that might be of interest. Groups can also support each other and find ways to work together by connecting through the map.

Click here to view the map on adoddle.
 

To find out more about how you can use co-production to work together with us to help your community, and access free training and resources, please contact Rhys Lewis, Community Coordinator (Engagement).

Once trained, you'll receive:

• A detailed step-by-step guide to co-production with links to the most useful and up-to-date guidance from other organisations
• "How to do co-production" templates and resources that include all the bespoke tools and resources you will need