It's Co-production Week, which gives me a chance to talk about our approach to co-creation here at Co-relate and share some great examples that we've come across through our work.

So first, what is co-production? The Social Care Institute For Excellence (SCIE) share the following definition: "A relationship where professionals and citizens share power to plan and deliver support together, recognising that both have vital contributions to make in order to improve quality of life for people and communities."

They stress that it's different from involvement, which is about consulting with people. Instead it seeks to create an equal partnership, giving people control of how the services they use are designed, developed and implemented.

For SCIE, co-production includes:

• co-design, including planning of services
• co-decision making in the allocation of resources
• co-delivery of services, including the role of volunteers in providing the service
• co-evaluation of the service.

What about co-creation?

Co-creation is another term for co-production and co-design. At Co-relate we use it to describe a process where people who represent the audiences for communications are involved in planning, creating and distributing them. This makes for more authentic, better informed communication that really reaches the intended audience.

Critical to this is empowering people and shifting the balance of power away from organisations towards the people they seek to benefit.

We are currently using co-creation it in two ways:

1. With professionals who we work in partnership with to write about health and care improvement or campaign on issues they care about. For example, we're currently supporting members of The Health Foundation's Q community to publish blogs sharing their reflections and learning on health improvement. In partnership with Mediorite, we're also working with the Housing Forum's Futures Network to design and deliver a campaign to tackle skills shortages in the housing sector.
2. With groups who are often underrepresented in conversations, design and delivery of products and services meant for them. For example, we've worked with Margate Bookie's young producers and New Publishers to co-create events and publications. We've also worked with local independent businesses to develop initiatives as part of Plastic Free Thanet, including The Margate Cup and our #choosetoreuse discount campaign.

How do we go about it?

See our blog from a couple of years ago, which tells you more about our co-creation process.

Are there more examples?

Personally, I've loved working with Sabrina Das to publish her experiences of co-production on the Q community blog. She's written several articles for Q which, for me, exemplify co-production and building trust within a community.

I've also really enjoyed getting to understand how the Youth Futures Foundation brings young people into key aspects of its work, such as through the Future Voices Group.

Find out more about Co-production Week and access resources on SCIE's website.

I've found this diagram from the New Economics Foundation, published on the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) website, helpful for explaining co-production. Read more guidance and examples on NCVO's co-production page.