The National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) is a key event for exploring and shaping the future of care and support.
This year, Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) and the National Co-production Advisory Group (NCAG) worked in partnership with the Association of Director’s of Adult Services (ADASS) to make sure co-production was front and centre. From hands-on co-production related workshops and discussions showcasing great examples of people with lived experience working in equal partnership with staff, to creating great services and finding creative ways of gathering feedback, co-production ran as a golden thread throughout the conference.
Here are five ways co-production stood out at NCASC this year:
1. A buzzing hub of co-production conversations
Our co-production themed room, The Innovation Station, was alive with energy and ideas. It provided a space for attendees to explore practical examples, such as Greenwich’s work on equity, diversity, and inclusion and their innovative approaches to supporting people through Personal Budgets.
The room facilitated rich discussions about how to create truly inclusive services by working in partnership with local people. Workshops explored both the barriers and enablers of co-production, and attendees left with practical tools and insights for driving real change in their own areas.
2. Highlighting the link between equity, diversity, and inclusion and co-production
One of the most impactful moments was the introduction of the PEOPLE acronym by Isaac Samuels and Paula Sardinha, members of NCAG. It emphasises participation with those who have real life experience from a range of backgrounds engaging in designing and delivering solutions together. It also outlines the importance of offering opportunities to step into leadership positions and advocate, as well as providing easy and accessible participation. This results in liberation through respect and celebrating people’s identities and evolving together by being reflective, listening and applying this to continuous improvement.
The PEOPLE idea also highlights the value of bringing together diverse voices from both lived and learned experiences. This diversity helps to challenge biases, question entrenched views, and uncover new perspectives.
This connection between equity, diversity, and inclusion and co-production emerged as a key theme, demonstrating how these principles go hand in hand to create better outcomes.
3. Capturing ideas with interactive tablecloths
We provided paper tablecloths in The Innovation Station and coloured markers so people could leave their thoughts, questions and reflections on the co-production workshops in real time. The result was a vibrant collection of ideas, reflections, and even sketches that captured the creativity and passion of attendees.
Key themes emerged from the notes, showcasing both challenges and opportunities in co-production:
- The importance of relationships: Contributors emphasised that strong relationships are the foundation of meaningful co-production. One comment read: “Focus on relationships and concern for one another as an explicit precondition of success.”
- Challenging power imbalances: Attendees highlighted the need to address power dynamics openly. One note stated: “Being honest about power imbalances and actively working to equal these.”
- Inclusive language: Many participants reflected on the language used in social care, identifying terms like “service user” as outdated and disempowering. A drawing depicted a bin labelled “the bin of bad terms” with suggestions to replace “service user” with “supported individual” to better acknowledge people’s uniqueness and independence.
- Practical inspiration and adaptability: Feedback highlighted the value of practical examples shared during workshops. One attendee wrote: “All the co-production workshops I joined have helped me to feel more confident about how to develop co-production in my council.” However, there was also a strong desire to hear more about how examples from other regions could be adapted to fit local contexts. This reflects the importance of sharing learning while supporting councils to tailor solutions to their unique needs.
The interactive tablecloths provided an engaging and accessible way for attendees to contribute their thoughts, ensuring their voices were captured. The insights shared serve as a powerful reminder of the diverse perspectives that make co-production truly meaningful.
4. A bold challenge to the Minister of State for Care
Kate Sibthorp, Co-Chair of NCAG and a person with lived experience as a carer, delivered a bold challenge to Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care. She asked: “Can the Minister guarantee that no policy decisions will be taken without being co-produced with people with lived experience?”
His response was unequivocal: “Yes.” He went on to emphasise the need for cross-party collaboration to ensure this commitment is realised.
5. Embedding co-production in commissioning
Attendees explored how co-production can be embedded throughout the commissioning process – an essential step in improving social care, as change won’t happen unless local people have a say in which services are bought and how they are delivered. These discussions aligned with themes from the Commissioner’s Conference held the following week, which reflected on how the commissioning cycle – Analyse, Plan, Do, Review – and how to integrate co-production at every stage. An upcoming blog post will share practical examples from these conversations.
Co-producing the future
While the conference showcased significant progress, questions remain around the direction of policy and the role of the National Care Service (NCS).
Co-production is essential to ensuring the NCS works well for everyone. By working alongside people with lived experience, we can design a system that reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of those it supports. Co-production brings unique insights and perspectives to the table, helping to create services that are equitable, sustainable, and fit for purpose.
At the same time, it’s important to recognise the important questions raised by attendees about how the ambitions for a better-paid, better-supported workforce will be realised and funded. Without proper funding, even the best co-produced systems will struggle to succeed.
A positive impact
NCASC 2024 wasn’t just about policy and workshops – it was also a chance to reconnect with colleagues, share ideas over informal conversations, and attend inspiring presentations. One of my highlights was Impower’s Big Chat, a conversation facilitated by Alex Fox, the Delivery Director at Impower. The conversation brought together a person with lived experience and Leicester City Council’s Director of Adult Social Care, showcasing the work they did to embed co-production in Leicester using the Working Together for Change methodology.
By bringing together lived and learned experience, this year’s NCASC demonstrated that co-production is no longer just an aspiration – it is becoming a reality. I’m excited to see how we continue to build on this momentum in the year ahead.
