Reinvigorating co-production in Halton: health and social care working together with local people
Think Local Act Personal (TLAP), alongside members of the National Co-production Advisory Group (NCAG), recently partnered with Halton’s place-based partnership, One Halton, to refresh and enhance co-production approaches. This work, which started in July 2023 and concluded in December 2023, aimed to embed collaborative working deeply into health and social care services, focusing on people with learning disabilities and autism.
Project overview
The project, commissioned by One Halton—comprising Halton Borough Council, Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, and local community groups—sought to build on existing foundations and reinvigorate co-production strategies. TLAP team members Kate Pieroudis and Martin Walker and NCAG members Jenny Carter, Vicky Forfar, and Kate Sibthorp led the project, delivering three interactive workshops that brought together local stakeholders.
Objectives
The primary aims included:
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Developing a comprehensive One Halton approach to co-production and initiating a Co-production Strategy.
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Creating new ways or working that put the expertise of individuals with learning disabilities and autism and others who might find it difficult to participate at the heart of how decisions are made
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Establishing a pool of residents ready to collaborate with the Council and partners on a sustained basis.
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Embedding co-production in service design and delivery, thinking through how co-production structures are created, how people are kept informed and treated as equal partners to ensure accountability, and how learning can be captured – all of which ensures meaningful and impactful engagement.
Key activities
The project unfolded over three workshops, engaging a diverse group of participants, including local people with lived experience of autism and learning disabilities, advocacy organisations, frontline practitioners, and strategic leaders. The workshops covered:
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Evaluating current service effectiveness and exploring improvement opportunities and priorities.
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Defining co-production and identifying essential behaviours and values.
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Discussing reciprocity and ways to reward participants for their time and expertise.
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Planning next steps to sustain and build on the momentum of co-production activities.
People’s Voice Media (PVM) collaborated with NCAG members to conduct dialogue interviews using Community Reporting methodology, capturing the lived experiences of 12 individuals. These stories will guide the practical implementation of the newly created Co-production Charter across various services.
Deliverables and impact
The project culminated in the co-creation of TLAP’s first Co-production Charter, a document outlining a local definition of co-production, shared values, recommended infrastructure, and accountability measures. Additionally, a report summarising workshop themes, recommendations, and practical tools was produced, marking a significant step towards continuous learning and refinement in co-production activities.
Further plans
Following the project, Halton Borough Council ran a workshop during Co-production Week 2024, themed ‘Co-production: What’s Missing?’, to share outcomes and next steps with approximately 150 participants.
The adoption of the Co-production Charter’s recommendations, including the creation of Co-production Boards, reimbursement policies, and a strategic co-production plan, is expected to drive further progress.
Voices from the project
Participants expressed their enthusiasm, commitment to the project and the difference working in co-production made, saying:
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“Strategic conversations together – planning big decisions like how money is being spent and creating better services.”
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“Time and space to express ourselves – negative or positive – time to let it all out.”
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“We’ll remember it's not about facts and figures, it's about people.”
NCAG member Vicky shared, “I felt inspired by everyone wanting to work in co-production. To some, it was a new idea, but they embraced it with open arms, and that really inspired me.”
Conclusion
The collaborative effort between TLAP, NCAG, and One Halton has set a strong foundation for sustained co-production in Halton, paving the way for more inclusive and effective health and social care services.
Visit the Halton One website to view the Co-production Charter (opens new window).