What is co-production?

Pure IPS co-production is working collaboratively with clients to give them a voice, listen and involve them in shaping future services.  Some services also refer to work with other stakeholders as co-production.

My starting point on thinking about IPS and co-production was ‘is it the ‘icing on the cake’ or a ‘must have’?

I work with busy services and many of the services, team members and managers are new to IPS. Amid the complexities of start-up and all the actions required to get a service set up effectively, it struck me that co-production often ends up on the ‘like to do’ rather than the ‘have to do’ list. Speaking to services who have embraced the approach, it seems clear that once you do it, there is no looking back and it becomes a ‘must do’. I think this is for several reasons.

The power of collaboration

When I asked services about the advantages, one team leader said, “people buy into people”.

There is a power in hearing the information directly from those to whom it matters to the most.

A few services have co-created events and promotional video materials to capture the views of clients and employers including the positive impact on business. It is hugely beneficial to have these ambassadorial voices speaking to others, as it presents the opportunity to create job opportunities and reduce stigma in the real world. One service includes employers in their IPS steering group – fantastic!

Creating and developing the opportunity for client feedback

An important element of fidelity is making space for those important client voices to be heard. Southampton City Council recently did this by supporting an art exhibition celebrating the successes of clients with addictions. This forum brought clients together with the IPS team, other professionals and commissioners providing valuable networking and sharing experience for all.

Other examples of pure co-production work included starting with satisfaction surveys to learn about client experiences and whether they would like to be more involved. Many services have moved on from this to run focus groups to address specific issues.

A nice example was shared of asking clients to review service promotional material. In Islington, clients or ‘Islington residents’ as they preferred to be called, were asked to review and feedback on content, language and how to respectfully and effectively represent their needs when sharing personal information with employers.

One third sector SMI service (Richmond Fellowship) talked to service users on how they feel the service is performing. Post covid isolation, they put co-production leads in place to support getting IPS teams back out and working with stakeholders in the community. They developed a quality self-assessment process and tool which encourages co-production by exploring service user experiences. For instance, by asking questions such as ‘do you feel welcomed?’, ‘are services well led? And ‘are we responsive to your care needs and are we efficient?’.

The service set up an event where clients could complete the survey, and meet employers and JCP staff. The work is currently being evaluated but there were some immediate unexpected gains with clients feeling safe to express benefit concerns which were better understood by DWP staff who then took up the cases for the clients.

One person spoke of how powerful and moving it was to seek client testimony and feedback about service provision, which is invaluable to an IPS workforce, who may not ever hear about the life changing importance of their work unless questions are asked. Testimonials also highlighted the often very different experience that clients have of IPS in comparison to other types of employment support and clinical MH support which could act as important PR for the model and approach.

Co-production and recruitment

Many services have explored involving clients to support the recruitment process either by feeding back on job adverts or by actively being involved in the process. One service talked of the huge impact on the client themselves and the boost to identity and self-esteem that can transpire from their involvement in shaping services.

Employment Specialists were asked to identify those who might like to be involved. Those interested were supported with interview training and a workbook about the Trust’s processes and approach.

The client helped shape questions, language use, create discussions and role play scenarios which they also took part in with candidates.

The employment specialists also scored candidates and were fully involved in the selection process from start to finish. It was brilliant to hear how valued the client felt to be a part of the process. She took a photo outside of the building to share with her family and show them where she had worked for the day. This value wouldn’t have been gained had she not been paid properly for her important contribution.

It was also great to hear that the most impactful part of the interview from a candidate’s perspective was the client sharing her story! The team manager summarised it well – “we can’t promote the services as much as someone who has been through it – what better person is there to have on the panel.”

It is a fabulous approach to take and one that really echoes the IPS Grow approach to recruitment and the need to focus on candidate attitudes and values, rather than prior vocational work experience. IPS fidelity can be taught, but limiting beliefs about people’s ability to work aren’t as easily changed, so it is better to test them in an interview.

Feedback from an employment specialists in a service taking this approach

“Having a client on the interview panel supported my understanding of the role as they were able to share what they had gained from working with IPS.  It added depth to the interviewing process and I thought their involvement made me ask myself if I really thought that I have the right attributes and skills for the post – it lifted the personal spec of the page.  (I) Think it also highlighted the importance of the collaborative working relationship between the candidate and the employment specialist.”  

I felt that she was able to put me at ease through her honesty, warmth and professionalism.

Candidate talking about a client interview panelist

Summary

I didn’t hear any negatives about co-production. Just doing it may also positively highlight the need for further conversations like the value of employing those with lived experience of MH issues which can only enhance services. Co-production opens varied perspectives and presents opportunities that you expect but also some unanticipated benefits. So, if you haven’t already given co-production a go, you might be pleasantly surprised by where it takes and your service.