Summary
This document catalogues examples of collaborative public services in action, looking particularly at those involved in health and social care. NESTA believe that co-production is potentially transformative; because it involves “re-framing the problem and re-establishing relationships to enable more holistic and people-centred approaches”.
“Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours. Where activities are co-produced in this way, both services and neighbourhoods become far more effective agents of change”.
Co-production can overcome any lack of trust between users and professionals. It can help reduce the “dependency culture” whereby people expect the state to solve all problems and the “culture of expertise” whereby professionals are the only source of solutions. Co-production can improve people’s capacity to live their own lives in their local community.
This catalogue is intended to help practitioners to reflect on their practice and judge whether it represents co-production. It presents case studies, lists resources and suggests other information on co-production in health settings and other sectors, both in the UK and internationally. The catalogue was commissioned by NESTA to support the People Powered Health programme sites and produced by nef (the new economics foundation).
Reference
NESTA (2012). People powered health: co-production catalogue. London: National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), April 2012. 89p.
