Enhancing voice, choice and control through co-production
We are members of IMPACT’s Co-production Advisory Group (CpAG) and have co-produced this webpage to share guidance and ideas about how to carry out meaningful co-production. The aim is to support approaches that strengthen the voice, choice, and control of people with lived experience of social care. We hope this webpage is helpful and encourages you to think about practical ways to include co-production in your work.
“Co-production is the process where people come together, sharing ideas, skills, and resources, to create something valuable that none could make alone. It’s about collaboration, mutual respect, and co-creating outcomes that benefit everyone involved.”
Isaac Samuels, CpAG member
What you will find on this page
Ask IMPACT guides on co-research
What value does co-research make to the research and individuals involved?
Lots of people who draw on care and support get asked to be ‘involved’ in social care research but want to know that their contribution will be meaningful and valued.
What are some of the challenges and barriers of co-research, and how can we overcome these?
People told us they also wanted to know more the potential barriers and challenges when undertaking co-research. We updated the initial review to inform a second guide.
Resources on how to do co-production
Co-production: what it is and how to do it
This guide explains that co-production means people who draw on social care services and social care professionals work together as equal partners to plan, deliver and improve care and support.
Lived experience guide
This guide explains that co-production means people who draw on social care services and social care professionals work together as equal partners to plan, deliver and improve care and support.
Understanding anti-racism in co-production
This report looks at how racism can affect co-production and highlights the need to centre and value racialised people’s voices in co-production spaces.
Top 10 tips for co-production
This Easy Read resource gives ten simple tips to help people work together as equals when co-producing services or decisions.
Ladder of co-producton
This tool shows stages from basic involvement to full co-production to help people understand how participation and influence grow over time.
AI in adult social care
This white paper discusses ethical principles and actions needed to use generative AI in social care responsibly, including working with people with lived experience, protecting data, and making sure AI helps rather than replaces human care.
Involvement guides
This selection of resources helps guide people who are involved in health and social.
“Co-production is a way of bringing people together who draw on care and support and policy makers at whatever level of local or national government.”
Luke Nash, CpAG member
Co-production and intersectional lived experience
With our Co-production Advisory Group, we have identified and highlighted some examples of co-production with people with intersectional lived experience.
Learning Disabilities
Principles of engagement
Challenging Behaviour Foundations’ what matters to me project produced guidance on co-production with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities: The Principles of Meaningful Engagement
Co-produced employment guide
Read our mythbuster on employment for people with a learning disability, that was co-produced with people with learning disabilities
Care Leavers’
Scotland’s Knowledge Board
The Knowledge Board was used by IMPACT’s Care Leavers’ transition(s) into adulthood project to co-produce with care experienced young people and adults
“Co-production really matters to me because I’m not only speaking up for the things that are important and matter to me – I’m also speaking up for those who do not have the opportunity to voice them for themselves.”
Natalie Paterson, CpAG member
Co-production guidance specific to the four nations
England
UK Care Act Guidance
The Care Act 2014 statutory guidance says co-production means people who use care and support, their carers and communities should be actively involved as equal partners in shaping, designing, commissioning and delivering the services and support they receive
How to Co-Produce (SCIE)
Co-production: what it is and how to do it – SCIE
This guide explains that co-production means people who draw on social care services and social care professionals work together as equal partners to plan, deliver and improve care and support.
Scotland
We believe communities matter
SCDC – We believe communities matter
This is a set of tools and learning materials from the Scottish Community Development Centre that promote co-production as working equally with communities and service providers to shape and improve services together
Northern Ireland
Co-production guide
Department of Health – Co-Production Guide
This is a practical guide showing how people who use health and social care services, carers, staff and communities can genuinely work together in partnership to help plan, design and improve Northern Irish services.
Wales
Social Services & Wellbeing Act 2014
One of four of the principles of the Act is: ‘Co-production – encouraging individuals to become more involved in the design and delivery of services.’
Wales Knowledge Base
This is a collection of resources that explain what co-production is in a Welsh context, offers tools, case studies and guidance to help people and organisations work together as equal partners in shaping social care.
IMPACT’s news and blogs on co-production
Co-production Wrapped 2025
Every year, our Co-production Advisory Group (CpAG) and Lived Experience Engagement Lead, Suzie Crowter, write an annual report. The report covers the group’s activities, developments and impact across the centre and beyond. Scroll through below to learn more about 2025, wrapped, and find a summary of the year below: CpAG wrapped by IMPACT Our year…
Reading Borough Council, IMPACT Network on carers, transitions and co-production.
IMPACT Local Networks met across the four nations of the UK to discuss how people can find the support they need from adult social care through an approach that promotes exchanging knowledge, learning together and supporting each other in local development work to create change. Each Local Network met four times with the goal of…
Continue Reading Reading Borough Council, IMPACT Network on carers, transitions and co-production.
2025 Co-production Away Day
IMPACT’s Co-production Advisory Group (CpAG) is made up of 10 people – the members all draw on care and support either directly, indirectly, or are unpaid carers. They are supported by our Lived Experience Engagement Lead, Suzie Crowter. After almost three years of working together remotely, this summer we brought the group together for an in-person…
Raising Our Voice: The Co-Production Advisory Group at the Academic Seminar on Linking Knowledge(s) in Social Care Research and Practice
Recently, Ann Marie Penman and Deena Nimick from our Co-production Advisory Group participated in the academic seminar Linking Knowledge(s) in Social Care Research and Practice. The event brought together individuals with lived experience, practitioners, and academics to explore how various types of knowledge can contribute to improving adult social care. While social care practitioners have…
Influencer life
Isaac Samuels, a member of our Co-production Advisory Group, shares his thoughts on influencing others this Mental Health Awareness Week. Isaac is Co-chair of the National Co-production Advisory Group, Think Local Act Personal, and co-chairs the working group which supports the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adult Social Care. In a world where voices often…
Collaboration through Co-production in 2023
Collaboration for the best outcomes within adult social care is at the heart of IMPACT’s work. It forms our approach with our partner Universities, host organisations, and stakeholders. An asset to the approach is the input from our Co-production Advisory Group. The group comprises of 10 members with lived experience of drawing on care and…
Continue Reading Collaboration through Co-production in 2023
‘Improving co-production’ Away Day
After a great evening, settling into Stirling Court Hotel at the University of Stirling, the team gathered in a conference room to explore how to improve co-production. The IMPACT Core, Delivery and Leadership teams were joined by members of the Co-production Advisory Group (CpAG). The sessions are led by Karen McCormick, our Lived Experience Engagement…
Workplace culture: positive change for personal assistants
Our Co-production Advisory Group member Isaac Samuels wrote a blog for Skills for Care on his experience creating a positive workplace culture as an individual employer. As a deaf and disabled person living with a number of long-term health conditions, to live an ordinary life I employ PAs. This makes me an employer, and my…
Continue Reading Workplace culture: positive change for personal assistants
Personal assistants – directing your own care and support
Being the director of your own care and support – building the scaffolding of independent living Clenton Farquharson, our thematic lead for lived experience, shares what personal assistants are and how he approaches recruitment and retention. My experience as an employer of personal assistants A lot of my own learning on Personal Assistants (PAs) comes…
Continue Reading Personal assistants – directing your own care and support
No one gave me a job description
The below article is by Jacqui Darlington, a member of our Co-production Advisory Group No one gave me a job description Many of you have read the story/poem or seen the film ‘Welcome to Holland’ and that was exactly how I felt when I gave birth to my son, Joshua, and was told he had…
Facing Forward – Co-producing 2023!
As the complexity of problems and crisis management in adult social care continues, so too do the efforts of those working across all sectors to do their bit to effect change. Change does not happen quickly or magically. There is no wand. The crisis in health pushes adult social care further down the agenda. A…
Relationships and meetings of the mind
Earlier this year, IMPACT’s Co-production Advisory Group had the pleasure of meeting and engaging with The Health Foundation Inclusion Panel. This created an opportunity for IMPACT to focus on building relationships between organisations. Early in the process we agreed this would be a two-way engagement and we would focus on the theme of co-production. The…