NHFT celebrate the importance of working with experts with lived experience during co-production week
This week is National co-production week, a week where we celebrate the work that service users and carers do together with our staff, to improve our existing services and to develop new services. Co-production and the value of lived experience is at the core of improving the experience of future service users and carers who access NHFT services.
Service users tell us that being involved with co-production projects has a positive impact on their recovery journey, with them reporting positive personal benefits, such as improved self-esteem, sense of purpose and skill development. They also feel valued and empowered by their involvement as it provides opportunities to advocate for their voice to be heard. In addition, service users say that their involvement helps to provide them with a sense of giving back and contributing to positive change for those accessing services in the future.
Andy Willis, former service user and member of various co-production groups at NHFT said: "What stands out for me is the consistent engagement of patient and carer voice, through innovative co-production and collaborative approaches. This has been the foundation which has driven the promotion of an organisational culture where both the physical and psychological safety of all has become everyone’s business.”
From a staff perspective, co-production is viewed as highly valuable and is found to be energising and rewarding by those involved. It helps to promote a healthy, destigmatising culture by blurring the distinction between staff and service users. Co-production has a positive impact on staff members’ personal and professional development by allowing them to learn more from other perspectives. Hearing from a range of perspectives improves their understanding and clarity on a variety of issues, which helps them to adjust care accordingly and improve service offerings.
Anne Rackham, Interim Chief Operating Officer at NHFT said: “Coproduction is really important here at NHFT. We’ve seen so many changes, developments and achievements through working together and respecting each other’s expertise. I want to thank everybody for all their work on co-production in NHFT, its made a massive difference and we couldn’t do this without service users and carers who want to get involved and make a difference.”
Co-production is embedded throughout our organisation, with many service areas benefitting from the added value that service users and carers have bought to service design and improvement. Some of the service areas actively involved in co-production include the Gender Identity Clinic, Northamptonshire NHS Talking Therapies, and the Perinatal service. The most recent Carers strategy has been redeveloped in full consultation with carers and service users and the launch of our new Crisis Response Unit service was fully co-produced working with staff, service users and carers in partnership. Read more about this new service here.
If you are a current or former service user of NHFT services, or you care for someone who has been or is a service user, and you’d like to get involved in co-production, speak with your link worker or contact our Patient Involvement team to find out more information.
For more information about being involved or to register, contact the Involvement Team on 03000 273 873 or email: involvement@nhft.nhs.uk