Co-production means working together to do something different.  It is about people with different views and ideas coming together to make things better for everyone. 

In the recovery college we take a co-production approach, meaning people with personal experience, including people overcoming distress and supporters (family members and friends) work in respectful partnerships with professionals to co-design, co-deliver and co-evaluate all aspects of the college.

Six Principles of Co-Production

A co-operative learning approach

The recovery college values all experience, both personal and professional equally in the exchange of knowledge and ideas.  This requires the expectation on those with professional experience to move away from being “fixers”, to becoming “facilitators”.

A strengths-based approach

We encourage people to develop their inherent skills, knowledge and aspirations, actively supporting them to put these to use individually, in the college and out into the community.

Collaborative Partnership Working

Ensuring people with lived experience are seen not as passive recipients but as equally respected partners in co-designing and co-delivering all aspects of the college.

Partnership of equals

Co-production involves all participants to actively share power and responsibility; this will be new for many people and requires a safe space to work through any tensions that may arise, moving beyond established comfort zones.

A move from clinical roles

Co-production moves participants beyond service user, carer and professional roles, to being people who mutually respect one another’s expertise, knowledge and empathy.

Taking risks together

Through processes that encourage positive and constructive collaboration between participants, learning from any challenges that arise to growing as a group along the way.