13th July 2026
Personalisation Huddle: Are you curious about co-production?
The latest Personalisation Huddle brought together people from across Lincolnshire's health, care and voluntary sectors to explore a simple but powerful question:
Are you curious about co-production?
The session created space for people to learn, share experiences, ask questions and reflect on how co-production can help us design better services, stronger relationships and more personalised support. As Vicky Thomson from Every-One reminded us, co-production at its heart is simply:
"People working together to make things better."
Kirsteen shared the Lincolnshire ICS Co-production Framework, a co-produced practical guide that outlines key things to consider when planning co-production, different approaches to participation, examples of co-production models, and where to access support and advice
Alison and Vicky shared a couple of local examples of co-production in action, however, the most powerful moments came from hearing directly from people with lived experience about why co-production matters to them.
WATCH THE RECORDING of our 'Are you curious about co-production?' Personalisation Huddle below
Why Co-production matters: Voices from experience
Carl Morley: Finding purpose, confidence, and connection
Carl shared a moving account of how co-production has transformed his own life.
For Carl, co-production is about people with lived experience, community members and professionals working side-by-side as equals to improve services and create solutions. Through his involvement with Shine Lincolnshire, LPFT and other projects, he described how co-production has helped him to understand himself, build confidence and reconnect with a sense of purpose.
His message was simple but powerful:
"Working together is more powerful than trying to do things alone."
Carl spoke about how co-production helped him recover a sense of dignity, worth and belonging during a time when illness had left him feeling isolated. He described it as a gateway to new opportunities and a reminder that his experiences, ideas and voice matter.
John Day: Getting the right people around the table
John Day, who has been involved in co-production for more than three years through the Shared Agreement and other Lincolnshire initiatives, explained that co-production isn't complicated.
For John, it is about bringing together the right people to solve problems and create better outcomes. He reflected on how his initial involvement started through his family's experience of adult social care, but over time evolved into something much bigger.
John described co-production as one of the most important things he has ever been involved in, highlighting the value of people contributing as equal partners rather than token representatives. He emphasised that lived experience provides an essential "reality check" for systems and services.
Importantly, John reminded us that co-production isn't about "us and them":
"We all want the same thing."
When professionals, communities and people with lived experience work together, the result is often a more practical, effective and meaningful solution for everyone involved.
Keith Spurr: Creating change together
Keith's co-production journey began nearly a decade ago, starting with small conversations over tea and cake that developed into significant system-wide change.
He shared examples of contributing to major NHS service reviews through the East Midlands Clinical Senate, where lay members worked alongside senior clinical experts. Keith reflected on how people without clinical backgrounds often bring a different perspective that can positively influence major decisions.
Keith also spoke openly about challenges, including unsuccessful attempts to establish co-production groups where people struggled to move beyond individual concerns towards a shared purpose. His message was that successful co-production requires openness, collaboration, and collective ambition.
Perhaps most significantly, Keith reflected on the personal impact co-production has had on him following a stroke:
"You never know when you start what's going to be the outcome. And that's quite exciting."
What were people curious about?
The discussion highlighted several key questions and areas of curiosity from participants:
- How do we manage expectations between professionals and people with lived experience?
- How do we build confidence in teams that feel nervous about co-production?
- How do we use language that is accessible and human rather than full of jargon and acronyms?
- How do we create co-production opportunities that genuinely influence decision-making?
- How do we involve a wider range of community members, rather than relying on the same voices repeatedly?
- How do we manage challenging conversations and ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute?
- How can neighbourhood health teams connect with existing co-production activity and avoid duplication?
These questions reflected a genuine appetite to learn and a recognition that many people are still at the start of their co-production journey,
What support do people need?
Throughout the session, participants identified practical support that would help them feel more confident in adopting co-production approaches.
Key themes included:
- Understanding how to start co-production conversations.
- Guidance on facilitation skills and managing groups effectively.
- Practical advice about payment, expenses and accessibility.
- Support with finding and engaging diverse community voices.
- Examples of successful co-production projects and resources.
- Opportunities to learn from others and share experiences.
- Ongoing networking and peer support.
One recurring message was that many people want to do co-production well, but are unsure where to begin.
A call to be curious
If there was one message from the huddle, it was this:
Be curious
You do not need a large project, a generous budget or a perfect plan to start. As Vicky Thomson reminded participants, some of the best co-production begins with a conversation, a relationship and a willingness to listen.
Whether you work in a health service, local authority, voluntary organisation or community group, co-production starts by asking:
- Who isn't in the room?
- What matters to people?
- How can we work together rather than doing things to or for people?
The future of personalised care, neighbourhood health and community-led change depends on our ability to answer those questions together.
Keeping the conversation going
The IAAP Team is keen to build on the enthusiasm generated by this huddle and is exploring the creation of a series of eight weekly Co-production Huddles or a Co-production Community of Practice.
These sessions would provide a safe and supportive space for people to:
- Share successes and challenges.
- Learn practical co-production skills.
- Explore real-life examples.
- Build confidence and capability.
- Connect with others who are passionate about personalisation and co-production.
If you've ever wondered how co-production could work in your service, organisation or community, this is your invitation to get involved.
