What is the Co-Production Community of Practice?
The Practice Development Unit (PDU) Co-production Community of Practice (CoP) is an online forum for professionals, volunteers and people with lived experience who are passionate or curious about co-production, to come together to learn and share expertise.
People experiencing multiple issues are often excluded from accessing mainstream services. We believe that by listening to, learning from, and working alongside people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage, we can create a system where people can access the support they want and need.
This CoP is co-produced and facilitated by staff with the support of experts by experience from local partners Framework and Changing Futures.
Who can join?
This CoP is open to anyone with an interest in, or passion for, meaningful service user involvement and ensuring that the voice of lived experience has an influence on the way that services are developed and delivered.
We welcome people with lived experience of SMD to be involved, as well as professionals and volunteers across sectors.
Our group is for people who have a baseline understanding of co-production and want to learn more.
Meetings
The group meets quarterly, usually on Wednesday mornings from 10am to 12 noon. All our sessions are online and are facilitated via Zoom. We ask all participants to register individually for each session so we can plan appropriately and keep an accurate record of attendance.
Please register in advance for each of the sessions you wish to attend to ensure you receive the Zoom meeting link.
Our sessions for 2025 are scheduled and you can now register to attend. Further details on each session's theme will follow soon:
- Wednesday 19 February 2025 - our theme for this session is "Getting senior leaders on board with co-production"
Delivered by Lucy Woods from Revolving Doors, this session will explore how to work with senior leaders to achieve co-production. Lucy will discuss how to maintain buy-in through establishing inclusive and useful spaces, as well as ways coproduction can be encouraged and supported. The key message of the session is not to be intimidated by a role title, and to think of working with senior leaders in the same as anyone else.
Please register here
- Wednesday 14 May 2025 - our theme for this session is "Tools for Co-production"
Delivered by The ICB Coproduction Team, in this session we will look at the definition of co-production and how co-production can be done beyond traditional means. How can we be creative in our approach and think outside the box?
Please register here
- Wednesday 16 July 2025 - our theme for this session is "Engagement"
The focus of this session will be on how co-production can best be achieved, ensuring opportunities are available for people to get involved and continue to be involved. How can it be sustained? We will look at several different aspects to do this, such as, how to get people to come to coproduction spaces/events initially. How do we ensure that these spaces and opportunities are known about; how do we engage people who may not be aware of these forums; how do we keep people motivated to continue with co-production; and how do we ensure that the people with lived experience who are influencing these groups recognise their value.
Please register here
- Wednesday 15 October 2025 - our theme for this session is "Language"
Often there can be acronyms and jargon used in situations which does not create an inclusive space, so in this session we will be looking at the language used around co-production and the wider area and how to ensure that it is appropriate and inclusive.
Please register here
Do I have to attend all the meetings?
Our network is rooted in partnership. We want to ensure a diverse range of services and voices are represented. In order to gain maximum learning, we encourage participants to attend all sessions or nominate a colleague to attend on their behalf to promote consistency within the membership.
Are the sessions recorded?
Although we don’t record our meetings, we often produce resources from our discussions to help share learning and good practice. For example, our resource Holding Effective Meetings which details how we can plan meetings so they run smoothly, feel like safe spaces for sharing, and ensure that all voices are heard, validated and acknowledged? Or our Tools for Co-production ideas power-point.
What can I expect from attending?
A supportive peer led forum with a wide cross agency membership.
- Be supported to reflect on co-production in your own organisation
- Explore what steps you might take to develop co-productive approaches
- Opportunity to work through challenges with peers
- Share your own experience of co-production/ expertise and good practice
- Gain insight into the lived experience perspective.
Themes of previous sessions have included:
- Co-production “basics”
- The Participation Standard developed in Nottingham
- Co-production in the bidding process
- How to have effective meetings
- How to grow and maintain lived experience groups
- The value of Co-production to partners and for experts
- Tools for Co-production - what methods can we use to engage people in co-production?
Want to learn more?
We have created an information pack to explain the context to our group and share details of the format and content of our meetings and the benefits of membership, and a poster. View a copy and share as appropriate with your networks
PDU Co-production Community of Practice (CoP) Information Pack
PDU Co-production Community of Practice (CoP) Poster
How can I join the mailing list?
By registering to attend one of the meeting sessions listed above, you will automatically be added to the Co-production CoP mailing list, and you will receive information about how to participate.
If you can't yet commit to attending, but are interested in this CoP and would like to be added to the mailing list, or if you have any further questions, please email the Practice Development Unit (PDU) Team: pdu@nottinghamcvs.co.uk