July 2014 Blog Posts (5)

We're working with Participation Cymru to create an Asset Map of co-production in Wales - and to get your support to keep the pressure on the Welsh Government to deliver on their co-pro commitments (they are doing exceptionally well so far I must say!). If you live or work in Tom Jones country, please help us by completing our 5 minute survey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/coproassetmap - part of our collective strategy to make…

Last week the London Co-production Practitioners Network met for a session hosted by Latimer Creative Media. Together we developed our personal Co-production Stories and our Story of Self. We experimented with social media, tweeted #MyCoProStory and made short film clips.

We learned that...

• Stories help communicate values to people by engaging their emotions
• Stories can motivate others to act with us - in ways that only providing a laundry…

25 of us from LAs, Welsh Government, community and third sector have spent the day learning about commissioning for co-production: superb, evidence-based presentations from Julia (nef) and from the splendid Penni and Kate from Cornwall Council who drove all the way to Wales to share their experiences. A knockout day, jam-packed with useful stuff and interesting discussions. And more tomorrow. Ah joy!

If you are involved in the commissioning world and get the chance to attend one of…

Is there a democratically accountable ownership model for health and care services that could make a difference? Could the active membership and co-operative ownership of workers, service users, volunteers and family members rebuild public trust in services and put an end to cruelty and neglect through a socially inclusive solution where the system of care is owned by the recipients?

Check out this …

Successive governments have pursued a public services agenda based on market competition, consumer choice and outsourcing to private providers. The promise has been better responsive to people’s ‘consumer preferences’ and a decentralisation of knowledge and power away from central planners – all at lower cost.

But there is little evidence that these benefits are materialising. Power has been concentrated in the hands of a…