SEND Co-production Toolkit

The process below suggests how to use all participants’ skills and experiences at all stages of co-production and can support you to record and monitor the process

It is important to remember that knowledge is key and that if it is not shared with everyone then it creates an imbalance of power which is contrary to the principles of co-production.

Come to the table with a blank agenda and build it with the people you are co-producing with. Monitor how this agenda develops and record any changes, so that there is a record of how others have shaped the direction of the project.

Before starting a piece of work, develop a co-production plan to identity all opportunities for people to be involved in shaping and influencing the work you plan to develop.

Use the checklist in this toolkit when planning any co-production activity to check all key principles are being met and to identify any gaps in your planned engagement methods. The checklist can also be used to review each stage of a project and identify further opportunities for co-production.

Professionals should ensure all people involved in co-production understand and have jointly agreed the desired outcomes from the start to ensure all parties are working towards the shared objectives.

Throughout co-production, no one should take sole responsibility for solving every problem on their own. You should allow the whole group to find solutions together, and record these to show joint decision-making. Record your lessons learned from co-production activity.

These can be used to reflect both success and areas for development. Use these to evaluate the impact of your work and to inform future co-production activity.

Use the co-production checklist to assess your co-production activity. Evidence how participants’ input has been used.