What we were asked to do
Turning Tides is a charity based in Worthing, West Sussex which supports people in their journey out of homelessness. In 2019 they were keen to understand how well they were performing against co-production principles and how they could be more ambitious and work towards producing a more co-productive culture across the organisation.
What we did
We worked with them over a six-month period to understand the depth, successes and barriers to coproduction across the organisation. We conducted face-to-face interviews and focus groups which enabled staff to self-reflect on their progress to date, whilst undertaking observations of key meetings at different levels, especially where people who use services, are involved.
We worked alongside a group of people with living experience to understand their experiences and their wishes for further co-production in the future. We also undertook a qualitative assessment and critique of relevant policy, procedure and care management models.
What happened
We showcased our findings through an interactive e-report which drew together the different elements of the work. We presented this back to senior managers, as a ‘call to action’ which outlined a variety of ways by which the organisation could start to work differently, identifying key areas where staff and people with living experience could work constructively together to change things quite quickly.
We also facilitated a learning and reflection event to share our recommendations and prompt dialogue between key stakeholders across Turning Tides.
