Co-creation should be at the heart of practice development. With that in mind, over the past year, Homeless Link in partnership with Expert Link and Housing Justice has worked with over 35 different services to produce a set of good practice principles for Day Services. Developing the principles in a collaborative way involved 7 months of consultation and discussion including 10 service visits, 3 focus group and 3 co-creation sessions.
Why co-create principles?
A co-creation process takes longer but has several advantages over a quicker consultation. Importantly it grounds the work in the day-to-day experiences of working services – these are not abstract concepts but derived from the reality of those doing and experiencing the work. They should therefore resonate with the services that make up their audience – making them more useful and more likely to be used.
For a set of Principles to have traction, they need to demonstrate ‘the right’ to speak with authority. This makes it harder to dismiss parts that may be more challenging and encourages organisations to engage and develop. An effective co-creation process brings this legitimacy.
Finally, it helps with reach and is an aid to implementation. Around 20% of Day Services known to Homeless Link took part in the development process. If getting the attention of busy Homelessness services is a challenge, then the fact that one-fifth of Day Services are already aware of and (hopefully) invested in implementing the Principles is a big win.
How it worked?
A breadth of experiences and standpoints were represented in the final principles. Experts by experience throughout who were able to offer insight into the lived reality of accessing services as well as expertise gleaned over years of reflection and participation in co-production. It also included a mixture of Day Service CEOs and leaders, frontline workers and local authority partners and commissioners.
An initial series of focus groups were then followed by three 2-hour online co-creation session including whole group discussion and breakouts with around 25 people in each session. Attention was paid to creating a supportive and connected environment which can be challenging in an online space. It is essential for the co-creation process that those attending feel confident, relaxed and safe to share their thoughts.
The sessions opened with a simple positive question which every participant answered initially using an online word cloud and then on camera. Asking every attendee to speak took time but was important in building connections and ensuring everyone had ‘sounded their voice’ which gave them more confidence to contribute fully to the sessions. These ‘warm-up’ questions, somewhat unexpectedly, drew out some of the richest information and formed the backbone of the final Principles publication.
During the sessions, Day Services took part in structured discussions in which they unpicked Day Service user journeys and explored aims, impacts and theories of change. In the final session the proposed principles were discussed. Drafts of the Principles were shared for comment and ideas taken on board where possible.
Attendees talked about the positive benefits of being connected to one another and having the opportunity for in-depth discussion and reflection. Although the sessions were not designed for learning and development, it was an unintended but welcome consequence that attendees found the experience positive and had an opportunity for development as well.
Further thoughts and learning
Co-creation is not the same as co-production which is a deeper process in which participants would have had more ability to direct the sessions and set the agenda. The co-creation process was directed and led by Homeless Link. Nonetheless working collaboratively ensured the process had a deeper impact on those involved and added considerable richness to the final principles.
A co-creation process takes time but the benefits are powerful. Key recommendations for others undergoing a co-creation process:
- Don’t try to do everything yourself. Find some key partners that can support the process. It can be particularly helpful to partner with a group specialising in lived experience expertise who can ensure that people are well represented and well-supported.
- Combine listening with leadership. Set a co-creation programme that allows you to be flexible and really listen. The process and direction may be different to what you expected. However, you also need clear timelines and boundaries so that the final output doesn’t get lost. You can agree these with the group at the beginning.
- It’s all about relationships. As with most things in our sector, relationships are key. Take the time to ensure that people feel connected and safe within the space you are using. This will create the right environment for them to share their insight.
Homeless Link’s Day Service Principles represent a shared sense of ‘what good looks like’ in terms of Day Service Provision. The Poster and principles can be used to celebrate your approach and as a tool for development. The main publication also contains the evidence base supporting this approach. You can also listen to a podcast episode in which Day Services and the Principles are discussed.