Shaping Co-production Together: Reflections from a Greater Manchester Workshop

Hosted by NHS Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, the “Shaping Co-production Together” workshop, held 10^th April 2025, was a lively, heartfelt call to build a system that genuinely includes—and is shaped by—those it serves.

This wasn’t just another event. It was an invitation to everyone involved in engagement and co-production—from residents to professionals, grassroots groups to strategic leads—to bring their lived and learned experiences into the room. The goal was to move beyond abstract definitions of co-production and instead forge a practical, value-driven approach that works across our system.  

The tone was set early: open, honest, and a little messy by design—and all the better for it.

Learning from Real-World Co-production in Action:

• Elephant Spaces – Chris Dabbs, Unlimited Potential  

Chris invited us to think beyond hiring consultants and instead center co-production as a route to solving public problems. Projects like The Elephant’s Trail and Dadly Does It showed how working with everyday people; young people, children and fathers can lead to practical, strategic solutions rooted in lived experience.  

• Made by Mortals – Tess Keeble, Svetlana Mochalova & The Power of Empathy  

Through music, storytelling, and sensory reflection, this session immersed us in the perspective of someone else’s life. “The Story of Our Shoes” was more than a metaphor—it was an emotional journey. The cello, played live alongside a guided visualisation, brought many in the room deep reflection.  

• GM Older People’s Network – Elaine Unegbu & Liz Jones  

The inspiring presence of Elaine alongside Liz, challenged assumptions around ageing and showcased how older people are co-producing not just projects, but policy and practice -using their lived experience to ensure that the world is made better for Older People and in turn for everyone. Their reminder that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel—just connect with the knowledge that’s already there—was a grounded, powerful call to collaborate better.  

A Culture Shift from the Inside Out  

Colin Scales (NHS GM Integrated Care Board (ICB)) was refreshingly open about the need for cultural change. Colin spoke about embracing the “gift of leadership” and how trusting communities as the true experts is the only route to genuine accountability.  

“There is a cultural deficit—we need a rapid transfer of power to those we claim to serve.”

His reflections underscored that the ICB’s work is not separate from its communities; it must be redefined by them. The challenge remains in ensuring everyone across the system feels part of this reshaping.  

Colin expressed a commitment to taking a coproduction approach to the discussions around the reduction of operating costs of NHS GM (plans to be submitted next month), sharing his email address as a means of contact. Whilst the time constraints make a genuine, meaningful coproduction process impractical, I am clear that we can leverage this commitment to ensure that robust coproduction is mandated in the plans they submit to NHS England.  

Messiness Is a Feature, Not a Bug

In the interactive World Café sessions, conversations dug into the “messiness” of coproduction—the contradictions, complexity, and the call to be brave. I attended the session led by Jules Palfreyman (chair of GM=EqAL), and the group took the opportunity to learn more about GM=EqAl. This had me thinking about the power and appetite for collective authority, community and diversity. Eventually, the group wrestled with the question, how to prioritise what gets co-produced:

• Recognising that not everyone is starting from the same place.

• Making room for storytelling as a tool for shared understanding

• “We have to simplify communication to ensure comprehension”

Co-production as a Core Skillset

Matthew Harmer (ICB North London) shared a practical, system-wide approach to coproduction, highlighting:  

• Foundational training for all staff  

• Action learning sets for deeper development  

• Evidence building to show long-term value and ensure buy-in (mostly from Senior Leaders)  

His message was clear: this work requires resources, and without robust evidence of impact, long-term investment is hard to secure. Co-production isn’t merely an activity—it is a skill, a mindset, and an essential strategic necessity.  

Cynicism and Critical Reflection

Not all reflections were optimistic. Several voices on the day raised concerns that the sudden rush to deeply engage in co-production and devolve power might be a desperate manoeuvre by infrastructural bodies facing immense new government policies. The ICB’s mandate to devise a plan to cut its budget by 39% by May 2025 was seen as a looming challenge that could undermine authentic community engagement.  

During the deep democracy exercise at the day’s close, an undercurrent of doubt became apparent: the system often feels separate from “us”, as if it were all talk without substantial change. I provocatively remarked, “Co-production leaves as much inequality at the end of the process.” While partly tongue-in-cheek, that comment contained a seed of truth, reflecting my belief that individual circumstances remain largely unaltered despite our best intentions.  

Elevating the Voice of Lived Experience

A particularly fortunate element of the day was the 5 minutes I snuck on the agenda to speak on our work of amplifying and strategically positioning the Voice of Lived Experience in Policy Making.  

I had the opportunity to share two concise and compelling videos of GM=EqAl members discussing why this voice is vital for our community work for our communities to work.

Our guidance on hearing the voice of lived experience further underlined key principles in including the voice of lived experience in policy making:  

• Inclusivity: Ensuring that people with lived experience have a genuine role in shaping policy.  

• Remuneration: Recognising the value of lived experience through fair compensation.  

• Open Dialogue: Addressing implementation challenges and inviting shared learning on co-production work.  

If you share the conviction that real change begins with listening to those who live it, I urge you to get involved with our work. Whether you are already working on co-production projects or looking to contribute, lend your voice and help shape policies that reflect the true needs of our community.  

Read our guidance: www.vcfseleadershipgm.org.uk/news-and-events/new-guidance-for-policy-makers-on-including-the-voice-of-lived-experience-in-policy-making  

Get in touch: ayisatu.emore@vsnw.org.uk  

Key Takeaways: What Co-production Means Now  

For me, the day reaffirmed that co-production isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential. But it’s also:  

• Messy and deeply human  

• Trust-driven, not transactional  

• About action, not just talking  

We need systems that value lived experience as real expertise. We need structures that aren’t afraid to let go of control. And we need to expose ourselves—to old and new perspectives, new partnerships, risks, failure and new ways of working.  

What’s Next?

Let’s build on what’s already happening—like the work of GM=EqAl, GM Older People’s Network, and community-led co-produced initiatives. Let’s invite more people into the conversation—and truly listen. Let’s hold the ICB and ourselves accountable to the co-production commitments shared.  

“Everyone has a role to play. The real experts are those on the receiving end of what we do.”  

Final Reflection

This day was a beginning, not an endpoint. It was a moment to stop, listen, reflect—and step forward together. As a Yoruba British woman, now 35, with many years’ experience in VCFSE work in Greater Manchester, I firmly believe in co-production as a process.

However, I also feel that the injustices we see in health and social care reflect broader societal inequities. Without a genuine shift in society, we risk merely patching a leaking pipe with something permeable—a temporary fix that fails to address deeper structural issues.  

I do not claim to have all the answers on how to improve health and social care, with or without co-production. Yet, it was heartening to witness tangible steps being taken in the right direction through today’s stories and experiences.  

Perhaps the dire circumstances and daunting targets imposed on infrastructural organisations—such as drastic budget cuts—might be the catalyst for true transformation. Much like the upheavals of 2020, these challenges may indeed force change. But as we all know, life after the pandemic has not necessarily improved for many. True transformation will demand bravery, sustained effort, and resources that go far beyond mere finances. Perhaps our only recourse is to use the privilege we have: to listen harder, love more broadly, trust more easily and fight—whether cleanly or even a little dirtier.  

Is this the moment to subvert entrenched power and ensure that those affected by decisions become the very ones to shape them?  

Let’s keep shaping co-production—together.