Join in Dorset Council's Summer of Coproduction - Have your say about Day Opportunities and services in Adult Social Care

14th July 2021

Dorset Council trying to better understand what works well and what could be done better in Day Opportunities and services in Adult Social Care. Whether you are a colleague here at the council, an external professional, a carer or a person who uses day services, we want to hear from you.

Join us for a summer of coproduction!

What is coproduction?

Co-production is not just a word, it’s not just a concept, it is about people coming together with their own unique experiences and views on a subject to find a shared solution. In sending out the survey earlier this year to not only those with lived experiences but their carers, other professionals, stakeholders, and providers of services – this is coproduction. The Better Days engagement process involves people who use services being consulted, included, and working together from the start to the end of any project that affects them.

How do we know what to ask in coproduction?

We have identified a number of areas that raise more questions and that deserve more attention. The people the engagement team heard from helped create and shape every question we will be asking in the summer of coproduction. To help organise these questions we have grouped them under themed groups. We will explore questions under each theme over the next three months finishing in the first week of September.

What are our priorities and what do we hope to achieve?

Of the themes that we’ve identified, three themes really stand out to us and our mission to create better day opportunities. We have decided to prioritise Having Choice, Being Included and Being Healthy and use the remaining time to explore questions under our other themes. This should
allow space for us to respond to additional questions from our community and stakeholders and set-up fresh sessions where relevant.

As we begin to collect answers from our various sessions, we will compile them into a knowledge base which will be made accessible to everyone who participates in this exercise. We are also hoping that some of our findings, suggestions, ideas, and recommendations from this work will be adopted by the council and inform our Day Opportunity Strategy which will be completed in the autumn.

How will the sessions run?

Each session will aim to answer 1 question in an hour. If a second session is required, then we will schedule a second meeting. The sessions will take place online and will be interactive, using a digital whiteboard for everyone to write on post-it notes – just like being in a room together. We will encourage people to speak up and drive the conversation and we will be prepared with starter questions to prompt the discussion where needed.

What if I don’t have access to a computer or I’m not comfortable in group situations?

We know that some people don’t like digital communication or speaking out in large groups – we still want to hear from you. Please email us and we can make different arrangements to hear your feedback.

Contact Jo Morrell for details on how best to get involved and take part