At Touchstone we strive to model all that is great about coproduction.  In 2016, we delivered Leeds’ first ever coproduction conference which included contributions from all sectors and – of course – experts by experience as a given.
We also wrote a blog about the conference for SCIE, which can be found here: http://coproductionweek.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/coproduction-conference.html
On 6th July 2017, to coincide with Coproduction Week, Touchstone and our partners Leeds Involving People, Together We Can (Experts by Experience), Leeds West CCG, Leeds and York Mental Health Trust, West Yorkshire Finding Independence and others will be holding our second conference in Leeds.
This time, rather than just auditing what we do well and learning from others, the aspiration is to begin building a quality standard – or kitemark – for coproduction, not just for Leeds, but hopefully the whole of the UK.
In 2015/16, Together We Can members were involved in constructing, writing and evaluating a set of mental health “I Statements” against their own experiences. The 6 “I Statements” were then agreed by the Leeds Mental Health Framework Programme Board as the overarching principles that will inform the delivery of all CCG commissioned mental health services and future service improvement/redesign projects.
The statements set out the values and competencies that will be expected from the commissioned care and support provided:

  • I am more than a mental health diagnosis. Treat me like an individual human being.
  • I may rely on family and friends to stay well. Give them support, information and respect.
  • I want to be heard and included, regardless of my identity. Offer me accessible and culturally competent support.
  • I may be facing more than just a mental health challenge (e.g. Substances including alcohol or a physical condition). Respond to these creatively and without judgement.
  • I will know the name of the person responsible for my support. Show me that you are a human being too.
  • I have a story to tell. Share information effectively, with my permission, so I don’t have to repeat myself.

These statements will form the basis of our conference discussions on 6th July and will hopefully become the architecture of our future coproduction standard.  In time, our vision is that Experts by Experience will be trained to assess organisations and services against the coproduced standards of practice and will be paid by them to improve compliance with the expected standard.  We hope that eventually, no organisations working in mental health will be commissioned unless it has, at least level 1 in coproduction, rising to level 3 for the best performing organisations.

We know this is a big ask and an even bigger vision.  We think Leeds is up for it and on 6th July, we will find out – please come along too if you fancy an adventure.
 
Alison Lowe
Chief Executive
Touchstone