Co-production projects

We carry out many co-production projects throughout the year. Read about our current projects below for a taste of what is involved.

To find out more about our current projects, or join our mailing list to be the first to hear about opportunities when they arise, email workingtogether@nottscc.gov.uk

1) From Big Conversation to Local Account

Last year, we co-produced a Big Conversation with Making It Real. We spoke to over 500 people across Nottinghamshire to ask what is important when drawing on social care services.

We listened to what they said and created a new plan for adult social care in Nottinghamshire called the Local Account. Read the plan and more about how it was co-produced on the Local Account page.

We hold regular listening spaces to make sure we continue to work on the Local Account. If you would like to join a listening space, email workingtogether@nottscc.gov.uk

2) Adult Care Financial Services review project

Who is involved

Local people and carers who have direct experience of Adult Care Financial Services.

Alongside managers and staff in the Direct Payments Team, Residential Assessments Team, Community Assessments Team, Client Finance Team and ICT and Communications Team, who together are part of Adult Care Financial Services. As well as senior leaders responsible for these services and for implementing the Social Care Reforms set out in the government White Paper: People at the Heart of Care.

The project also involves a wide range of staff and stakeholders from other areas such as the Complaints Team, Customer Service Team and Social Care Teams.

What we have done so far

We have

• held listening events, gathered information and analysed lots of data
• reflected on complaints so we can learn from them and use these insights to help us to improve
• identified what local residents with direct experience of Adult Care Financial Services including carers want to focus on, where they feel we are now and where they want us to get to
• co-designed staff guidance on disability related expenses and reviewed this with people with lived experience to see how it is working
• procured a web-based tool to complement paper-based approaches, improve residents experience of financial assessments and meet people’s preferences in how they access information
• established a task and finish group made up of people with lived experience including carers to support the review. Members of the task and finish group developed a set of Communication Commitments.

What we are planning to do next

Members of the task and finish group are co-producing forms and guidance within the web-based tool. We will monitor delivery through the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) and impact will be measured through listening conversations, phone calls and observation of practice.

What people are saying

Residents are saying it is really important that

• support is available so people to have the right finance in place
• people are only required to pay what they can afford
• processes are simple and information is easy to understand
• everyone is seen as an individual and treated with compassion and respect
• action is taken to prevent people getting into debt.

What staff are saying

• they welcome the opportunity to be part of the review
• they feel positive about the plan to create space to do things differently. Time will be spent on understanding and discovering how things are, and the challenges they are facing
• they can relate to the things that residents with direct experience have said are important.