Coproduction Framework in Adult Social Care

This vision is part of our improvement plan for adult social care across Torbay. There is also an easy read version of this Adult Social Care Strategy.

Working in partnership

Introduction and background

The 'people at the heart of care' White Paper sets out a 10-year vision to transform care and support in England based on three objectives:

1. People have choices, control, and support to live independent lives
2. People can access outstanding quality and tailored care and support
3. People find adult social care fair and accessible

These objectives underpin our strategy and approach for defining good quality Adult Social Care (ASC) in Torbay. We believe that coproduction is vital in making sure that Adult Social Care plans and services are designed in the best way possible. This is based on the simple fact that those people with lived experience are best placed to design and review the support they need.

This framework is designed to put people in control of their care and support. It supports our overall strategy for Adult Social Care in Torbay. We want to work together to deliver good outcomes; and enable people to live the life they want in their community. 

The framework describes how we will make sure that people who use care, and those who care for them, have control over their own life, quality and nature of care, and the strategic decisions which shape services and support.  It adds to our statutory duty to consult and places an emphasis on making sure we do everything together, underpinned by a relationship of equals.

What is co-production?

The term coproduction refers to a way of working, whereby everybody works together on an equal basis to create a service or come to a decision which works for them all. It is built on the principle that those who use a service are best placed to help design it.

We all recognise the importance of speaking to people about their experiences of Adult Social Care and the impact of involvement in their lives.

Our Vision for Adult Social Care in Torbay

Locally, we have enshrined the 10-year vision's three objectives into a shared vision:

What the framework will do   

The framework will check we are doing the things we have said we will do in the ASC Strategy - 'thriving communities where people can prosper'. It will make sure we are doing what we say we are going to do and directly shape our plans and projects to make things better. It will also make sure that we are co-producing everything we do, and demonstrating our values, and behaviours.

In order to ensure this work is independent, we will commission a key lead organisation to be a partner in making sure we coproduce everything.

This organisation will report against the ASC Strategy's stated values, behaviours and outcomes and be a key member of the Adult Social Care Continuous Improvement Board (ASCCIB) Quality Assurance Subgroup. It will also report on the co-production of key strategies and projects and say if they have worked or not.

The organisation will report into ASCCIB and Overview and Scrutiny via an annual report to the ASCCIB and make key recommendations via an annual report.

The framework

The framework will check on co-production, and ensure we properly use engagement and feedback in several ways; What we say we are going to do, listed in Appendix One.

Shaping our plans and projects to get better

• The ASC co-production and engagement partnership will be in the Quality Assurance Subgroup as an equal partner. This subgroup reports directly to the ASCCIB.
• The Quality Assurance Subgroup will report complaints, compliments, incidents, and safeguarding concerns received by statutory agencies and Healthwatch.
• A twice-yearly report to the ASCCIB by Healthwatch in their formal role.

Working Together - Coproduction Framework

• ASC services will co-produce all key strategies, commissioning, and improvement projects.
• The ASC coproduction and engagement partnership will be a core member of the ASC Quality Assurance Subgroup, which reports to the ASCCIB.
• The Quality Assurance Subgroup will review complaints, compliments, incidents, and safeguarding concerns received by statutory agencies and Healthwatch.
• The ASC coproduction and engagement partnership group will produce a twice-yearly report to the ASCCIB.

Checking we do what we said we would

• The ASCCIB and Adult Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Sub Committee will receive, and respond to, the annual report from the ASC co-production and engagement partnership in the Quality Assurance Subgroup.
• The ASC co-production and engagement partnership group will use a variety of methods to make sure we are coproducing everything we do:

Appendix One - Outcomes, values, behaviours, and what ASC will do

Focus on outcomes

Demonstrate these values and behaviours

Do these things