This webinar will highlight cutting-edge co-production case studies from Scotland, Italy, Brazil and the US, presented by top academics from these countries.

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing health and social inequalities and created new vulnerabilities across a range of disadvantaged groups. There is evidence to suggest that these health and social inequalities are likely to increase in a post-Covid world, if appropriate and effective public policy and service interventions are not developed and implemented.

This is a joint #OWRSocialCare event being organised by GCVS and the University of Strathclyde.

Scotland: Co-designing more inclusive public spaces and social services: An Ayrshire Case Study - presented by Beth Weaver, University of Strathclyde

Criminal justice contexts are not frequently associated with user and community co-production, but this situation is slowly changing. Drawing on a three year action research programme into co-production in community justice settings, and wider research into community co-production, this presentation will explore implications for co-designing more inclusive public spaces and social services. In so doing, this presentation will consider how we might more meaningfully and supportively engage service users in service design, development and delivery.

Dr. Beth Weaver is Professor of Criminal and Social Justice in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, and Associate Dean of KE in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science. Beth is actively engaged in a number of research networks, research projects and knowledge exchange activities with specific interests in desistance, user involvement, governance and co-production. While all her research has an applied focus on penal reform, her focus on citizenship, governance and participation has broader implications for social services. Beth has published widely on a range of subjects relating to criminal justice policies, practices, and research.

Italy: How the San Patrignano community co-produces drug rehabilitation in Italy presented by Denita Cepiku, University of Tor Vergata, Rome

San Patrignano (SanPa)is a non-profit organization (now a social enterprise) in Italy, established in 1978 following the decision of seven families determined to pool together their resources and use them to help people in need. Since its foundation, San Patrignano has served over 20,000 people by offering them a home, legal and medical assistance, as well as the opportunity to study, learn a trade and to work, thereby changing their lives and helping many of them to return back to their communities. This unique rehabilitation model is based on a community-based and co-production approach. This ensures an exceptional success rate of 72% vis-à-vis other public and non-profit rehabilitation programmes that range from 30% to 45% success rates.

Denita Cepiku is Associate Professor of Public Management at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Her main research interests are in the areas of collaborative governance (co-production and network management) and strategic management. She has participated and coordinated international cooperation projects for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Swiss Development Cooperation, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Brazil: Peer testing for HIV: co-production overcoming stigma and discrimination in São Paulo - presented by Patricia Mendonça and Andre Aquino, University of São Paulo

Prevention and diagnosis gained importance in Brazilian policy around the fight against HIV/Aids. Prevention is key to influencing the future levels of the condition, while detection helps reduce the spread of the epidemic and allows proper treatment. Traditional services experience significant barriers to HIV diagnosis, involving inequality in access to health care and the stigma and prejudice under which the victims of this epidemic live. This case reports the experience of the city of São Paulo, one of the most populous cities in the world, on the diagnosis of disadvantaged groups to HIV/Aids. Different strategies were employed: the direct recruitment of volunteer prevention agents, partnerships with NGOs, and the use of mobile units. Citizens and civil society organizations are involved in several co-production activities, including testing and counselling, and the results of this approach demonstrate positive impacts in the diagnosis and the prevention of the conditions.

Andre Aquino is Professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Birmingham. From 2013 he has been a Research Fellow at the Conselho Nacional de Deingenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. His research interests are accountability, local government finance and public financial management reforms. He chairs the research group 'Public Sector Accounting & Governance in Brazil' (sites.usp.br/psag/). He is associate researcher at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA-USP), principal investigator and chair of the research group "Financial Resilience of Contemporary Cities".

Patricia Mendonça is an Associate Professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo and post-doctoratal Fellow at the University of Essex (2009-2010). Her research interests are state-civil society relationships in implementing policies from an organizational studies perspective, focussing on regulation, partnerships, and community co-production.

USA: New approaches to care for refugee and immigrant populations in Portland, Maine . Video - recording by Dr Tina Foster, The Dartmouth Institute

With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Health Workers were integral to the co-production of informational sessions for families and the creation of community-led educational sessions for health professionals. Growing recognition of the importance of co-production has greatly enhanced the role of the Community Health Worker.

Dr. Tina Foster is a physician specializing in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine. In addition to her practice, she teaches health care improvement at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI). Her interests include exploring the relationships between equity, quality, and co-production, and understanding how coproduction can better connect health systems and the communities they serve. She is a member of the Co-production Lab at TDI and a founding member of the International Co-production of Health Network, which has hub sites in Jonkoping, Sweden, New Hampshire USA, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

Organisation of the webinar

The event will be introduced by Elke Loeffler, University of Strathclyde, who will provide a framework for co-production approaches, based on the “Four Co’s Model” in her recent Palgrave monograph “Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes”.

Participants in the webinar will have the opportunity to discuss the case studies further with the speakers in breakout rooms following the presentations.

This webinar will help to shape an international research project related to ‘Reducing health and social inequalities through co-production’. If you would like to provide some inputs to our research project, please contact elke.loeffler@strath.ac.uk

The event will be introduced by Elke Loeffler, who is Associate Dean (Impact) at Strathclyde Business School. Her presentation will provide a framework for co-production approaches, based on the “Four Co’s Model” in her recent Palgrave monograph “Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes”.

Participants in the webinar will have the opportunity to discuss the case studies further with the speakers in breakout rooms following the presentations.

This webinar will help to shape an international research project related to ‘Reducing health and social inequalities through co-production’. If you would like to provide some inputs to our research project, please contact elke.loeffler@strath.ac.uk.

Programme

1.30 - 1.35 Introduction to the programme and welcome – Sheena Arthur, GCVS

1.35 - 1.50 Icebreaker and introduction:User and community co-production: A framework. Led by Elke Loeffler, University of Strathclyde

1.50 - 2.00 Denita Cepiku, University of Tor Vergata, RomeDrug users co-producing rehabilitation programmes: The San Patrignano model in Italy

2.00 - 2.10 Beth Weaver, University of StrathclydeCo-designing more inclusive public spaces and social services: An Ayrshire Case Study

2.10 - 2.20 Patrícia Maria Emerenciano de Mendonça and André Carlos Busanelli de Aquino, University of Sao Paolo, BrazilPeer testing for HIV: Co-production overcoming stigma and discrimination in São Paulo, Brazil

2.20 - 2.25 Tina Foster and Rachel Forcino, The Dartmouth Institute, USA Community Health Workers and Co-production: New Approaches for Immigrant Health (Video Recording)

2.25 - 2.35 Comfort break - you’ll be allocated to your breakout room during the break

2.35 – 2.50 Breakout rooms with the speakers and facilitators, exploring the topics:

1) What have you learnt from the good practice cases?

2) In your view, what are the challenges getting in the way of co-production with people who need/use health and care services, and how can we overcome these barriers?

2.50 – 3.00 Summaries from the breakout rooms and final Q&A.