From 30th June – 4th July the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) hosted it’s 10th annual Co-Production Week, which stressed the best method of social care reform could come from inside the sector.
This article was written by Jon Soros, senior practice development consultant at SCIE.
This year’s Co-Production Week focused on innovation through co-production, shining a light on how shared power is driving fresh thinking and better outcomes across public services. While much attention is often paid to strategic or policy-level change, some of the most transformative effects are often felt on the frontline of adult social work practice.
As a social worker, former local authority senior manager, and now a senior practice development consultant at SCIE, I’ve seen how co-production, when meaningfully embedded in everyday practice, can transform lives. It’s not just a principle; it’s a lived approach that shifts power, fosters deeper relationships, and delivers better outcomes.
For years, adult social work has wrestled with a fundamental imbalance: professionals holding decision-making power over people who draw on services. While well-intentioned, traditional models can unwittingly create dependency and limit autonomy. Co-production offers a powerful alternative, placing lived experience on equal footing with professional knowledge to build more authentic, human partnerships.
The biggest impact often emerges not from grand initiatives but in small, relational practices that empower individuals and restore agency.
Take Claire, whose name has been changed for anonymity reasons, a social worker I worked with in the West Midlands, supporting adults in the community. She was working with Margaret – not her real name – an older woman caring for her partner who had experienced a fall and was living with several ongoing health issues, reducing both of their mobility. Margaret had become increasingly isolated, no longer able to take part in shared activities with her partner.
Traditionally, the response may have been a referral to a day centre or arranging formal care. But Claire took a co-productive approach, starting with open-ended questions, listening carefully, and focusing on what mattered to Margaret, not just what support she needed. Margaret spoke about a long-time love for motorbikes she shared with her partner. Inspired by this, and through collaborative exploration, Margaret discovered a sidecar design that would allow them to ride together again. The cost was significantly lower than ongoing day centre support, and the emotional benefits were far greater.
This shift, from assessment to collaboration, reconnected Margaret with her passions, improved her wellbeing, and strengthened her relationship. Her confidence blossomed. Her isolation reduced. These are outcomes no pre-packaged service could have delivered alone. This example illustrates how co-production enables social workers to focus on strengths, not just needs, even as those needs change.
In another example, Raj – not their real name – the co-production and engagement lead at a local council, recently shared how a social worker supported an older woman and her adult daughter who were living in deep isolation. Instead of referring them to generic services, the social worker asked what gave them joy. This was music. Together, they co-produced a support plan that enabled the mother to sing and the daughter to accompany her on piano at a local day service.
This creative, strengths-based approach boosted their sense of purpose, helped them build friendships, and allowed them to contribute meaningfully to others. Day service attendees looked forward to their performances, engaging more positively with group activities. For the social worker, the experience reinforced the value of listening and working with, not for. That insight is now shaping their wider approach to practice.
Co-production transforms not just outcomes, but the practitioner experience itself. Moving from expert to facilitator is empowering. Watching people reclaim agency and pursue their own goals, often in joyful, unexpected ways, can reignite a social worker’s sense of purpose and protect against burnout.
It also builds trust. When power is shared, relationships strengthen. People see social workers not as distant authority figures, but as partners. This can reduce resistance and lead to more open, productive planning conversations. It encourages flexibility, responsiveness, and creativity, essential qualities in supporting people with complex, changing lives.
Co-production also opens the door to innovation. People with lived experience bring fresh ideas, practical solutions, and perspectives that professionals alone may overlook. Services co-designed with people, rather than for them, are more likely to meet real needs and uphold identity and dignity, core goals in adult social care.
Of course, embedding co-production on the frontline isn’t without challenges. Social workers face time pressures, unclear definitions of what co-production really means, and workplace cultures that default to traditional models. Some practitioners may feel uneasy letting go of control. Some people using services may lack the confidence to speak up, especially if they’ve previously felt unheard.
But these barriers are not insurmountable. What’s needed is a cultural shift, one that supports social workers with time for relational practice, invests in training, and champions small successes. At SCIE, we see co-production not as a buzzword, but as the future of social work.
By involving people in decisions about their own care, we can create services that are more responsive, respectful, and effective. The revolution is already happening, quietly, powerfully, in everyday conversations, choices, and partnerships on the frontline.
Image via Shutterstock.
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Child and adolescent mental health: five learnings for social care professionals
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