Principles met
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Co-production
We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.
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Innovation
We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.
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Learning
We will capture and ‘expand’ the experience and learning from individual projects and approaches in order to encourage broader application of co-operative principles within individual member Councils and across the Network.
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Walking the talk
As a membership organisation, we will make this statement of our principles operational by:
• Co-operation among members: Our members work together to help each other implement our values, sharing experiences and learning.
• Openness of membership: Full, Associate and Affiliate Membership is open to any qualifying Council, organisation or individual who shares our values and is committed to putting them into action.
• Co-production of the Network’s work: Members help shape the Network’s work programme and the content of events and written products.
• Action-focused: The network is a vehicle for helping councils translate co-operative values and principles into policy and practice.
•Membership-based: The network is majority funded by modest membership subscriptions from its member Councils, Associates and Affiliates.
•Non-party-political: Members share the belief that working co-operatively within and across communities holds the key to tackling today’s challenges.
In recognition of the importance of co-production, Swindon Borough Council commissioned support from the Institute of Public Care in 2023 to help co-produce a co-production Strategy. The Council’s Working Together Plan was co-produced with people with lived experiences of adult social care, as well as providers of care and support such as Council staff. They were joined by colleagues from the Integrated Care Board, members of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and regulated providers of care services.
At the heart of the Swindon ‘Working Together’ plan is the belief that there should be ‘nothing about us, without us’. This vision drives everything we do and underpins a model of collaboration that places individuals with care and support needs at the centre of decision-making. It sets out our commitment to work in partnership with the people who use our services, their families, and local providers to ensure we get it right and create an environment where all voices are heard.
Working Together Launch Event
For further information contact:
Grace Lynch
Director of Commissioning, Improvement and Assurance
Swindon Borough Council
