Co-production is often discussed but rarely embedded. Here, Emma Main, Executive Director for Quality and Operations at social care provider Certitude, explores how shared decision-making is becoming everyday practice.
In social care, co-production is often talked about as an ambition – something planned, piloted, or mentioned, but not always put into practice. At Certitude, it means something very simple: working inclusively and sharing power so decisions are made with people, not for them.
People with lived experience help design our job roles and sit on interview panels to make sure we recruit colleagues whose values truly match ours. People we support are always involved in the second stage of recruitment, and their voice carries equal weight when deciding whether someone is the right person to work with them or in their home.
When colleagues join Certitude, people with lived experience also help deliver our induction. They support new starters to understand our values, our ways of working, and our Supported Living Principles. Hearing directly from people is often what colleagues remember most, it sets the tone for a culture where we ask “How do you want to do this?” rather than assuming we know best.
People we support and their families lead Local Quality Partnerships, setting the agenda on what matters in their borough. These conversations build trust and give people confidence that their views genuinely shape decisions, while helping us stay open and accountable.
In Bexley, for example, people told us they wanted more tailored, person-centred reviews. Our support plans now better reflect people’s goals, interests, and routines more accurately, leading to more meaningful activities and greater independence.
Our Peer Quality Checkers, colleagues with lived experience, spend time with people in their homes and communities to understand what day‑to‑day support really feels like. They notice things audits often miss – the warmth of interactions, whether people feel listened to, and how much choice people truly have.
Their insight shapes support plans, communication, training, and improvements, keeping decisions focused on what matters to people. They also make practical suggestions, from new activities people want to try, to changes like redecorating a room to feel more personal.
As we introduce Log my Care as part of our digital transformation, people we support have played a central role in shaping how the system will work. Through everyday conversations, they told us what information feels important, how they want goals and aspirations recorded, and how progress should be captured in a respectful, person-led way.
Notes use people’s own language (“my room”, “my goals”) and plans focus on what matters to the person, not just what colleagues need to do. People will soon be able to add audio reflections in their own words.
Our Innovation Roadshows invite people with lived experience to design and lead ideas that build community connection, with a panel of people we support selecting the winning projects and each winner receiving £500 to get it off the ground.
Projects have included a Books Beyond Words community book club in Hounslow, using picture-based stories so everyone can take part, and an inclusive disco in Kensington and Westminster that has reduced isolation for people who rarely left their homes.
We see the impact of co-production daily – decisions happen with people, not to them. Support workers become facilitators, creating space for people to take the lead. People tell us they feel more confident, more visible, and more in control. Colleagues say they feel more connected to their work and our values.
Our advice to providers: start small, build trust, invest in skills that help everyone share power, and measure success by what changes.
Our aim now is to deepen lived experience leadership and embed co-production across our digital, community, and partnership work. We are proud of how far we have come and continue to build truly person-led support shaped by those who know it best.
