The Power of Co-Production
At Healthwatch Greenwich, we wholeheartedly embrace the power of co-production to drive positive change and ensure that health and social care services effectively meet the diverse needs of our community. Co-production involves bringing in service users into the design, delivery, and evaluation of services, and is an invaluable approach in improving healthcare. In this blog post, we reflect on our successful co-production project completed with young people, which explored their contraceptive knowledge and awareness. We also delve into two upcoming initiatives centred around maternity access for migrant and asylum-seeking women and the experiences of carers from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds.
We recently completed an exciting co-production project which delved into young people's contraceptive use and their knowledge of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). We collaborated with an incredible group of young co-researchers who brought a fresh perspective and invaluable insights to the research process, offering their unique experiences and voices. They took charge and went out into the community, engaging in interviews and surveys with their friends and peers. Through these interactions, they collected a wealth of essential data on young people's contraceptive access, usage, and knowledge. If you're interested, we highly recommend reading our Q&A session with one of our exceptional co-researchers, where they reflect on their involvement in the project: Teen co-researchers tackle youth contraceptive knowledge gap.
Ensuring equitable access to healthcare services lies at the heart of our mission. This is why our upcoming project exploring maternity access and barriers faced by migrant and asylum-seeking women and birthing individuals holds tremendous significance. We fully recognise the unique challenges this vulnerable population encounters in accessing timely and appropriate maternity care. Therefore, with the support of the South East London Local Maternity and Neonatal System (SEL LMNS), our new project will engage migrant women in the co-production process to gain firsthand insights into their experiences, preferences, and the barriers they face. Women and birthing people from certain communities and with protected characteristics have been shown to have disproportionately poorer outcomes and experience of maternity care. SEL LMNS are committed to start the process to change this across SEL and ensure that maternity service provision is inclusive and supportive to all who require it. Through our collaborative effort, we aim to develop targeted strategies that address their specific needs and contribute to improved maternity care.
Caring for loved ones is a vital responsibility, and we are acutely aware that carers from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds encounter distinct challenges and inequalities. To support the implementation of its Joint Adults Carers Strategy, the Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) has commissioned Healthwatch Greenwich to embark on an exciting project to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of these carers. By actively involving carers from these backgrounds in the co-production process, we can identify gaps in support systems and advocate for meaningful improvements. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that the voices and experiences of carers from diverse backgrounds are not only heard but also respected and valued.
At Healthwatch Greenwich, we firmly believe in guiding our work through the principles of co-production. We recognise that individuals are experts in their own lives, and we strive to actively involve them, fostering a sense of ownership, empowerment, and inclusivity within our community. Our collaborative efforts with young people have been resoundingly successful, and we are committed to expanding this approach in our upcoming projects. Stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue our journey of co-production and community-driven healthcare.
Together, we can make a real difference!
