Co-production

WORKING TOGETHER FOR POSITIVE CHANGE

As the local parent carer forum for South Gloucestershire, we bring families, professionals and services together as equal partners to shape better outcomes for children and young people with SEND

What we do

Recognised by the Department for Education, Ofsted and CQC, our role is to ensure the voices of parent carers are embedded from the very beginning of a project through to delivery and review.

This idea of co-production is at the heart of our work at SGPC; it is about having the users’ feedback to shape strategic decision-making, and working together right from the start.

We have worked with partners to develop and publish the SEND Co-Production Charter - our shared commitment to co-production and working together. Watch this short video to see how it is embedded in our work…

How we work

We work with professionals and organisations across health, education, social care and the voluntary sector who share our commitment to co-production.

Together we have developed the SEND Strategy and published the Co-production Charter 2025, our shared commitment to co-production and working together. The Charter sets out our shared understanding of co-production, its purpose and principles, alongside guidance on what should be co-produced and how co-production should be carried out to achieve the best impact for children, young people and their parent carers.

To support its use, we also helped develop a toolkit which includes:

The Co-Production Charter

Co-Production Best Practice Planning Framework
How we Co-Produce
Co-Production Evaluation Framework to establish lessons learnt

“Working together with parent carers designing the EBSA toolkit, training and workshops has shown us the value of co-production in shaping more responsive and compassionate support. While we know experiences are still varied and there is more to do, these partnerships are helping us learn, build trust, and develop approaches that better meet the needs of children and young people and their families.”

— Helen Cox, Principal Educational Psychologist, South Gloucestershire Council

Working co-productively to shape services is how we can help enable children and young people to reach their full potential in every way possible – whether that be health goals, social experiences, or educational aspirations.

What co-production means in practice

Shared expertise – Families bring lived experience; professionals bring service knowledge. Both are equally valued.

Person-centred – We listen to the voices of children, young people and families, keeping their experiences at the heart of all decisions.

Transparent and accountable – Roles, responsibilities and timelines are agreed from the start.

Ambitious outcomes – Together, we work towards real improvements that make a difference in people’s lives.

Ongoing reflection – Every project is reviewed and evaluated to share learning and embed best practice.

Why partner with us?

By partnering with SGPC you are joining a working practice of equal partnership, trust and shared responsibility.

Together we can:

Embed co-production in planning, commissioning and delivery.
Strengthen the SEND Local Offer through projects co-designed with families.
Build better services that reflect the lived realities of those who use them

Request to work with us…

As part of our co-production process, we ask all stakeholders requesting SGPC involvement in a piece of work, to complete a Partnership Working Request Form, found below. This form helps us:

Clarify the purpose and scope of proposed joint work.

Provide information of the level of co-production, how it aligns with SEND Strategy priorities and complies with SGPC’s remit and capacity.

Agree expectations, roles, and responsibilities at the outset.

Please note: Any extensions beyond one year will require a new Partnership Working Request Form. This ensures transparency, accountability, and that the voices of families remain central throughout.