Good community engagement is more than consultation. It reaches the people who are usually left out, gives them real influence, and shows them what changed as a result. FVA helps public sector partners and third sector organisations design engagement that meets the National Standards for Community Engagement, and we run engagement work ourselves when an independent, trusted convener is needed.
We also run the Community Engagement Network, which brings together people doing engagement work across Fife to share practice. The project below is an example of co-production led by FVA.
Together for Change: co-production with children young people and families (2023 to 2024)
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The Together for Change project aimed to capture and understand the experiences of children, young people and families to facilitate the transformation and funding of children’s services so that children and families in Fife experience better outcomes.
The project also set out to develop our approach to co-production which is a collaborative approach to creating positive change.
The project was a collaboration of third sector organisations (Barnardo’s, Clued Up and the Cottage Family Centre), public sector partners (Fife Council and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership) and parents, carers and young people who have experience of using and receiving family support services in Fife. The project was coordinated and facilitated by Fife Voluntary Action.
The Together for Change project was funded by the Fife Children’s Services Partnership, through the Scottish Government’s Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF).
What we did
Over the course of 18 months (January 2023 - June 2024) the project delivered the following outcomes:
- A co-produced report with recommendations to inform the future design, planning and commissioning of support and services for children, young people and families.
- Meaningful engagement with children, young people and families across Fife.
- Reflection and learning on what supports successful co-production with children, young people and families alongside service providers to inform future practice.
One of the parents on the project team said: “Being on this group has been an amazing opportunity for me. I really feel my voice has been listened to and I have an important part in the project. I am so passionate about making sure other people don’t have the same experiences that I have had and want to help change things.”
Project Reports
The project team has produced two reports:
1. A summary report - see below
2. A full report which details the findings of the project
If you would like more information about the project, please e-mail [email protected] or call 01592 760728.
What is Co-Production?
Co-production has many definitions and can sometimes be confused with traditional forms of participation and engagement. We used the following definition to help distinguish what co-production means:
“Co-production refers to a way of working, whereby everybody works together on an equal basis to create a service or come to a decision which works for them all”. (thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk)
Co-production is a collaborative approach to creating positive change. It requires people to work together on an equal basis, be supported to share their lived experiences, skills, and ideas to create better services and communities. In the context of this project, it involved children, young people and families working together with service providers and professionals to co-produce recommendations for change so that children, young people and families experience better outcomes.
Get in touch
Our team can point you to the right person if you are not sure who to ask.
E-mail [email protected]
Telephone 0800 389 6046
