How it all began
In 2020, LELAN (The SA Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Network) and TACSI worked in partnership with people from the South Australian lived experience community to co-create a Philosophy of Care to inform the new Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) in Adelaide. This was commissioned by the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist SA.
Out of this work emerged a resource with a set of reflective statements, which we have continued to use to foster a mutual, honest and authentic relationship, and ultimately be accountable with each other.
Since then we have continued to reflect on our working relationship to date. In recognising our aligned values and the impact we want to create, we have been acknowledging ourselves as a partnership; one that will grow and evolve.
We believe this reflective resource will be helpful for people looking to understand how ready, willing and able they are to embark on an authentic co-design process.
A note on language
LELAN and TACSI draw on the following definition of lived experience for this resource and our collective work:
In the lived experience movement we define ‘lived experience’ as experiences of mental distress, social issues or injustice “that have caused life as we knew it to change so significantly we have to reimagine and redefine ourselves, our place in the world and our future plans…. Importantly, it’s about learning how to use those experiences in a way that’s useful to other people.”
– Byrne, L & Wykes,
We have learnt that, for some people, acknowledging historical and current experiences is an important distinction, which is why we have used the language lived and/or living experiences in our narrative.
Both organisations believe in the power of partnerships. We believe that no one person or institution can tackle the complex social problems society is experiencing and facing right now and into our future.
In essence, we work towards being collaborative in all of our work, working with people, sharing expertise and co-creating impactful outcomes. We know all of this is done best when people with lived and/or living experiences of the issues we seek to solve are involved as partners in all stages of what it takes to create better outcomes.
We co-created an ethic for how to do this together:
- We wish to model our partnership through sharing the work we do together with the world
- We want our partnership to be ‘seen’ in how we present to others when in co-creation. We are in this together
- There is a knowing that what each brings matters, and that this can create challenge and discomfort for us to work through with compassion
- We trust each other to share our partnership experience and the resources we co-create far and wide
- We have a commitment to be in a helpful and continuous state of mutual learning
While writing the reflective resource, we reflected on what co-design means to us. We’ve learnt that uncertainty and discomfort (not knowing what the outcome will be) are actually helpful indicators that let us know we are in it.
When we do feel discomfort, we find it helpful to remind ourselves of what this means in the co-design context, and remember these four things:
- It’s okay to not know where you’ll end up but trust that you will get there
- It’s important to name, address and share power
- Continue to learn together, and build capability and relationships
- Bringing our previous co-design experience to the table helps to create a structure that supports exploration and adaptation
We also reflected on how there are many examples of work out there claiming to be co-design, when in actual fact it’s often consultation or another form of participation.
When done well, consultation and other forms of involvement can yield great experiences and benefits. However, when something that is not co-design claims to be so, this can do harm and break trust between systems, services and people.
If your scope only allows for a consultation process, great clarity and trust can be built from being transparent about that. Then, the job to be done is to strive for creating the conditions and mindsets that will eventually support you to work towards an authentic co-design process. These steps can be small yet profound.
Being ready, willing and able is about having commitment, resources and permission to work authentically ‘with’ people through intentions and in practice.
This reflective resource is designed to support both individuals and teams to understand where they are at and how ready, willing and able you are to embark on an authentic co-design process.
This reflective resource will support you and your team to understand what your strengths are, so that you can acknowledge them more explicitly. It will also support you to identify what’s getting in the way of doing authentic co-design, so you can acknowledge that too and build a case to overcome such challenges.
The reflective resource is not designed to give you a complete picture of your skill or readiness to embark on co-design, but is intended to be a contribution to understanding your own practice and commitment to co-design with people with lived and/or living experiences.
We hope that it supports you to have reflective conversations and, with others, grapple with some of the hard stuff such as power imbalances and elements of organisational culture that may be holding you/us back.
Suggestions on how to use the reflective resource
- Take time to read and explore the reflective resource; either by yourself, with your team, or across your organisation and chosen networks
- You may choose to use the reflective statements to create your own tool, or use them in authentic conversation and reflection. Either way, it’s about starting the conversation and supporting improved practice, especially around partnering with people with lived and/or living experiences.
- We believe this work is deeper than a solo assessment at the beginning or end of a process. Rather, there is a bigger opportunity for you to consider where you are at, what this means in your context and consider steps and actions towards authentic co-design. At its heart, co-design is about mutuality, collaboration, sharing power together and ongoing learning.
- There is no right or wrong way to use this reflective resource. As an offer you may find it helpful to map your reflections on a spectrum such as:
- Unsure yet open
- Taking steps and asking questions
- Progressing and trying things out
- Succeeding and always learning
- ‘Co’ is a process deeply rooted in values, transformation and rich diversity. It may feel overwhelming at first but by considering the conditions around you, you may be more ready, willing and able then you think. Even if you discover a number of obstacles within your own practice or across your team, this resource will hopefully support you with the words to face them and this is still a great starting point.
- The reflective statements are written in a way that prompts generative inquiry rather than yes or no responses. We have learnt that co-design is about embodying values and demonstrating these values in action. This in itself can take time.
