Co Production in Supported Living: Involving Service Users in Their Own Care
There is a phrase that has become something of a touchstone in health and social care: "Nothing about us without us." It originated in disability rights activism, but it captures something that every professional working with vulnerable adults already knows to be true , that people are far more likely to engage with, benefit from, and sustain a plan that they have had a genuine hand in creating.
Co production is not a new idea. But in supported living, where the risk of care becoming something that is done to people rather than with them is ever present, it is one that requires constant, active commitment. At Diverse Services, it sits at the heart of how we work.
This blog explores what co production really means in a supported living context, why it matters for the professionals who refer to and review our services, and how we put it into practice across our 18 properties in West London.
What Co Production Actually Means
Co production is sometimes used loosely to mean little more than consultation, asking someone what they think, noting their response, and then proceeding more or less as planned. That is not co production. True co production means that the people using a service are genuine partners in designing and shaping that service, with real influence over decisions that affect their lives.
In the context of supported living, co production operates at two levels:
Individual co production , involving each resident in the design of their own support plan, their daily routines, their goals, and how progress is measured.
Organisational co production , involving residents in shaping how the service as a whole is run, what activities are offered, how staff are trained, and what changes are made.
Both matter. A beautifully written individual support plan means very little if the resident had no input into it. Equally, asking residents to join a service improvement group while ignoring what they say in their own keyworker sessions sends a contradictory message about whose voice actually counts.
Why It Matters and Why It Can Be Hard
The case for co production in supported living is both ethical and practical. Ethically, people have a right to self determination. Adults living in supported accommodation have not forfeited their right to make decisions about their own lives. That right may need support and scaffolding, but it does not disappear because someone has a mental health condition, a learning disability, or a history of chaotic living.
Practically, the evidence is clear. When people are involved in shaping their own care, they engage more consistently, they are less likely to disengage or leave placements in crisis, and they make more sustainable progress towards independence. Co production is not just the right thing to do , it produces better outcomes.
But it can be genuinely hard. Some of the people we support have had years of experience in which their views were not sought, not listened to, or not acted on. They may be sceptical and reasonably so, about whether their input will make any real difference. Others may struggle to articulate their preferences, particularly early in a placement when trust has not yet been established. And there are times when what a person wants in the moment is not in their long term interest, which requires careful, honest, compassionate navigation.
Co production is not about always saying yes. It is about always listening, always explaining, and always treating the person as the expert on their own life.
How We Put Co Production Into Practice
At Diverse Services, co production is embedded in our processes but more importantly, it is embedded in our culture. Here is what that looks like in practice:
Support planning. Every resident has an individual support plan that is developed with them, not for them. We ask residents to tell us about their goals, short term and long term and about what support feels helpful versus what feels intrusive. Support plans are reviewed regularly and updated to reflect how the person's needs and aspirations change over time.
Key worker relationships. Each resident is assigned a named keyworker who builds a consistent, trusting relationship with them over time. Keyworker sessions are not just check ins, they are spaces where residents can raise concerns, share what is and is not working, and influence what happens next in their care. The keyworker is the resident's advocate within our team.
Resident representatives. In each of our properties, residents can take on the role of house representative, feeding back to management about how the property is run, raising issues, and contributing to decisions about shared spaces and activities. We have found that residents who take on this role often experience a significant boost in confidence and sense of agency.
Activities and community engagement. Our Activities Co ordinator works directly with residents to find out what they enjoy, what they have always wanted to try, and what connections they want to build in their local community. Activities are not pre set; they evolve based on what residents tell us they value. This has led to residents joining local college courses, taking up creative arts, and building peer friendships that extend beyond the property.
Complaints and feedback. We take complaints seriously and treat them as an important source of information about where we can do better. Residents are encouraged, not just permitted, to raise concerns, and they are kept informed about how their feedback is acted on.
What Co Production Looks Like for Professionals
For the social workers, care coordinators, and other professionals who work alongside Diverse Services, co production has some practical implications worth highlighting.
First, the information you bring to a referral about what the individual themselves wants from a placement matters enormously to us. We are not looking for a list of deficits, we are looking for a picture of the person: their preferences, their history of what has worked, their hopes for where they want to be in a year's time. The more you can share about the person's own voice and priorities, the better placed we are to build a plan that they will actually engage with.
Second, when it comes to reviews and multi agency meetings, we will always seek to have the resident involved and informed about what is being discussed. We will not talk about people as if they are not there or not there in spirit. If there are sensitive issues that need to be discussed without the resident present, we will be transparent with the resident about that and explain why.
Third, if a resident tells us or tells you, that something in their plan is not working for them, we want to know. We would rather adjust an approach early than persist with something that is causing disengagement or distress. Open communication between Diverse Services and the professionals who refer to us is essential to this.
The resident is not just the subject of the plan. They are its co author. Everything works better when we all remember that.
The Link Between Co Production and Recovery
There is a growing body of evidence and a great deal of lived experience linking co production with better recovery outcomes in mental health and supported living. When people feel that they have control over their own lives, that their views are respected, and that the support around them is genuinely responsive to who they are, they are more likely to develop the confidence and skills needed to live more independently.
At Diverse Services, we see this in practice. Residents who begin their placement disengaged or resistant often become some of the most active participants in their own care once trust is established and they experience what genuine co production feels like. It takes time and it takes consistency but the results speak for themselves.
For professionals, understanding this dynamic is useful when thinking about what success looks like in a supported living placement. A resident who is actively engaged in shaping their support, who attends their keyworker sessions, who has opinions about their plan and is not afraid to voice them, that is progress, even if other indicators are still developing.
A Shared Commitment
Co production in supported living is not something that any single organisation can deliver alone. It requires a shared commitment from providers, commissioners, referring professionals, and the wider care system to treat the people we support as partners, not passive recipients of care.
At Diverse Services, we are committed to that partnership with our service users, and with the professionals who work alongside us. If you would like to discuss how we approach co production in more detail, or to explore whether a placement with Diverse Services might be right for someone you support, we would welcome the conversation.
Get in Touch
To find out more about our approach or to discuss a referral, visit diverseservices.co.uk or email info@diverseservices.co.uk
Diverse Services | Supporting adults with complex needs across West London