Working together and the co-production charter

Our framework for a better way of working together with local government, NHS, young people and parent carers.

We've launched a new co-production charter, working together with local government officers, Young Voices, the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum and NHS partners.

This charter begins a strong, shared commitment to working together as equal partners. It clearly explains how co-production should work, making sure children, young people and families don’t just share their views - they help shape the decisions and services that affect them.

The charter is based on respect, trust and openness - key ingredients for good teamwork. It marks the start of a real shift in how we work together.

The way we created the charter shows the values it stands for by listening, sharing and working as one. Everyone involved brought their ideas, experiences and energy to help shape something that truly reflects real people and real lives.

Looking ahead, the charter will guide how we build co-production into everything we do. It’s a strong reminder that when we work together, we get better results and build a better future for everyone.

Children First co-production charter

  • Co-producing with parents and children involves creating collaborative partnerships where their insights and experiences shape decision-making for individuals, services and policies. For example: 

    • individual level - school staff meet with parents, carers and children before writing an individual support plan, and then the plan is written co-productively
    • operational level - parents, carers, children and young people work together to create a school behaviour policy
    • strategic - parents, carers, children and professionals work together to create a long-term plan, using data and case studies to develop a support service for young carers

  • To co-produce effectively, we:

    • listen to each other and show we've understood what was said
    • communicate clearly and simply
    • support people to take part by making reasonable adjustments
    • stay open, honest and realistic
    • involve people in decisions and explain why if we make decisions without them
    • act on the views we gather
    • treat everyone with respect and dignity
    • give people the tools they need to feel safe and share their experiences
    • provide accurate, timely, accessible and consistent information
    • involve people as early as possible and set clear expectations, including any limits to the project

  • Key aspects involve:

    • collaboration - individuals actively participate in decision making about themselves and those they care for, including the design, delivery and evaluation of services, instead of just being given information
    • learning - participants learn from each other, leading to skills and trust within the community
    • empowerment - co-production empowers groups by giving them a voice in decision-making processes, rebalancing power dynamics between all involved
    • innovation - diverse perspectives can lead to creative solutions
    • equal footing - address historical power imbalances, fostering mutual respect, ensuring that all individuals have an equal say and influence in decision-making processes

“At West Sussex County Council we believe embracing co-production can lead to effective, sustainable and responsive services. This is our commitment for working together. We believe we must create inclusive environments that value the contributions of all those involved, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for individuals and communities.”

Co-produced projects

  • The West Sussex Parent Carer Forum launched the Together for Change panel in Autumn 2024 with big ambitions. Just 8 months later, the panel’s approach has been recognised across the region as a leading example of excellent co-production.

    You can learn more about the Together for Change panel from the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum.

  • The NHS funds the West Sussex Autism in Schools project to help improve school life for autistic children and young people.

    The project is built on co-production - families, schools and professionals work together to create inclusive environments where autistic pupils feel valued and their strengths are recognised. It encourages schools to support neurodivergent thinking and welcome different ways of learning.

    West Sussex County Council’s Autism and Social Communication Team runs the project with the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum. Together, they help schools, parents and students communicate openly and positively. They make sure autistic children, young people and their families are listened to, respected and involved in decisions.

    So far, the project has developed:

    • a special educational needs and disability (SEND) parent carer involvement policy for schools
    • an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) template for parent carers
    • a transition toolkit for schools, with guidance for families
    • autism ambassador groups that work with researchers and the project team to create resources that support wellbeing and resilience

    The team also created a short film to show how the project helps autistic pupils express their needs and take part in school life. The film highlights real experiences and shows why inclusive education matters.

  • We really value your feedback at the Local Offer. We want to know what works well when you visit our website or use our services and what we could do better. We listen to your suggestions and try our best to act on them.

    Thanks to your feedback, we created a Summer holiday SEND events page. You told us it would be useful and we agreed! We’ll keep adding new events as we hear about them.

    We also worked with the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum to co-produce our new banner and information leaflet. We’ve made the leaflet clear and easy to read, so you can quickly understand what the Local Offer is and how it can support you.

    Look out for our leaflets in Family Hubs, libraries and other places across the county.

  • This year, our amazing Young Voices team visited 2 local Family Hubs to inspect them and suggest ways to make them more welcoming, accessible and engaging. These young inspectors shared honest feedback and creative ideas to help us improve the spaces, signs, information and how we connect with families.

    Their input is already helping us make real improvements for local children, young people and families. Some of the suggestions included:

    • adding public transport links and disabled parking space information on websites
    • having a box of focus tools and ear defenders to help young people concentrate
    • a sign with pictures explaining who is in the building today

    Young people really enjoyed carrying out the inspection, gaining new skills, supporting staff and also improving services for other young people. They said:

    “Staff were friendly and wanted to make the space better for young people and SEND visitors.”

    Find out more about Young Voices - a group for young people with SEND or additional needs.

  • We hope you’ve been inspired by this week’s news of co-production projects and would like to get your own voice heard. You can get involved:

    • if you are aged 11 to 25 and have SEND, you can get involved with Young Voices - a group for young people with SEND or additional needs - some projects are aimed at young adults aged 16 to 25 and the team would love to hear about what matters to you and help you get involved
    • if you are a parent of a child or young person with SEND, consider joining the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum (WSPCF) and the WSPCF as a professional if you work with families and young people with SEND
    • in influencing NHS projects by going to NHS Sussex’s get involved web page
    • if you are a parent or carer, you can ask your school whether they have opportunities for parents to participate or even a parent carer forum attached to your child or young person’s school
    • if you are a young person, you can ask your school about ways in which you can get involved with the decision-making at your school
    • if you want to share your experience of using SEND services or Local Offer information, you can complete a feedback form on any page of the Local Offer website, or email us at localoffer@westsussex.gov.uk - we will listen and pass on feedback to managers or use your comments to improve our information
    • by following Local Offer, WSPCF and NHS Sussex on Facebook to make sure you are informed of any surveys or opportunities to influence specific projects

Did you find what you were looking for?