CoProWeekScot Event: Using Human Learning Systems in Co-Production Practice
Friday 22nd November 2024, 9.30am-11.00am, online
This event was hosted by ThemPra Social Pedagogy CIC.
Human Learning Systems (HLS) offers a relational and learning-focussed way of working with the complex reality of people’s lives to support them to flourish.
In this interactive online workshop we explored how HLS can support co-production practice. We’ll share insights into No One Left Behind, a case study by the Opportunities Fife Partnership. NOLB shows why HLS offers a powerful approach to working collaboratively in complex, adaptive environments and how it can support co-production.
There’s more information about this work here:
Overview
HLS is an approach to rethink and reframe how services are designed and delivered, allowing people to come together and create services that work for them – whether they are delivering the service or benefitting from it. HLS is an empowering way of working that can help with complex and complicated journeys, making them more human and kinder, exploring service delivery, commissioning and governance and oversight.
HLS is a values-based practice, and sees relationships as vital to the process, looking at ways to enable power sharing, seeing the values being more important than the systems and tools. It is important to see the array of skills and knowledge that exist, professional and by experience.
HLS can be used for services that are complex and challenging – such as family wellbeing or employability services. There was discussion on the name of programmes – things like family wellbeing as some people do not have positive associations as family is not a source of security for everyone, and wellbeing is a term that is often seen as overused and doesn’t really mean much to communities and individuals.
The importance of preparing all stakeholders was also key to getting relationships off on a good footing. Often, we discuss preparing and supporting people with experience to be ready, but one of the presenters shared their experience where the role of preparing all stakeholders – professionals within the service and also with related services, elected officials, individuals and wider stakeholders. This preparation enabled power sharing and open, transparent discussions to happen.
There was discussion about the importance of trauma informed practice and ensuring that people are not placed in positions where they need to tell and re-tell their story to justify their involvement. It is vital to consider creating safe spaces and ensuring that people are protected from being retraumatised and placed into a vulnerable position.
HLS is not a magic wand, and relationships should be approached with an understanding of complexity, a realisation that time to make changes can be slower with large public bodies.
Discussion moved onto the role of oversight and steering groups, and that its ok to be selective for the members of these, and that people on these should be supported to be challenging and open to being challenged to get the best out of the panel. The members selected for steering groups should be those with experience, skills and knowledge that will make a difference, and don’t always need to be fully representative as there may be other opportunities for wider consultation. It was also discussed how important it is to foster a spirit of learning, readiness to fail and seeing that failure is learning and not something to get defensive about, and that this comes from time spent building relationships, developing good communication and starting from where people are.
One of the examples during the workshop was around homelessness services. It would be easy to jump to a solution of providing a home, but that does not allow for where the person experiencing homelessness is, and what is important to them. In the example, the person presenting with homelessness did not initially want to be rehomed. Over time, and by thinking of being human and kind, services were put in place to help the person access dental treatment as that was his main priority. Then, they were able to support him to get a cosier sleeping bag, and then a bicycle, and after being trusting relationships over time, doing what the service said it would and then were able to build up to finding suitable accommodation, so the person was no longer homeless. This shows that it is not big changes, or expensive services that can help build towards a successful relationship and support people to move on from their initial circumstances, accepting that life is sometimes messy.
HLS is a framework that can allow exploration of the multiple, interconnected and complex actors and factors that shape people’s lives. Fundamentally, HLS is an ethical practice with people, relationships and kindness at its core, that values many different types of experience, skills and knowledge, where learning is seen as essential and not a luxury, where everyone has something to teach, and everyone has something to learn.
This work mirrors c-design principles:
Prioritising relationships
Participation
Building capacity
Sharing power
(From Beyond Sticky Notes, KA McKercher, 2020)
Using HLS as a framework can help services look at changes, but the benefits can be in relationships, practice, and financially as well.
Inputs
Watch the inputs from the session’s speakers below.
Breakouts
Breakout group one
Participants were from the voluntary sector and local authorities.
“Sometimes naming something helps us to bring it to life” Whilst we all try to avoid jargon, if we name things and explain the process, people can gain new insights and ownership of the process.
There was discussion about the 3 Ps – private, professional and personal, and how to bring authenticity and humanity to our work and not feeling too afraid to share some of the personal – as long as it is done appropriately and thoughtfully.
The group also discussed the importance of managing the ending of projects – and building that planning in from the beginning. It is especially important when working with people with lived and living experience to consider the “what next” question, and how to support people who may have had their expectations raised in terms of being involved. Planning the ending from the start is seen as important to the process and to caring for people.
Discussion also covered how to fail and to see it as learning rather than failure. The role of learning, curiosity and experimentation was seen as key to good coproduction relationships, and it was felt that they structure of HLS can offer a lot to support to enable and empower people – both professionals and participants.
Breakout group two
Co-pro with a museums setting
Co-production to deliver change - offering representation, inclusion, equal forces.
Who are the people best to tell their own stories? Especially in the context of museums and people telling their stories
Community catalysts with museums - core values of inclusivity. HLS resonates with the way this change is happening - organisational change within.
Power dynamics of museums are interesting. What do the public think museums are for? People don't want to give up power, but museums have no option but to go to co-pro / HLS approaches.
Co-pro with a children's services setting
HLS resonates related to co-pro. Within children's services you're there to provide a voice for young people. Assumptions about solutions can easily be made, grouping people together around age.
Whereas having an individual approaches, with the children focused on what works for them.
With young people, there is a built in power dynamic weighted towards the adult or organisations. The human element, engaging with them, is crucial.
Children's care plans review - now led by the child. Where are they held, who's invited, what's on the agenda? Quite a big culture shift. Human rights based approach - children's rights within the law in Scotland.
Time often spent preparing the officials - not just the children! That's significant. Creating a safe space for both sides.
Conclusion
Supporting a culture for co-production is vital - HLS seems like a structure for developing that culture. This can enable a shifting of decision-making structures and supporting people to be involved and use their voice.
Allowing time for relationships to develop should be seen as an investment in services and given the space it needs.
Creating psychologically safe spaces allows the fostering of learning mindsets and moves from failure being seen as a negative into learning.
There is a real need for capacity building for all stakeholders, and this needs to be built in at all stages of projects – from initial thoughts to implementation.
The importance of planning and managing endings, consideration to be given right from the start.