From Feedback to Change: Evidencing Co-Production in Quality Improvement
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Collecting feedback is easy; evidencing co-production is harder. Commissioners and regulators increasingly expect providers to show how lived experience directly influences service improvement, decision-making and outcomes. Without clear evidence of change, co-production risks being viewed as tokenistic.
Strong providers treat co-production as an active driver of quality improvement, embedded within governance systems rather than separate engagement activity.
This approach aligns closely with support planning and review processes and wider organisational values frameworks, ensuring consistency across delivery.
Turning Feedback into Action
Co-production evidence should clearly show the journey from feedback to decision to change. This includes documenting what was said, what was considered, what action was taken and why.
Inspectors often look for this narrative rather than isolated comments or survey scores.
Operational Examples of Evidenced Co-Production
Example one: co-produced action plans. A provider developed action plans jointly with people using services, recording priorities, agreed actions and review dates.
Example two: environmental changes. Feedback about shared spaces led to co-designed refurbishments, with before-and-after evidence and individual satisfaction recorded.
Example three: service model adjustments. Individuals influenced staffing patterns and activity schedules following trial periods, with outcomes evaluated collaboratively.
Commissioner Monitoring Expectations
Commissioners often request evidence of service-user influence during contract reviews. Providers should be able to demonstrate how co-production informs KPIs, outcomes reporting and service development.
Clear audit trails strengthen credibility.
Inspection Readiness
Regulators assess whether people can describe changes they have influenced. Inspectors may ask staff how feedback is captured, escalated and reviewed.
Providers should ensure staff understand the co-production process and can articulate real examples.
Governance Structures that Support Co-Production
Effective governance includes regular review of engagement activity at senior level, clear ownership of actions and accountability for delivery.
This prevents co-production becoming informal or inconsistent.
Common Evidence Gaps
Common gaps include undocumented informal feedback, lack of follow-up, and failure to close feedback loops. Providers should address these through structured recording and review processes.
Why Evidence Matters
Evidenced co-production strengthens trust, improves outcomes and protects providers during scrutiny. It demonstrates that involvement is meaningful, sustained and central to quality care.
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