Articles

Principles of Co-Production: From Tokenism to True Partnership

Too often, co-production in social care slips into tokenism. This blog unpacks the core principles of authentic co-production and how providers can embed them into daily practice, tenders, and inspections.

Why Co-Production Matters in Social Care

Co-production is more than consultation — it’s about genuine partnership with people supported, families, and communities. Learn why it matters, what commissioners and the CQC expect, and how to evidence...

Social Care Featured Practitioner Series — Tendering, Safeguarding & Person-Centred Practice

Explore Impact Guru’s Featured Practitioner Series — structured multi-part guides covering safeguarding, person-centred practice, tender writing and operational improvement in adult social care. Each series breaks complex topics into practical,...

PBS in Learning Disability Tenders — Going Beyond the Basics

Go beyond the basics of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in learning disability tenders with this practical guide covering behaviour understanding, staff training, proactive strategies, and co-production.

From Tokenism to True Partnership: Families as Equal Voices in Care Planning

It’s not enough to “consult” families — true person-centred planning means working with them as equal voices. Here’s how to move beyond tokenism.

Making Time for Families: Why It’s Worth It (Even When You’re Busy)

It’s easy to say “we involve families” — but how often does that fall by the wayside? Here’s why making time matters, and how to build it into practice.

When Families Disagree: Navigating Conflict in Person-Centred Planning

Disagreements happen — but conflict doesn’t have to derail planning. Here’s how to manage tensions between families, advocates and services with dignity.

Care Planning Conversations That Count: Making Meetings Inclusive

Meetings can feel overwhelming or tokenistic — unless they’re planned with care. Here’s how to make sure families and advocates are heard, not sidelined.

The Power of Listening: Why Family and Advocates Hold the Missing Pieces

Care plans become more meaningful when they include the voices of those who know the person best. Learn how to embed family and advocate input into assessments and reviews.

Balancing Autonomy and Support: Involving Families Without Undermining the Person

Explore how to involve families and advocates in care planning without diluting the person’s voice — and why balancing autonomy with support is key to quality care.

Involving Families in Person-Centred Planning: How Much Is Too Much?

How do you strike the right balance between involving families and respecting the voice of the person? This blog explores practical and ethical considerations for care providers.

Co-Production Isn’t a Buzzword — It’s a Mindset

Blog 7 of 7 in our Person-Centred Approaches: Core Principles & Values mini-series. This post explains what co-production looks like when it is embedded across planning, recruitment and governance. It...

Embedding Family Voice in Positive Behaviour Support: From Involvement to Genuine Partnership

Embedding family voice in PBS requires more than consultation. This guide explains how providers move from token involvement to structured partnership, strengthening outcomes, governance and tender evidence.

Family Involvement in PBS: What Commissioners Want to See

Family involvement in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) isn’t just good practice — it’s what commissioners expect. This blog explores how to evidence it clearly in tenders.

Why Co-Production Matters in Positive Behaviour Support

PBS isn’t something you do to someone — it’s something you build with them. Here’s how co-production changes the outcome.

Capturing Stories: How Video Production Enhances PBS and Family Involvement

Discover how video production can capture authentic Positive Behaviour Support stories and boost family engagement in care practices. Learn how using video enriches co‐production and builds lasting trust.

Why Your PBS Training Should Include Family Voices (Not Just Staff)

Families aren’t just part of the PBS plan — they’re part of the learning. Here’s why their voices should shape how you train your team.

Co-Producing PBS: Why Families and the People You Support Must Be Central

Positive Behaviour Support works best when it’s co-designed. Here’s how to involve people and families meaningfully in PBS planning and delivery.

Person-Centred Tender Writing in Social Care: Emotion, Co-Production and Lived Experience Evidence

Strong social care tenders do more than describe tasks and compliance. This article explains how providers can evidence emotional connection, co-production, empathy and lived experience in ways that strengthen commissioner...