Co-Production

Co-Production

Co-production for ABSS means involving parents and professionals in identifying needs, solutions and how these are developed. Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS) are leading this work , through engaging parents within the ABSS areas in the different aspects of the A Better Start programme. The work on co-production has helped to bring about effective projects and services in the City.

Co-production for A Better Start Southend looks like this:

• Support for the Parent Champion voluntary role. Parent Champions co-produce engagement activity and events, ensuring all eligible families can access ABSS services. Parent Champions also offer their support and insights into service design and delivery for ABSS and sit in decision-making forums such as ABSS Governance meetings.
• Developing the role and function of Parent Champions, with the parents defining how it moves forward and ensuring this role remains responsive to the changing needs of the community and the ABSS programme.
• Engaging parents through Parent Voice and Expertise activities, which supports individuals to offer their insight, views and lived experience for new projects and campaigns, including but not limited to, ABSS Southend Supports Breastfeeding.
• Mapping and supporting the development of new and current volunteering opportunities in the city that meet the needs and aspirations of parents, including those in the Parent Champion role.
• Developing and delivering a progressive volunteer training programme to reflect the different levels of involvement in the opportunities ABSS offers and tie into wider volunteering and co-production opportunities for post ABSS age range involvement.
• Supporting the development of legacy resource materials, ensuring the learning gleaned from the Parental Engagement and Co-production project remains accessible beyond the ABSS programme.
• Ensuring continued support for the implementation of a city-wide co-production strategy alongside parents and ABSS partners.