In June 2024 Genuine Partnerships was approached by Devon to explore how best to provide safe spaces within which the stories of Devon’s young people with SEND, parent carer and SEND practitioner and leaders across Education, Health and Care in Devon, including schools and settings, might be respectfully heard so that actions for change could better impact experience. It was agreed that it would be important to create opportunities to focus on strengths to build upon, bringing hope for the future, as well as identify areas for development. This was achieved through facilitation of eight focus groups and an online survey.
A further stage would be to bring the groups together for a co-production event at which the Devon stories would be shared and priorities for action agreed together, at the same time generating an area-wide, shared understanding of coproduction. The outcome of Genuine Partnerships’ involvement would be a cocreated action plan with identified priorities, specific actions, timescales and action owners.
The Four Cornerstones Co-production event was held 24th June 2025, bringing together senior leader and practitioners representing Education, Health and Social Care, schools and settings, and children and young people with SEND and parent carers from across the local area, including one of PCFD’s Co-Chairs and some of the Ambassador Volunteers. Attendees were asked to participate in, and reflect upon, co-production activities as well as consider how they would define coproduction and their priorities for action based on the Devon narratives collated.
By considering everyone as an equal partner and focusing upon their strengths and skills, the aim of the event was to strengthen relationships so that the participants could collaboratively agree their priorities for a Devon co-production/inclusion action plan that empowers everybody to have a voice and establishes joint responsibility for what happens next and when it needs to happen.