Posted on: 20 October 2022
CNWL’s Strategic Service User Group (SSUG) got together at the Wellington Hotel in central London on Friday to reconnect, refresh its purpose and reinforce the importance of coproduction in the way it works.
The main aims of the day were to:
- Strengthen relationships between colleagues and other SSUG partners
- Review what the SSUG is and what it’s for
- Discuss concerns and priorities for the next one or two years
Another primary goal was to explore new ways of achieving real co-production, which means service users, carers and staff working
together to develop and shape services, rather than staff making decisions alone.
Co-production suggests that to provide truly effective public services, we need equal partnerships between users and providers of a service. It encourages transparency about how and why things are done.
CNWL’s Head of Addictions, Teresa Wirz believes events like this are crucial in developing new ideas and hopes the Trust can take some of the themes discussed on the day forward over the next few years.
She said: “The breadth and depth of the dedication and enthusiasm, not to mention the level of participation and experience, of the Strategic Service User Group and Allied Supporters, was extraordinary.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to meet the group in person and truly focus on the meaning of co-production in all its guises.”
For more information on how CNWL has integrated co-production into its working methods, please click here.
In the afternoon, participants were joined by Outside Edge Theatre Company, who came in to run a taster session and showcase the benefits of incorporating drama into addiction recovery.
Outside Edge offer free drama and creative writing workshops that help improve wellbeing and support recovery maintenance.
The session allowed attendees to open up, express themselves creatively and, as you can see from the photos below, have a good time while doing it.
