Learning From One Another Through Co-production
As we mark Co-production Week, we’re celebrating the voices, experiences and contributions of the people who help shape life across Camphill Village Trust communities.
Lived experience is the knowledge and understanding people gain through their own lives. By sharing it, we can learn from one another and create support that reflects what really matters to people.
At the heart of co-production is a simple idea: people are experts in their own lives
For people with learning disabilities and autism, lived experience offers valuable insight into what good support looks like, what creates opportunities, and what helps people live the lives they choose. When those experiences are listened to and acted upon, services become stronger, more personalised and more meaningful.
As Sophie, one of the people we support in our St Albans Community, explains:
“Lived experiences will help people through their lives and learn from other people’s lived experiences. By sharing that, we can get a better understanding of the world that we live in. We can all learn from each other about lots of different things.”
Those words capture exactly why co-production matters.
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- Sophie
Co-production at Camphill Village Trust
Too often, decisions about people’s lives are made without fully understanding their experiences. Co-production changes that. It creates opportunities for people to share their knowledge, ideas and perspectives so that support is shaped with people, not for them.
At Camphill Village Trust, co-production means working together as equal partners to design, deliver and review services. It strengthens personalisation, choice and control, community inclusion, rights and citizenship.
The people we support don’t simply receive services; they help influence how our communities run, from everyday life through to governance and decision-making.
One example is our Life of Opportunity Reviewers role.
Life of Opportunity Reviewers are people supported by Camphill Village Trust who visit other communities across England to talk with people about their experiences. They listen to what’s working well, identify areas for improvement and gather ideas directly from the people who know those communities best.
Listen to Nicki and Ed about what it means to be a Life of Opportunity Reviewer
Those findings don’t stay on paper. They are shared with leaders and the Board, helping to inform decisions and shape future developments across the Trust.
It’s a powerful example of lived experience creating positive change.
Creating positive change together
When people are given meaningful opportunities to contribute, everyone benefits. Communities become stronger, support becomes more responsive, and individuals gain confidence, ownership and a greater sense of belonging.
As Sophie puts it:
“People can use my experience to understand… it’s your life, your decision, you are who you are.”
That message sits at the heart of our approach.
Co-production isn’t a project or a one-off. It’s an ongoing commitment to partnership, shared power and making sure every voice is heard. It’s about recognising and valuing the skills, talents and experiences that every person brings.
This Co-production Week, we’re celebrating the people whose lived experiences help shape our communities every day. Their voices help us learn, improve and build a better future together.
Because when we listen to lived experience, we all learn from one another.
