— Tools, Guidelines & Frameworks

In this sense, people-centred care has been defined as the process of treating the patient as a unique individual. It respects patients and service users as individuals and considers their opinions in decision-making. Consequently, a people-centred approach empowers patients by increasing their role in their own health, giving them information, and providing support, comfort, acceptance, legitimacy, and confidence. According to the WHO1 strategy for 2016–2026, the implementation of people-centred care requires strategies that respond to local conditions and contexts, with the participation of local stakeholders and, specially, of disadvantaged populations.

We know that when we involve people with diverse perspectives in problem solving, we uncover ideas and insights that might have otherwise been overlooked by researchers and practitioners alone. For this reason, co-design has been widely heralded as a way to embrace ‘whole-of-systems-thinking’ and a method to solve complex problems. This practice framework presents Mind’s position and understanding of participation and co-design. Alongside the history and context, this framework steps through what we can do to create the conditions for successful collaboration with the Mind community. It provides Mind practitioners with case studies and examples of this work and highlights the resources and tools they have available for participation and co-design to be embedded as everyday practice. True co-design and co-production is ambitious, but certainly achievable. While there is no precise checklist or explicit ‘how to’ guideline on how to facilitate co-design initiatives, this practice framework will offer a template of ideas, opportunities and considerations to empower Mind employees to authentically engage communities in decision-making with confidence. This practice framework is an example of participation and co-design itself. It is influenced by innovative and leading work from within Australia and internationally, however most of the content has been developed with direct input from Mind’s Lived Experience Advisory Team and practitioners across the organisation. Included in the framework is a position statement: Working together to make a difference which was entirely led and designed by people who have been involved in co-design at Mind to share some key success criteria with practitioners.

This framework forms part of a set of resources aimed at different audiences, including

• A position paper aimed at anyone with an interest in understanding the challenges for progressing co-production in mental health. It is particularly designed for those involved in mental health policy and development as well as service users and practitioners who want to engage with and understand transformative c-oproduction.
• A guide ‘Progressing transformative co-production in mental health: some practical advice aimed at those with an interest in making co-production work in mental health services, especially mental health service users, their organisations and practitioners who want to engage with and understand transformative coproduction
• A checklist of key questions to consider and actions to take before, during and following any co-produced activity aimed at everyone involved.