If a digital project fails, it is rarely because the technology did not work. More often, it is because the solution did not reflect the realities of the people expected to use it or benefit from it. We often describe co-production with people drawing on care, carers and care workers as the right thing to do. It is. But it also makes good business sense.
Co-production does not guarantee successful digital transformation. But meaningful involvement improves the conditions for success: understanding real needs, building trust, improving usability and supporting adoption. In a sector facing increasing pressure to deliver successful digital change at pace, that matters. The question is not whether people should be involved. The question is when and how.
Beyond consultation
Across adult social care there is growing recognition that people drawing on care, unpaid carers and frontline care workers should be involved in digital transformation. Yet involvement can take many forms. People may be informed about decisions that have already been made. They may be consulted on proposals that are largely fixed. They may be invited to provide feedback on a system that has already been purchased. All of these approaches have value, but they are not co-production.
Co-production goes further. It creates opportunities for people to influence priorities, shape decisions and contribute expertise throughout a project or programme of work. That distinction matters because digital transformation creates opportunities for real involvement at every stage.
As Ian McCreath, Director of Think Local Act Personal, told us, ‘Digital transformation in social care will only be effective and responsible if it is shaped with people, not simply designed for them, or worse, done to them. Co-production brings together lived experience, practice, policy and technology so that innovation starts with what matters to people and leads to change that is trusted, practical and human. It is how we make sure innovation is grounded in real lives, shared power and increased agency and not limited to a narrower focus on technical possibility and system efficiency.’
Understanding the problem
Many digital projects begin with a discussion about technology. A better starting point is what is the problem you are trying to solve – and what is technology’s role within that.
Frontline care workers understand operational frustrations and inefficiencies. People drawing on care and unpaid carers understand where systems create barriers, duplication or confusion. Involving people early helps organisations identify what matters and avoid investing in solutions that miss the point.
Shaping strategy and priorities
Co-production also has a role to play when organisations begin developing strategies and setting priorities. This feels particularly relevant as neighbourhood health services develop across England. Local systems are redesigning pathways, mapping services and exploring how information can be shared more effectively between organisations. National policy emphasises working with communities and people who draw on support to shape neighbourhood health services. The same principle should apply to the digital and data infrastructure that underpins them.
Questions about data sharing, interoperability, shared records and digital engagement are not simply technical issues. They affect how people experience care and support, and raise important questions about trust, transparency, privacy and control. Involving people in these conversations can help organisations understand both the opportunities and concerns that may otherwise be overlooked.
It is also important to remember that people drawing on care and their families are not only bringing lived experience to these discussions. Many are also digital specialists, researchers, project managers, data analysts, technology developers and innovators. Effective co-production values all forms of expertise.
Designing and delivering solutions
When organisations move into procurement and implementation, co-production can help ensure that solutions remain grounded in everyday practice. Technology suppliers can demonstrate what a product is capable of doing, but they cannot always predict how it will fit into real-world care settings. People drawing on care, unpaid carers and frontline staff often identify practical issues that are less visible during procurement exercises but become critical during implementation.
The same applies during implementation. New technologies rarely deliver benefits on their own. Success depends on confidence, trust and adoption. Involving people throughout implementation helps organisations spot barriers early, adapt quickly and stay focused on outcomes.
Deciding what success looks like
One of the biggest opportunities for co-production may be evaluation. Digital projects are often assessed through measures such as uptake, efficiency or cost savings. While these indicators are important, they rarely tell the whole story.
People drawing on care may be more interested in whether a technology improves communication, increases independence or gives them greater control over their information. Care workers may focus on whether it reduces duplication and creates more time for direct support. If people are not involved in defining success, organisations risk measuring what is easy rather than what matters.
Technology can enable co-production too
Digital technology is not only something to be co-produced. It can also support co-production itself. For people who face mobility challenges, communication barriers or difficulties attending meetings in person, digital tools can create opportunities to participate that might not otherwise exist.
Online workshops, video meetings, collaborative platforms, accessible surveys and alternative communication tools can help widen participation and make engagement more flexible. Used well, technology can help organisations hear from a broader range of voices and maintain involvement over longer periods.
Learning from the Oxford Project
The Oxford Project on the responsible use of generative AI in social care offers an interesting example of co-production in practice. Rather than starting with a technology solution, the project brought together people drawing on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, providers, researchers, technology suppliers and policymakers to explore what responsible use of AI should mean for social care.
A review of the project’s co-production approach found that participants valued opportunities to learn from one another, build relationships and work across traditional organisational boundaries.
The review also highlighted challenges. Participants reflected on power imbalances and differing experiences of being heard. One striking finding was that many stakeholder groups felt somebody else held the power. Technology suppliers, care workers and people with lived experience all identified concerns about influence and representation.
Perhaps that reflects an important truth about digital transformation: no single group holds all the cards. Effective co-production brings different forms of knowledge and experience into decisions together. The review also highlighted a strong desire to move beyond discussion and achieve practical impact. As its final reflections note, ‘Achieving real world impact is vital to secure ongoing stakeholder commitment.’
Continuing the conversation
Throughout July, Digital Care Hub will explore these themes through our Digital Care in Focus month on co-production – including a webinar on 9th July. We will share practical examples, challenges and lessons from across the sector, including how co-production can support data sharing and responsible innovation.
Throughout July, Digital Care Hub is focusing on co-production and digital transformation. Find out more on its website. Then, click here to read how Choice Support implemented the measures outlined in this feature to co-produce its recent re-brand.
Katie Thorn is Director of Innovation at Digital Care Hub.
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: @Digital-Care-Hub