Consumer Involvement and Co-design

This two-day short course will provide health and social care professionals with an overview of various approaches to working with others – from client and community groups to other organisations and professionals. It will highlight factors to consider during planning and delivery, with a focus on engaging communities that standard approaches commonly exclude. And it will support building of base-level skills in various participatory approaches and activities.

Service organisations are increasingly being asked by contractors, funders and governments to involve clients, communities and other stakeholders when designing and delivering services. The benefits of bringing these stakeholders together to ideate, deliberate, make decisions, implement and evaluate activities, are being seen across health and social services. However, the competencies and skills to do this in a meaningful and safe way are rarely a feature of existing and historical education programs in health and social care.

Key concepts relating to stakeholder engagement and co-design such as empowerment and collaboration will be examined alongside human rights and other legislative drivers of participation. Relevant frameworks and case studies will be reviewed in presenting key engagement stages, techniques, strategies and risks.

Course outline

DAY 1: Principles, Approaches and Models

• Overview and introduction of key engagement concepts
• Legislative requirements
• Determining which engagement approach to use
• Selection and recruitment considerations
• Strategies for establishing rules of engagement
• Discussions of case study engagement approaches in practice, policy and research settings

DAY 2: Strategies, Techniques and Considerations

• Overview of other engagement approaches
  (e.g. IAP2 and collective impact)
• Co-design principles, approaches, stages, models and frameworks
• When co-design is not the right fit
• Engagement of co-design

Who should attend?

This course will provide an overview of various approaches to working with others, with a focus on engaging communities that standard engagement approaches commonly exclude. It is designed specifically for health and social care professionals interested in using co-design and other participatory approaches to enhance programs and interventions.

Course facilitators