Learning from our co-production project: Understanding Self-Harm
Between January 2022 to April 2023, Fullscope worked with 9 young people with lived experience to understand self-harm from their perspective and develop a response to the issues as they experienced them. This co-production activity has been core to Fullscope’s three-phase project, Understanding Self-Harm. Here we share some more about the process of co-production, and our learning from the project.
Co-production workshops
Co-production is a term used often now. It can be confusing, however, about what it might actually mean. Often, for example, what people really mean is asking for feedback or consultation. We were keen to ensure that young people were at the heart of this project and that nothing could be developed without them, from the very beginning. Our work with the young people was underpinned by Fullscope’s model for co-production, with a clear framework around consent and safeguarding in place.
The young people involved with our project were identified by their schools as having lived experience of self-harm and currently ‘well enough’ to participate. Beginning in January 2022, our core project team (Katie Edwards and Juliet Snell) spent 6 months getting to know the young people, sharing what we (Fullscope) knew about the local picture from our desk-based research and conversations with system colleagues, and developing ideas in co-production workshops. We met mostly in a creative space away from the school environment, and also made time for creative activities with an artist.
By the summer of 2022, the young people had developed an idea to make a film, with wrap-around training workshops, aimed at GPs, school staff and their peers. The intention was that the people around young people who self-harm might understand the young person better, listen, and provide a better response to them when they disclosed their self-harm. The film would be accompanied by a dedicated workshop resource.
Co-creating a film
Once we had the idea of the film and workshops, Fullscope commissioned Boundary Pictures, a film company with experience of co-creating work with vulnerable communities. We met with founder Zan, who brought on board animator Joe, from Oh Studio, and between September 2022 – March 2023 this creative team worked with the young people to co-create the film, supported by Katie and Juliet from Fullscope. The young people were interviewed by Zan, which provided the rich and authentic content for the ‘script’, and the young people worked with Joe to create the right visuals to accompany their words.
The process of co-creation was not always easy, finding the balance between what we knew needed to be high quality work in order for people to take notice, and looking after the young people who were giving so much of themselves in making the work. Looking after the young people always took priority. The process of editing and refining the script (all real words from hours of interviews with the young people) was guided and supported by our steering group of experts ranging from parent/carers, voluntary sector leaders, academics and educators. The young people were part of the team giving the final sign off on the film.
Evaluation
We knew co-production was important to this work, and we wanted to assess how our model for co-production worked in practice. For this we brought in independent consultant Dr Emily Bradfield who immersed herself into the project. As well as interviews and feedback methodologies, Emily observed co-production workshops, steering group meetings and post-session reflective conversations, which in themselves provided valuable space for the core project team and creative team to consider what was working well and areas for potential growth and change. During workshops with the young people Emily would sketch out a Creative Capture® of the discussions, sharing them with the group afterwards and inspiring some of the young people to also doodle during sessions. Some of the young people’s doodles have found their way into the final film.
© Emily Bradfield 2022 Self-Harm Creative Capture®
From Emily’s evaluation, we know that the young people valued the opportunity to have their voices heard and to be involved in making such a high-quality animation.
Recommendations
Emily's final report makes recommendations for how Fullscope can continue to develop its co-production work. This has been incredibly useful, showing us in summary that:
We need to make sure we define and agree on what we mean by co-production, across all members of the group from the young people to the commissioning funders.
Creative activities and environments can be beneficial to the co-production process.
The careful support of the core team, not only to the young people but to the creative film team too, was vital in making sure everyone felt looked after and safe.
It’s important to have clear definitions of roles from a transparent recruitment process to project inception, and revisited throughout.
Time, space and environment are all important parts of the co-production puzzle and all enable the formation of a safe space in which creativity and the authentic sharing of voices can flourish.
The Fullscope model for co-production doesn't quite go far enough in providing guidance for the co-creation of a product and so we will be reviewing the model for an updated publication in 2024.
Conclusion
This project has provided Fullscope with an opportunity to explore how we use co-production in practice in a project working with young people with lived experience, and we have learnt so much from the wonderful young people we worked with. We have seen the true value of co-production, and of listening to young people's voices. As Emily said in her final report the resulting film ‘Ask Me How I Am’, “the project has empowered the young people to have the confidence to share their experiences of self-harm and learn about different experiences. Moreover, they have co-created a film which will raise awareness of self-harm, challenge stereotypes and is something they can feel extremely proud of.”
As we move into 2024, Fullscope will continue to listen and learn from children, young people and their families, and amplify their voices across our work.
With thanks to:
Ellis, Henna, Jake, Jerri, Kathalin, Will and Zeina
Zan Barberton, Boundary Pictures and Joseph Clarke, Oh Studio
Juliet Snell, Taproot.