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Shaping support together: Why parent carers are the key to co-production
Published
Help shape the future of carer support.
Join our co-production activities and share your lived experience as a parent carer. Your voice helps us design better, more inclusive services. Whether it’s a 121 chat or more, your input matters.
· At Gloucestershire Carers Hub, we believe that the best services are built with Carers, not just for them. That’s why co-production is at the heart of everything we do — and we need parent carers like you to help shape the future of support in our community.
What is co-production?
Co-production means working in equal partnership with parent carers to design, develop, and improve the services that affect them. It’s about listening to lived experience, valuing your insight, and making sure your voice leads the way.
Why your voice matters
As a parent carer, you bring a unique perspective. You understand the daily realities of caring for a child with additional needs something no policy or programme can fully capture without your input.
By getting involved, you can:
- Influence real change in local services
- Help create more inclusive, responsive support
- Connect with other parent carers and professionals
- Be part of a community that values your experience
How you can get involved
We offer a range of flexible opportunities to suit your time and comfort level, including:
- Online focus groups and surveys
- One to one conversations with our team either online, face to face or via telephone
- Creative projects and peer-led initiatives
- Whether you have ten minutes or a few hours, there’s a way for you to contribute
Let’s build better support together
Your voice is powerful. By joining our co-production activities, you’re not only helping shape services, you’re helping other families feel seen, heard, and supported.
💌 From Me to You… A Special Invitation
At Gloucestershire Carers Hub, we’re always looking for meaningful ways to understand and reflect the real experiences of unpaid carers.
This activity invites you to write a letter to someone who may just be starting their caring journey — someone who hasn’t yet recognised themselves as a carer, but soon might.
Your letter can offer emotional support, practical advice, or simply share what you wish you’d known when you began.
Here are a few prompts to help you get started:
- How did you connect with family, friends, or other carers?
- What support did you receive from professionals or organisations — or wish you had?
- How did you find information, register as a carer, or complete a self-assessment?
- What were the key moments — the challenges, surprises, or breakthroughs?
- What practical advice would have helped you most?
These letters will help shape future services and strategies — your voice truly matters.
Please see the Families in Partnership article on more co-production during Carers Rights Day from the Carers Hub.
If you’d be happy to share with us, take part or learn more about our co-production activities, please contact us via the Carers Hub links on the SEND Local Offer - Glosfamilies Directory | Gloucestershire Carers Hub