Angela Catley, Equipment Matters Project Associate at Community Catalysts, reflects on the movement for better coproduction of community equipment services.
A couple of years ago, Community Catalysts was approached by the commercial community equipment provider Medequip. They wanted to help create opportunities for coproduction and community connection. After some initial questioning of their motivations (with hindsight this was totally unjustified), I found myself in the frame. I knew nothing about community equipment but did know something about community, care and coproduction. I suppressed a burgeoning sense of imposter syndrome and waded in…helped at every step by the wonderful Paul Rackham, an ex local authority commissioner working independently with Medequip.
I quickly learned that there are community equipment services in every area, commissioned or run directly by councils and local NHS Trusts. Equipment is prescribed for people who live at home by local professionals like OTs. Community equipment providers source, purchase, catalogue, deliver, maintain, collect, recycle and reuse all the equipment. In theory people get the things they need to enable them to live their lives well.
I also learned that community equipment services can sit outside of mainstream social care – is not included in the drive for person-centred approaches and often overshadowed by the more funky (and funded) world of tech.
We started by convening a small group of people who use equipment – working together on Medequip’s feedback system. At that time their customer survey questions focused on things like efficiency of delivery. By the end of the little project a whole new survey had been designed, focused on people’s experience of the service and whether the equipment supplied was useful.
I learned about people’s experience of community equipment services and realised that it isn’t always good. If I am honest, I perceived ageism and sometimes saw a lack of ambition for people within the sector. I saw that equipment users had very little say in how the system worked, no chance to challenge, no chance to influence, no real voice.
Despite this, I had the community equipment bug and a growing sense that Medequip was really in this to make a difference. I was intrigued and excited at the potential for these partnerships.
Fast forward to today and I am on a train, on my way to an event hosted by the Local Government Association and the amazing Partners in Care and Health team. The design of the event has been heavily influenced by members of the Equipment Matters coproduction group. It is largely made up of people who use equipment, supported by, but independent of, Medequip.
The audience is people who work for local government and have a stake in equipment. The focus is on how people who use equipment can challenge and influence services and help to improve them.
It goes without saying that equipment users are playing a pivotal and leadership role throughout the day. The indomitable Isaac Samuels, an equipment user and passionate advocate for folks living their lives their way, has been central to the design and delivery. It has been a joyous, creative but rightfully challenging process.
We all see this as a start of a journey to coproducing better community equipment services. I fervently hope we are right and can pull off that ambition.
Next steps include an online event and a series of great videos captured and hosted by People’s Voice Media. A new podcast on equipment will be hosted by our own Nick Sinclair, in partnership with podding sidekick and equipment user, Clenton Farquharson. And the Equipment Matters group continues at pace of course. So, exciting times for community equipment in 2025.
I can’t end this blog without paying credit to Medequip. They have been essential to this journey and without them we would not find ourselves where we are today. They have financially supported, often without credit, and trusted a process that must have seemed very strange to a commercial organisation – we applaud and thank them for that.
So our journey continues…
If you are interested in better, more person-centred community equipment get in touch.