We have been working in partnership with national community equipment provider, Medequip, to develop the Equipment Matters coproduction group. The aim is to shake up the community equipment scene, reimagining approaches to community connection and coproduction.

We see the potential for the work to have a positive impact on the lives of older and/or disabled people who use equipment across the country.

Coproducing a new way to receive feedback

Work started with the creation of a new feedback system for Medequip using a coproduction approach. This would support the organisation to receive feedback from people who use their services to help develop and improve the ways they work.

We convened and supported a small coproduction group made up of people who use mobility and other equipment and/or their families, together with representative prescribers and the Medequip team. Group members had personal experience of  Medequip services. Each was asked to contribute their personal expertise to the development of a feedback system, considering the questions Medequip might ask their customers and the best way to ask them.

Wider work of the coproduction group

Activity over 2023-24 has resulted in the group:

• Working with a local authority to develop their own Equipment Matters group
• Linking with ADASS on commissioning
• Influencing Equipment Review Groups
• Begin to develop an information standard – reviewing some of Medequip’s approaches

The group continues to promote a ‘nothing about us without us’ coproduction approach within an equipment context.

Community Catalysts is a delivery partner in a joint piece of work called Share the Journey. The offer is for Medequip to support and advise public sector organisations who run their own equipment services.

To find out more about this work, email: info@communitycatalysts.co.uk