Co-production Network for Wales’ national conference, which is taking place on Thursday 5th July 2018 at the Catrin Finch Centre in Wrexham.

The Co-production Network for Wales is a Big Lottery-funded project aiming to improve public services through co-production in Wales. In the current landscape of dwindling public service resources and increasing demand, co-production is an effective approach to improve services, remove systemic obstacles, and support people to live more of the life they want. The Network’s remit is to support and connect people and professionals across sectors and across Wales to do more and better co-production; and to support policy and decision makers to shape the context in which co-production can flourish.

The Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) 2014 and the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015 places a statutory duty on public bodies and boards to engage citizens and service users, and to work co-productively. While the legislation sets an ambitious and positive vision, there is a gap in guidance and facilitation around the practical implementation of the new ways of working, and particularly around co-production.

The Co-production Network for Wales has developed this conference specifically for senior leaders of local authorities, public service boards, community health councils, regional partnership boards, local health boards, county voluntary councils, and social value forums.Its purpose is to facilitate a conversation with key bodies and actors that are involved in delivering the vision of transformational change, about how the Network could support with implementing the co-production aspects of recent Welsh legislation and policy.

The day will open with a keynote from Mark Drakeford, Cabinet Minister for Finance; and will be a practical-focused event offering the opportunity to learn more about fulfilling the legal responsibilities set by the Acts, to network with others working to solve similar challenges, and to learn from practitioners sharing their cases of good practice. Attendees will leave with a range of actionable steps and insights.

Pass on this invitation to appropriate colleagues and members of your executive teams, who hold co-production and citizen engagement within their remits. There is no cost to attend as fully funded by the Big Lottery.

The link to book a place is: http://bit.ly/copronet2018