Isaac Samuels OBE, Lived Experience/Co-Production Advisor with TLAP has kindly written a blog, and recorded a video message, in celebration of Co-Production Week 2025.

“I’ve lived with really tough mental health challenges and a physical impairment for years. Because of that, I’ve needed social care support, and through that journey I’ve learned just how important it is for people like me to be at the centre of the conversation. Co-Production Week is a special time to celebrate exactly that — the power of working together and listening properly to lived experience.

“This year, I was honoured with an OBE for services to social care. It feels amazing to be recognised, but I know that lots of people with lived experience don’t get the same acknowledgement. That’s why this week means so much — it’s about shining a light on how innovative it is to really use our stories, our knowledge, as evidence to shape better services and systems. It’s about making sure people’s voices don’t just fill a room, but actually create change.

“When most people think about innovation, they imagine new technology or fancy gadgets. But for me, innovation is much more human than that. It’s about changing the way we work together across health and social care, putting the people who use those services right at the heart of decision making. It’s about recognising that lived experience isn’t just opinion or anecdote — it’s vital evidence that can help fix what isn’t working.

“Co-production is the best example of this. It’s not just having a voice for the sake of it. It’s real collaboration between people with lived experience and professionals, working side by side, sharing ideas, listening deeply, and finding solutions that actually work in the real world. When that happens, something really special is created. It might be messy, it might be complicated, but it’s honest and it’s powerful.

“For me, co-production is more than just talking about things that matter. It’s about making sure that the things that matter lead to real change. Working together to make services better, to make lives better, to break down the barriers that have been there for too long. That, in itself, is hugely innovative — because it challenges the old way of doing things where people like me were left out or just consulted after decisions were already made.

“The magic of co-production is that it values everyone’s contribution, no matter how different. It lets us all bring our best selves to the table in ways that make sense to us. And that’s how we get real results, real progress, real improvement in the systems that support us.

“So, this Co-Production Week, let’s celebrate that. Let’s celebrate how truly innovative it is to listen, value, and work alongside people with lived experience. Because when we do, we don’t just make better services — we create better lives.”