Beyond box-ticking: The power of co-production

In 2020, Juno was developed and incubated by our partners at Capacity, who are building solutions to the Liverpool City Region’s biggest public service challenges. Juno started with the idea that things could, and should, be done differently for the benefit of young people locally. Since then, we’ve been hard at work creating not-for-profit homes where young people feel safe, loved and supported, building strong and loving staff teams and sharing our learning. But one thing hasn’t changed. Since the very start, we’ve remained committed to putting the voices and experience of care-experienced young people at the very heart of everything we do.

Last month, we got the chance to sit down and talk all about the power of co-production on Capacity’s Fundamentally Different Podcast. Rebbeca Toohey and Sherrie Austin (Experts by Experience, Juno) Sophie Clarke (Managing Director, Juno) and Lois Shaft (Senior Lecturer at the University of Lancashire) joined Emma Lord (Director of Design and Doing, Capacity) to unpack what true co-production looks like in practice, and the impact it can have on people’s lives.

Now, we want to take a moment to reflect on key themes, insights and honest truths from this conversation.

It’s all about relationships

We’ve learned that relationships are the secret ingredient that fuels great co-production.

For us, co-production has always been about prioritising trust, honesty and sharing power. As Lois beautifully puts it, real co-production happens when ‘everyone has something to teach and something to learn’. For us, this isn’t theoretical – it’s what we live every day at Juno.

We’re committed to making sure that relationships are nurtured, that people feel psychologically safe to share their experiences and that our Experts by Experience never feel alone.

“The people around me trust that I’ll give my best – and I trust them to hold space for me”.

It can get messy

Building something new can mean stepping into the unknown.

We’ve had to navigate hard conversations, challenge assumptions and rethink our own roles. But in doing that, we’ve created something stronger: a space where everyone can show up fully, and where disagreement isn’t just allowed, it’s welcomed.

It’s not always easy, and it shouldn’t be. We’ve had to sit with discomfort, navigate ambiguity and rethink what our ways of working look like when we put people at the centre. It takes time, patience and vulnerability. You need to embrace the discomfort and ambiguity – it's in the ‘messiness’ that the magic often happens.

“It’s been uncomfortable at times – but we’re never left to carry that discomfort alone”.

It needs to go beyond the surface

It’s not enough to invite people into a room – they need to have a seat at the table.

Co-production only works when people with lived experience have a say and influence at every level. We’ve learned that real co-moving production means moving beyond performative involvement towards genuine partnership. For us, what started out as an informational conversation has grown into deep and meaningful influence.

‘Experts by Experience’ isn’t just a title – it’s deeply embedded in everything we do, from strategy to delivery. This has meant recognising that power dynamics don’t just dissolve because we want them to. We’ve had to be deliberate about sharing power and creating structure to protect that process.

“We’re not just ticking boxes. We’re making space for people to feel it – and when you feel it, change happens”.

It isn’t a one-way street

Co-production isn’t just about hearing from people with lived experience, it’s about learning together, challenging each other and growing as a collective.

At Juno, everyone in the room is a learner and a leader. We’ve built a culture where everyone is listened to and where there’s no hierarchy of whose voice is most important.

This way of working has changed us all – it’s been a constant process of reflection and growth. It’s reshaped how we make decisions, how we support our team and how we hold each other accountable.

“We’re all learning from each other. There’s no ‘us and them’, just people bringing different strengths to the table.”

A final note: What gives us hope

We ended the podcast by sharing what gives us hope for the future of co-production. The consensus was that it’s seeing first-hand what’s possible when co-production is genuine.

Seeing co-production in action – when power is shared, relationships are prioritised and learning never stops – that’s what gives us hope. That’s why we’re committed to sharing this way of working, being open and honest about what’s working, what’s more challenging and what’s possible.

“Juno gives me hope. That we can build services with – not for – people who’ve lived it”.

Want to know more? We’d love to share our learning. Drop us a line at hello@wearejuno.org

Tune in to Fundamentally Different now…

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