Our Approach
Our work is informed by:
Key Principles of Co-Production
Social Model
of Disability
Peer Support
Theory/Practices
Trauma Informed Approaches
But what do we mean by that?
Key Principles of Co-Production
Co-production happens when the lived and learned experience of a service/project’s management, staff, citizens and carers comes together to shape that service/project and make it more effective.
We believe collective co-production is crucial to the future of our public and community services. Through years of experience delivering co-production, Inclusion Unlimited has developed its own approach to creating achievable and impactful co-production, including the following key principles:
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Redressing Power Dynamics: Co-production identifies that the current power dynamics between citizens and providers of services can be damaging and unhelpful; it seeks to redress this power imbalance and ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
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Valuing Diverse Experience and Expertise: Co-production recognises that lived and learned experience, and the skills and expertise associated with these, are all needed in order to create effective services for people.
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Establishing Accessible Opportunities: Co-production needs to provide accessible opportunities to get involved, so all voices have the chance to be heard, valued and learned from.
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Creating Tangible Impact: Co-production is about creating a positive tangible impact on services which appropriately reflects the resources invested in making it happen. The positive impact should not be a by-product of the process; it should be the central focus from start to finish.
Social Model
of Disability
Much of our work is based on the Social Model of Disability, where we focus on breaking down the systemic and societal barriers against disabled people. These barriers could be attitudinal, physical or communication based, for example.
We understand that for some disabled people, particularly those with long-term health issues, they can sometimes feel excluded from the ways the Social Model is communicated.
We believe this is not necessarily an issue with the Social Model itself, but reflects a need for more nuance in these conversations. At Inclusion Unlimited we are committed to the inclusion of all disabled people. This includes those living with physical impairments, mental illness and/or chronic health conditions.
We recognise that everyone's lived experience of disability will be different, and that these differences do not invalidate the experiences of others. We are committed to championing the diversity of the disabled community, and aim to always be intersectional with our work.
Peer Support Theory/Practice
Peer Support is where help is offered and received by individuals in similar circumstances. It is based on mutual respect, understanding and empowerment. At Inclusion Unlimited we highly value lived experience, and place it at the centre of our practice. Each of our consultants have lived experience of disability.
The experience of peers who give and gain support is never identical, as everyone's experience is their own. We recognise that multiple layers of marginalisation come into play. Assumptions can't be made that we know everything about someone else's experience because they're somewhat similar to our own.
Peer relationships are non-directive and inclusive. This means it can be used to hold space for our differences, while creating a safe space of shared understanding and mutual support.
At Inclusion Unlimited we try to encapsulate this way of thinking into all of our work. Our processes are based on collaboration, with mutual and non-hierarchical respect at the core of our practice.
Trauma Informed Approaches
Our approach to trauma-informed practice is guided by the following 5 principles: safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment and choice. We understand that the nature of our work involves working with a range of individuals, each with their own backgrounds and possible experiences of trauma.
We take the safety and wellbeing of those we may (directly or indirectly) come into contact with seriously. It is of paramount importance to us that everyone we work with feels safe and supported throughout the process.
We understand that many people may find it difficult to feel safe within different services, or to develop trusting relationships with service providers. At Inclusion Unlimited we always try to take this into consideration, and aim to actively avoid re-traumatisation wherever possible.
