More Than a Focus Group: What Real Co-Production Looks Like
The phrase “youth voice” gets used a lot in mental health and community work. But what does it really mean to involve young people in shaping services, resources, and systems? More importantly—how do we ensure it’s meaningful, and not just a tick-box exercise?
We’ve all seen it: the token youth consultation, squeezed into the final stage of a nearly finished project. A one-hour focus group. A few post-it notes. A polite thank-you and little follow-up.
That’s not co-production.
Co-production, when done properly, is something much richer, messier, and more powerful. It means building with, not just designing for. It means sharing power, being flexible, and staying open to being challenged.
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Here’s what we’ve learned about what real co-production looks like—and why it matters.
1. Start Before You Think You’re Ready
If you want young people to genuinely shape something, they need to be involved before the idea is fully formed. That means involving them at the very beginning—when you’re still asking, “What do we need?” not “Do you like what we’ve made?”…