A great session spent this morning with my Liberal Democrat colleagues providing top scrutiny at a meeting of the Health & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee at Hampshire County Council.

One of the reports we received was on the subject of co-production of services. It is becoming increasingly common, as good practice, to involve service users and their carers when deciding what’s best to do…. a development of “No decision about me, without me”.

I am genuinely impressed by the progress that has been made in the co-production of services within the remit of social care. However, I raised the point that there are so many more areas that would benefit from this sort of ethos, from within Hampshire County Council and indeed, other organisations.

I shared with colleagues a few examples of my own case-work that included disabled people being discriminated against by not having the same access to buses as everyone else. Network Rail still have station platforms that are inaccessible and often have major stations where lifts haven’t been working for weeks. More recently, we had the example of a boardwalk where only the able bodied could access it.

Wouldn’t be great if all organisations that can play a role in improving our lives started co-producing things with people, especially those with particular needs that need addressing ?

And don’t get me started on the poor state of some of pavements and cars parking, blocking the way for all pedestrians….