An Ethnographic Study: Exploring co-production in a forensic unit
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Ethnographic study: Exploring co-production and its impact on staff and patients lived experience in developing a therapeutic environment within a forensic setting.
IRAS ID
311413
Contact name
Suryia Nayak
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cygnet Health Care
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
This research will explore the impact of co-production in relation to developing a therapeutic environment through the exploration of early developmental processes (i.e., attachment, object relations) within a male personality disorder forensic medium secure in-patient ward. Although there has been research on co-production within secure settings, there is limited research exploring both staff and patients’ perspectives on co-production in secure settings, particularly under the lens of early developmental psychological processes and its impact on therapeutic environments. Co-production has been described as joint process of decision making and shared power between service users and professionals with valuing service users as equal partners and not recipients, being the central focus of co-production (Lewis-Morton 2017). This research will investigate co-produced activities that occur within the therapeutic ward environment for example care and treatment activities (formulation meetings where by patients and psychology jointly develop the patient formulation and are both involved in sharing the formulation with ward staff). Other co-produced activities include ward improvement activities ( ward induction training, ward expectations meetings and community meetings where patients chair the meeting and contribute to the agenda items and actions to be taken and follow up on the actions. The research will collate and examine lived experiences of staff and patients to generate recommendations to inform good practice and influence policy on co-production. Insights from the research will be used to critically examine the barrier and enablers within forensic mental health settings and other health professionals with reference to power dynamics and the embracing of staff and patients' strengths to inform best practice. Research on the impact of coproduction on service users exists but and none in relation to practitioners (Slay and Stephens (2013). My research will attempt to address both perspectives.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NE/0203
Date of REC Opinion
13 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion