IMPOWER at NCASC 2022

IMPOWER is delighted to be the headline sponsor of the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC) taking place in Manchester (2-4 November). Our presence at this year’s NCASC is stronger than ever because we feel that now is a critical time and tipping point for the sector. The conference represents the biggest opportunity in three years for hundreds of sector leaders and leading voices to join forces, reframe the challenges facing the sector, and share insights on how to tackle them relentlessly.

Our plenary session (Wednesday 2 November, 14.10-15.10) ‘Rebuilding hope’ will focus entirely on where we can find HOPE for adults and children’s services in the midst of a long list of big challenges and uncertainty. We will work through a framework for building hope that promotes three actions – join forces, reframe and be relentless. People with lived experience, alongside system leaders and frontline workers, will share their stories of seeing these three actions in practice. The session will be interactive, using voting and questions in the app to generate and share more practical examples of hope.

Our breakfast session (Thursday 3 November, 8.30-9.30) will focus on how SEND provision can be improved now, and will see Jenny Coles CBE (chair, High Needs Advisory Board) alongside an expert panel discuss how we can effect positive local change in SEND without waiting for sorely needed further funding. You will hear insights and shared learnings from the Council for Disabled Children, Derby City Council, a Parent Carer representative, NHS England and IMPOWER. There will also be an opportunity for discussion, including how local authorities can influence health to deliver system wide improvements.

One shared key aim and focus for this conference that we agreed with the organisers, is to encourage and amplify lived experience within child and adult services. What does this mean? We all know that we can do better with the care and support that is provided. We also know that focused and deliverable change must be co-produced with those who are using public services. That’s why we are bringing people together to share, learn, debate, critique and celebrate the role of lived experience and co-production in the transformation of care and support.

IMPOWER, in collaboration with Inclusion Unlimited, TLAP and Social Care Future will be facilitating various activities within the brand new ‘Let’s Chat Co-production’ space within the exhibition hall. Several ‘Big Chat’ sessions will be facilitated over the three days – timetabled talks and discussions about the successes and challenges of co-production, led by experts. The space will be split into three zones:

• Videos and resources within the Experience Zone will allow you to step into the shoes of someone with lived experience and find out how co-production has impacted them. Those feeling creative are invited to depict what a ‘good life’ looks like using the range of art materials on offer.
• ‘Small chats’ within the Collaboration Zone will provide opportunities to talk to hosts with lived and professional experience, ready to answer your co-production questions. This is a drop in format so please do pop along at any point during the conference.
• Our Feedback Zone is a space for attendees to share their experience of co-production. A ‘question of the day’ will feature on a big blank wall, and lots of pens and sticky notes available for you to jot down your experiences and hopes for the future of co-production.

This space aims to understand the importance of co-production, how interventions can support what matters most to each person, and the challenges and opportunities along the way. Please bring yourself, your lived experience, your professional experience, your ideas, your insights, your enthusiasm and your frustrations.

We look forward to catching up with adult and children’s services colleagues next week – please do visit stand C10 and the ‘Let’s Chat Co-production’ space to say hello!