Co-production as Peer Support

At the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies, co-production is at the heart of what we do, not because we’re told to do it, or because it ticks a funding box, but because it makes things better. Better for people living with dementia, better for the professionals and academics who work alongside them, and ultimately better for care, education, and research.

But what do we mean by co-production?

In its simplest sense, co-production means working with people, not doing things to or for them, working in true and shared partnership. It means shaping ideas, setting priorities, making decisions together, and sharing power from the outset.  It’s about valuing each other’s knowledge equally, whether it comes from academic study of life experience. It’s a term that has evolved over time, often associated with research, and often tied up with the language of ‘PPIE’ (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement). As Griffiths et al. (2024) highlight, this language can be problematic; many people living with dementia don’t see themselves as ‘patients’ and often find the terminology distancing.

While there is growing evidence of the benefits of co-production for people living with dementia, such as increased confidence, purpose, and advocacy roles (Lord et al., 2022; Gordon & McKeown, 2020; Griffiths, 2024), what is less often explored is how co-production also becomes a form of peer support. It nurtures emotional connection, solidarity, and mutual encouragement among members, whether they are living with dementia or working in academia.

At the University of Bradford, we’ve embraced a broader, deeper form of co-production, one that goes beyond research. We’ve embedded it into education and training too, working alongside our brilliant Experts by Experience group: over 170 people living with dementia, and carers, who actively shape and meaningfully contribute to our work. One shining example is our co-produced online learning module, ‘Understanding the Me in Dementia’, a project recognised for its innovation and inclusion (to read more see Jones et al, 2025 - Journal of Dementia care).

More Than a Method: It’s a Relationship

Something powerful happens when people come together with a shared purpose. Co-production, when done right, becomes more than a method; it becomes a relationship. It’s not just about sharing ideas or feedback, it’s about mutual respect, trust, and often, genuine friendship. A member of the co-production team working with Griffiths et al (2024) said, “For co-production to work, there needs to be empathy between people”, and in our work, that empathy has grown through shared experiences, listening, and collaboration.

Over the two years we spent developing the dementia curriculum at Bradford, we didn’t just co-design a resource, we co-created a community. People shared stories, perspectives, sometimes painful experiences, but they also shared humour, kindness, and support. It was, quite unexpectedly, a form of peer support.

And that’s where this blog begins: co-production as peer support.

Lived and Learned Experience, Woven Together

Julie Hayden, member of the team with lived experience of dementia, put it beautifully:

“It is only by the weaving of lived and learned experience that true quality care can exist.”

In this weaving, we’ve seen co-production become a space for mutual care and connection. Frances Isaacs reflected:

“Creating something between us has been a really rewarding and wonderful way of going about things… I feel as though I am quite close now with all of you as a result of this.”

Ronald Amanze, also part of the project, spoke of the friendships and joy that emerged from serious work:

“In the creation of the module...although it was a very serious subject we were addressing, the conversations were also conversations where we could also laugh and found reasons to smile about things... I’ve become very fond of everybody in the group. It’s so nice when you can be fond and feel good about people and feel good about things. And I find it so amazing how you can make attachments, from a distance with people you never meet, you may never meet in real life, but you still think of them fondly and affectionately and the thought of them is just an enjoyable one – that’s one of the best things that’s come out of this for me”

Annie-Marie Norris continued with:

 “It’s been magical. I mean I’ve done a few other things, but I have never worked with such a brilliant group of people.”

These weren’t one-off moments. They were part of an ongoing process where people supported each other, not just emotionally, but in the shared experience of shaping meaningful work together.

Co-producing the module has had a lasting impact on the team. Just recently, on a meeting for a different project, several of the original co-production team reflected on how the experience had stretched their thinking, built new skills, and made them feel genuinely valued as educators. They laughed, shared memories of the two years spent developing the module and expressed real pride in their ongoing contribution to teaching. It was a powerful reminder that co-production isn’t a one-off task, it’s a meaningful, enduring process that builds strong relationships and leaves a deep impression.

Peer Support in Action

In another project, we were preparing to research the experiences of people with dementia living alone. One participant shared their struggles with staying independent. Another, also living with dementia, stopped the conversation to ask for their phone number, offering to stay in touch and keep talking. This wasn’t part of the research brief. It wasn’t structured or formal. It was simply human and profoundly moving.

The same sense of support happened in our MSc development workshops. Michael, who lives with PCA (posterior cortical atrophy), shared how his brain sometimes interprets what he sees as wild animals - lions, tigers, even panthers. Frannie, who also has PCA, responded with humour and warmth, “What an exciting life you lead—I’m a bit jealous, I don’t get lions and tigers!”

These light-hearted moments bring joy to serious work. And perhaps that’s the real strength of co-production, it makes space for both seriousness and silliness, for grief and for laughter.

And that support isn’t just between people with dementia. If we truly see people with dementia as our equals, co-producers, not just contributors, then we must also recognise that peer support flows both ways. Many of us working in dementia research bring our own lived experience in some capacity. That was certainly true for both Clare and me as part of the team creating ‘Understanding the Me in Dementia’. But the support we received through co-production wasn’t just about our experiences of dementia, it was also about the reassurance, trust, encouragement and belief others placed in us. It gave us confidence in the approach we were taking, in the value of the work, and in ourselves. That’s peer support too. And it was profoundly affirming.

Julie Hayden expressed this beautifully when she said:

“It is all valued, each of our contributions, and the fact that, I think it was Mac who said, usually people with dementia feel most comfortable when they're speaking among a group of other people with dementia. Well, quite frankly, Clare and Dee, as far as I'm concerned, you're honorary people with dementia because I feel totally comfortable talking with you.”

This comment captures something essential, that in true co-production, there are no hard boundaries. We become one team, people with lived and learned experience, giving and receiving support in equal measure. It’s this mutual comfort, shared purpose, and recognition of each other’s value that makes co-production effective and powerful.

Partnerships for better futures

Too often, co-production is framed in terms of what academics can gain: insights, funding eligibility, or research credibility. But it’s true value lies in what everyone gives and receives, genuine connection, mutual learning, and respect. Co-production is not a box-ticking exercise. It’s a powerful way of working that says your experience matters, your voice is needed, and you belong in shaping what comes next.

So, when we talk about co-production at the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies, we’re also talking about peer support. About building community and sharing laughter, strength, and wisdom together. And in that spirit, we continue to work not just as researchers or practitioners, but as people, side by side, shaping better futures.

Written by Danielle Jones, Clare Mason, Jacqui Bingham, Julie Hayden, Michael Andrews, Anne-Marie Norris, Agnes Houston, Allison Batchelor.

Based on work including the authors and Chris Maddocks, Frances Isaacs, Maqsood Quereshi, Martin Robertson, Michael Booth, Ronald Amanze, Gail Gregory, Keith Oliver, Gerry King, Lorraine Dunn, Teresa Davies.

References

• Gordon H., McKeown J. (2020) Co-producing research–A personal experience. Dementia, 19(1), 98–100.
• Griffiths, S., Robertson, M., Kaviraj, C., Davies, F., McDevitt, M., Richards, A., Russell, M. (2024) Reflections on co-production: Developing a dementia research funding application with a diverse lived experience group. Dementia,23(5):709-723.
• Jones, D., Mason, C., Bingham, J., Booth, M., Amanze, R., Batchelor, A., Andrews, M., Norris, A., Issacs, F., Davies-Abbott, I., Slocombe, F., Barbosa, A. (2025) Co-creating and co-delivering dementia education at Bradford: Understanding the me in dementia. Journal of dementia care, 33(2):22-26.
• Lord K., Kelleher D., Ogden M., Mason C., Rapaport P., Burton A., Leverton M., Downs M., Souris H., Jackson J., Lang I., Manthorpe J., Cooper C. (2022) Co-designing complex interventions with people living with dementia and their supporters. Dementia, 21(2), 426–441.