Co-production is currently a buzzword in the homelessness sector. But we know its so much more than that. At Oasis Community Housing, we have had a dedicated Co-production Lead since the end of 2022. Here, Co-Production Worker Cal Distin, explains more.

What is co-production?

Co-production is acknowledging that those who we support are best placed to see anything that needs to change in our services. It’s working together with those we support to help review, design and deliver services.

Services that are co-produced are more likely to be successful in achieving the services’ aim, as if your service is more closely matched to what the people using them actually need then more can be achieved.

It’s not just about getting their feedback and implementing change, it’s much deeper than that – it’s a commitment towards creating change with those people we support.

How do we deliver and implement co-production work as a homelessness charity?

Working with the people we support is an essential part of our approach to improving our services in tackling homelessness as a Christian homelessness charity.

We support the people who access or have accessed our services to make their voice heard, ensuring they have a platform from which they can contribute to the direction of the charity. Central to our co-production offering as a Christian homelessness charity is our Experts by Experience (EBE) group who meet bi-weekly.

In recent months our EBE group have co-designed training for staff; been involved in recruitment, including sitting on interview panels; supported with service design; and more. Many of these simply wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Co-production is also about building confidence, as well as an inclusive, positive atmosphere where people can thrive and drive change. For some people this involves me spending time with them and their support worker, to build confidence and skills ahead of them joining the EBE group someday. At the EBE group itself we do this by organising sessions that spark discussion, creativity, and most importantly fun.

Last summer the EBE group celebrated their combined efforts in creating an incredible array of art pieces centred around themes of home, community and the cost of living during the ‘ta da day’ event at our Basis Gateshead homeless drop-in centre.

Why is co-production important?

As a Christian homelessness charity, I believe it’s useful to link what we do back to the Bible.

In 1 Corinthians 12:15-26 the author makes an analogy using the body and points to the value of each individual part. 1 Corinthians is the first of two books in the Bible which were written originally as letters to a church in Corinth, by the apostle Paul.

Using the body as an analogy, Paul raises the question ‘Where would we be if we only had one body part?’ If we only had eyes, then we would have no hearing; if we only had ears then we would have no sight. All of the different parts of the body have a unique and individual role to play, and all are as important as the others.

The illustration of a fully functioning body offers us an insight into the importance of genuine co-production. Genuine co-production is about enabling those we support to actually drive the change for themselves, and recognising that everyone involved in a service from staff to beneficiary has a valuable role to play.

Find out more about our work and how your donations bring hope to people experiencing homelessness here >

From living in London, homeless, Cynthia found hope thanks to our supporters.

“There’s no denying that there is a stigma about homeless people – about how they look, about how they smell,” says Cynthia Kesington, who, 20 years ago, found herself homeless and living in an Oasis Community Housing project in South London.

Cynthia found hope with Oasis Community Housing and is now a self-made business woman, and mother of two. Cynthia founded ‘She Believes She Can!’, an organisation that helps young women navigate life’s hurdles through exploration of both body and mind.

She is keen to show people how it is possible to get help and successfully “come out of the other side” and often shares her story.

“At Oasis Community Housing they wouldn’t let me give up on myself. For some reason, they loved me,” shares Cynthia.

“Sometimes the stigma pulls me back and I struggle to be proud of how far I’ve come, it’s still a battle I find myself in. I keep telling myself that I must be strong. Maybe it’s my upbringing.”

Kicked out

Cynthia grew up in south London, living with an aunt who had strict standards and would often wield the threat of sending Cynthia to Nigeria if she did something that her aunt considered out of line.

“I wasn’t a rebellious child, but her rules were quite strict. When I started dating a Jamaican boy, I got kicked out. Things have changed now, but our parents’ generation didn’t like Africans and Caribbean’s mixing.”

Her boyfriend’s mother soon asked her to move on, leaving a young Cynthia homeless in London.

Your donation will help people like Cynthia get the support they need to thrive >

“I got put into a hostel,” Cynthia continues, “but people there were in a worse situation than I was, they were using drugs and other stuff. It was awful.

“I was at college, but I was causing trouble. I tried to commit suicide.

“I’m not sure how long I stayed at that hostel but, eventually, I went back to the council and told them I couldn’t stay there any longer. They moved me to Oasis Community Housing. Everything felt so different.”

Cynthia was given a key worker and together they developed a support plan to help Cynthia identify goals and work towards achieving them. Cynthia was able to attend counselling alongside a programme of cooking, arts, music, job support and other wellbeing and life skills sessions.

“I was such an angry person and I used to cause trouble. I had a job in retail for a while, but, because I didn’t have clothes, I stole them and ended up with a criminal record. I did community service. The team at The Foyer helped set me on the right path. Being there was a turning point.

“They showed me how that I had transferrable skills, how to apply for jobs and how to live on my own. At The Foyer they wouldn’t let me give up on myself. For some reason, they loved me.”

They gave me a foundation and hope

After 18 months at the project, Cynthia was ready to move on and the charity helped her get her own flat.

“I was one of the first people to get a new-build flat, I think. Through Oasis I got funding to furnish the flat, and they helped me access a grant so I could go to uni as well. I studied arts and social sciences. They kept in contact for as long as I needed them.

“My past still drives me forward. I’m always worried about money, but that drives me to build my Pilates business for myself and for my boys. When I was pregnant with my son, I had no savings, nothing, but I gave him the best childhood I could. And when I hear about how the kids describe me, I think I’m not doing a bad job.”

Looking back on her time at Oasis, Cynthia says: “Whenever I think of love, I think of Oasis Community Housing. Every time we drive past it, I tell the boys ‘Mummy used to live there’.

“The Foyer gave me a foundation, and a hope to be where I am today.”

How you can help

Give that foundation of hope to people facing homelessness in your community by donating today. Thank you.

Basis Beds is a project Oasis Community Housing began in 2013 to meet the housing needs of those in crisis.

Working alongside local authorities, Oasis Community Housing secured 40 flats across Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside and set about making them into homes.

Oasis Community Housing takes a Housing First philosophy to homelessness provision. Phil Conn, Director of Crisis Services, explains:

“We believe in a Housing First approach because everyone should have access to a home and, for those who might struggle in their own home, the solution isn’t to prevent them having one; it is to provide them with the support to move towards independence.

“Insisting that people be tenancy ready before being offered a tenancy only keeps people excluded, Housing First is inclusive by its very nature.”

Many of the people the Basis Beds project houses are out of options, having been turned down by other agencies or find themselves sleeping rough. Basis Beds is the hope they need.

Luke, who oversees the project, says, “For me, home is somewhere safe, somewhere to escape the pressures of life, somewhere you can build from and find the space to map out the next steps. It’s important that our homes are comfortable and serve as a place for people to steady themselves and act as a spring board to recovery.”

The Basis Beds team provide a holistic approach to housing crisis, linking with other parts of Oasis Community Housing such as our domestic abuse team, Empower, and our employability project, Aspire. They also work closely with partner agencies, local authorities and primary healthcare to ensure steps can be put in place to meet physical, emotional and financial needs.

“Recovery is a big part of what we do,” Luke continues. “Many of the people we support have experienced trauma at some stage and it’s important we are ready when they are to support them in the ways they need most.”

Nurturing creativity can often play a big role in recovery and self-discovery. The team regularly partner with Handcrafted in Durham to support Basis Beds residents to learn woodwork and carpentry and also apply for funding to enable participants to access art materials.

Luke shared some of the recent creations and what they mean for the residents: “One of our residents recently made a table at Handcrafted while he has been living with us. He’s also really into art and model-making. Another is the process of making a bird box for the gardening project. She is really into arts and crafts and has benefited from Bluestone Collaborative funding throughout her stay in Basis Beds.”

Find out more about supporting the work of Basis Beds – and our other projects – by making a donation or joining our Cornerstone Givers.

“It’s all about empowering women; getting involved and using our skills to help other women and girls. No.3 gives us that opportunity,” says Michelle McGrade on the work her organisation, Zonta, does with our No.3 project for young women experiencing homelessness in south London.

Zonta Club of London, is part of a worldwide organisation that is actively engaged in changing the lives of women and girls, both in and outside of Zonta. It was founded in 1919 to bring together women in executive positions; empowering women and helping them reach their rightful places in the professions that, at the time, rarely had female leaders.

The partnership began two years ago when they chose Oasis Community Housing as their Charity of the Year after hearing about our work with young women in Southwark.

“Just giving money without understanding more or being more actively involved didn’t feel right for us,” continues Michelle. “We’ve held a couple of pretty successful fundraising evenings and our members have also contributed by going into No.3 and holding careers and wellbeing sessions as well as supporting with CV writing.

“I did an evening on how to manage your money and set up a bank account. I was inspired by how enthusiastic and eager the women at No.3 were to learn. Many of them are dealing with so much other big-life stuff that sharing those little, practical life skills seemed to really help.”

No.3 houses up to 16 young women at a time. The project has run for more than 30 years and helped hundreds of young vulnerable women get back on their feet following, family breakdowns, abuse and childhoods in care.

Jen Gauden-Hand, who oversees No.3 as Oasis Community Housing’s Director of Housing, said: “We have two housing projects supporting young people experiencing homelessness in London, which are in high demand. The kind of support delivered by Zonta, from one woman to another, is invaluable.

“We need the support of our communities at a time like now, more than ever.”

Most recently Zonta Club of London has helped No.3 start on its refurbishment by re-flooring the entire downstairs of the property.

Read more news and case studies from our No.3 project or find out how you can become more involved in supporting Oasis Community Housing.

In one of the toughest years in living memory, Oasis Community Housing’s Giving A Home charity appeal has managed to raise £33,000 to support people facing homelessness and in crisis this coming year – all thanks to the generous donations of businesses, churches and individuals across the region.

The charity’s Chief Executive, David Smith, said: “2020 was tough for all of us so to have raised so much during such challenging times is incredibly humbling and speaks to the generosity of businesses, churches and individuals in the region. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them.

“Every penny raised for Oasis Community Housing goes towards the most vulnerable in our communities, so this sum will make a life-changing difference; offering a sense of warmth, safety and belonging to the people we support every year.”

The £32,865 raised means the charity appeal has been able to move 16 gingerbread people into its virtual gingerbread house. More importantly, these 16 gingerbread people represent the real people who the charity will now be able to offer comprehensive ‘wrap around’ support – food, warmth, medicines, counselling and safe, secure, supported accommodation – helping them on their journey towards getting a home of their own.

Izzie, who appeared in the Giving A Home appeal video, was one of those people who Oasis Community Housing helped throughout 2020: “I got referred to Oasis Community Housing from the domestic abuse team and that’s when Jules called me. Straight away she helped. Within a couple of weeks, me and the kids were into supported accommodation – and now we have our own place.

“Jules has helped me through everything. Even after I didn’t need her, she was always there. Oasis Community Housing, they just do too much for people …”

Karbon Homes was one of the first businesses to get involved in the charity’s 2020 appeal. Paul Fiddaman, Group Chief Executive of Karbon Homes, which owns and manages affordable homes across the North East and Yorkshire, said: “After a year when we have learnt anew how much a comfortable home means to us, it’s important that we continue tackling the blight of homelessness in our country

“We were very happy to support the Giving a Home appeal, providing funds to help Oasis with its vital work.”

Another business that has provided a whole year of support for someone facing homelessness is SmartIT. Their Managing Director, Tony Wilson, said, “Oasis Community Housing is a charity close to our hearts at Smart IT, we have always admired the hard work and dedication of the organisation and its volunteers.

“We are delighted to see the success of the ‘Giving a Home’ campaign bringing hope to those facing homeless.

“We are just so happy that we could play a small part in helping to achieve you this amazing accomplishment and looking forward to supporting the charity over the coming year wherever we can.”

Every year Oasis Community Housing works with 2,000 men, women and vulnerable families who are homeless or at high risk of becoming homeless delivering crisis intervention, aid for survivors of domestic abuse, a unique residential project for mums and babies who need intensive help to stay together and programmes that work with those furthest from the job market.

Visit our ‘What we do’ pages to find out more about the charity’s work.