The Joint Consultative Committee with Ethnic Minority Organisations was scheduled to discuss co-production strategies, Merton Talking Therapies, and the Big Conversation. The meeting was also scheduled to include updates from JCC members.

Co-production Strategy

The meeting was scheduled to include a discussion of co-production, with a presentation entitled 'Developing a co-production strategy in partnership with Merton Communities'.

The report pack included handouts and slides that define co-production as:

an approach where people, family members, carers, organisations and commissioners work together in an equal way, sharing influence, skills and experience to design, deliver and monitor services and projects.

The presentation was scheduled to include interactive sessions using Slido, with the code #CoproductionWorkshop.

The presentation also included a ladder of co-production, with the following levels:

• Coercion
• Education
• Informing
• Consultation
• Engagement
• Co-design
• Co-production

The presentation also included a list of principles of co-production from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), including:

• Equality
• Diversity
• Accessibility
• Recognition and Reward

The presentation listed a number of benefits to individuals, families, communities, services, decision-makers and policy makers.

The presentation included a number of questions for discussion, including:

• What matters most to you about Adult Social Care and how it supports you (or people you care about)?
• How can we work together in a way that feels fair, respectful and meaningful for everyone involved?
• What would help you feel confident and supported to take part in shaping services?
• What does a good Adult Social Care service look and feel like to you – now and in the future?

The presentation also outlined next steps, including:

• Meeting with all groups within the voluntary sector.
• Taking feedback from all groups and start to draft a co-production strategy
• Sending slides to group to share with their forums
• Sending draft strategy to all participants for their comments before finalising.
• Linking to Merton website for people who could not attend in person to fill in their feedback and thoughts.

Merton Talking Therapies

The committee was scheduled to hear about Merton Talking Therapies, with a focus on perinatal support.

The report pack stated that pregnancy and the postnatal period are times of significant psychological and emotional upheaval, and that it is estimated that approximately 20% of mothers experience depression and/or anxiety during the perinatal period.

The report pack stated that perinatal clients should obtain an assessment within 2 weeks and start treatment within 6 weeks of referral, and that:

When a mother experiences a perinatal mental health disorder, the whole family is affected

The report pack described the different levels of intervention offered by Merton Talking Therapies, including:

• Step 1: Wellbeing - Preparing for Parenthood (PfP)
• Step 2: Emotional Wellbeing for New Parents Guided Self Help
• Step 3: Individual CBT/IPT & BCT for moderate to severe postnatal depression Trauma Focused CBT for perinatal PTSD CBT for tokophobia, moderate to severe OCD and anxiety¹

The report pack also listed a number of barriers to referrals, including:

• Time scarcity
• Stigma
• Under reporting symptoms
• Perception that it's 'just the baby blues'
• Childcare issues
• Fear that social services may take away the infant.

The report pack also listed a number of ways to overcome these barriers, including:

• Involve family in the mother's care and support
• Offer more flexibility
• Open to all perinatal clients even if they fall under the usual eligibility threshold.
• Cameras ok to be off for group videos.
• Allowing babies to attend/ problem solving childcare arrangements.
• Consideration and consent of presence of another adult in the room to assist with caring responsibilities.
• Normalising the struggles of early parenthood.

The report pack stated that NHS Merton Talking Therapies is a free service for anyone in Merton who has a mental health or wellbeing need, and that the service is accessible to anyone living in the borough of Merton or registered with a Merton GP who are 18 years and over.

Big Conversation

The committee was scheduled to discuss the We Are Merton Big Conversation, a consultation running from 4 April 2025 – 5 January 2026. According to the report pack, the purpose of the Big Conversation is to find out what residents and those who work in Merton think of the borough and what the council can do to make it even better.

The consultation was scheduled to take place:

• Face to face at borough events
• Via a borough wide survey
• At library stands
• In small focus groups & interviews

The report pack stated that the three key questions being asked are:

• What has changed in your local neighbourhood in the time you've lived or worked here? Is it positive or negative? Why?
• What three words would you use to describe your local neighbourhood?
• What should Merton Council prioritise for the future?

The report pack included a list of potential priorities for the council, including:

• Crime prevention and community safety
• Clean streets
• Contacting the council
• Culture, heritage and libraries
• Help finding a job, training or apprenticeship
• Help with the cost of living
• People's health and wellbeing
• Affordable housing
• Parks and open spaces
• Schools, learning and education
• Sports, leisure and physical activity
• Support for businesses
• Support for community and voluntary organisations
• Support for children and families
• Support for vulnerable adults
• Sustainability, climate change and the environment
• Town centre improvements
• Traffic and transport
• Quality of roads and pavements
• Listening to residents
• Waste and recycling

The report pack stated that the Big Conversation can be accessed online.

The report pack also requested support in promoting the Big Conversation through community networks and newsletters, and tips on any community events the team might be welcome to attend.