Standing up for my human rights': a group's journey beyond consultation towards co-production

Service user inclusion is a key component of a human rights-based approach to healthcare and models of inclusion are developing rapidly. This article describes work with a group of NHS service users, designed to increase their knowledge of human rights, as part of a broader set of initiatives focussing on changing organisational culture. During a mutual learning journey, co-production emerged as a preferred model for promoting service users understandings of human rights. Co-production, or sharing service design and delivery more equally with service users, led to outcomes that were initially inconceivable. During the group, co-production appeared to be a vehicle for resolving dilemmas about services empowering service users. This article considers how, when service user involvement and a HRBA are combined, a move away from tokenism towards collaboration, empowerment and redistribution of power is possible.