Words like consumer, lived experience, consultation, co-design and co-production are used all the time in health and community services. But do we really know what they mean? When jargon gets in the way, it can create confusion and make it harder for everyone to work together. Dropping the jargon and using clear language helps ensure everyone understands. Below are some common terms and their definitions.
- Consumer: a person who uses health, community or social services.
- Carer: someone who supports a person who uses health, community or social services.
- Lived experience: first-hand experience of a health condition, service or social issue.
- Community engagement: building ongoing relationships with communities to listen, share information and work together toward common goals.
- Consultations: seeking people’s views or feedback, usually at a set time.
- Co-design: working in partnership with communities to design services or resources from the beginning.
- Co-production: working in partnership to produce a new resource or service.
Be clear about your objectives, what you want to achieve, who you are engaging with, and why. Then, work with participants to agree on the term that best reflects your shared purpose. Remember, clear language helps build stronger connections and ensures everyone feels included in the process.
Learn more from:
- CEH Multicultural Community Engagement resources
- CEH/NRCH Lived Experience Workforce resources
- NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation on Co-design
- Social Care Institute for Excellence (UK) on Co-production
Get in touch at enquiries@ceh.org.au to discuss this further. We also run workshops on Multicultural Community Engagement. Make a training enquiry here: www.ceh.org.au/contact/
— Tere, Senior Project Officer, CEH
