Unity awards stamps of approval for co-production 

Unity, our pioneering co-production group, awards its ‘Stamps of Approval’ to projects and initiatives across Achieve together that genuinely recognise and celebrate involvement and co-production with the people we support bringing our ethos of ‘nothing about us without us’ to life. 

The Stamps of Approval are awarded annually, with Unity Representatives making the final decision on who receives this coveted recognition. 

Our Unity Co-Chairs, Simon and Mary, explain: 

“There are three different Stamps of Approval, Orange, Green and Indigo, each corresponding to a rung on the co-production ladder.

“An Orange stamp is awarded to a project aligned to the engagement rung, a Green stamp to the co-design rung, and the Indigo stamp, the highest accolade, is reserved for projects or initiatives that are fully co-produced. 

“Over the past year, we have given awards to a wide range of projects, including our Heroes Awards, the refreshed Achieve together website, Oliver McGowan training, managers’ interview packs and our recruitment team. 

“Getting together to discuss who gets which stamp is one of the highlights of our year, because it gives us a chance to see just how well people supported are integrated into the whole organisation. ‘Nothing about is without us’ is not just something we say – it is something we make happen.” 

Case Study

In a drive to create engaging, localised recruitment adverts that would attract new team members, the Recruitment team asked Unity to support the co-production of new materials, giving candidates a genuine insight into life at Achieve together. Unity reviewed existing job adverts and suggested changes to better reflect the organisation’s vision and values, while also making them adaptable for each individual home. 

People we support were then invited to share what they felt candidates should know about their home and the role. Their insights were incorporated into the new adverts, which are now live on the careers page of our website. 

Unity commented: 

“We feel that the Recruitment team made sure the project was accessible and impactful, and that Unity’s views were fully respected.” 

In recognition of this collaborative approach, the Recruitment team was awarded a Green Stamp of Approval for their co-produced project, which will continue as adverts are updated.