What’s an ‘Over a Brew’?
We provide a space to get alongside each other “over a brew”, to share and test out ideas that will improve people’s experiences of requesting and accessing adult social care. We are on season 5 and have been running the “Over a Brews” successfully for the last few years.
How is the feedback used?
The key findings from each session, feeds back into the “Putting People at the Heart of Care and Support” working group which consists of Assistant Director Leads and Network Leads from local areas to inform local improvement work. The feedback is also used to target the Regional Sector Led Improvement Programme for the year ahead.
Where can I see the feedback from the previous seasons?
The feedback from each of the sessions run in 2024/25 can be found here: OABs on a page 24/25. The feedback from the 2025/26 sessions will be available here soon but in the meantime, please access this link to view all the recent “Over a Brew” write ups: All OAB write ups
Who can come to an “Over a Brew”?
Anyone with an interest in the delivery and improvement of adult social care across the East. This could be a person accessing care and support, a person looking for adult social care and support, a family member, a carer, a provider or a member of staff including commissioner of adult social care.
Regional Commitments to Coproduction 2025 – 2026: from Ripples to Waves
How do I find out more and book?
Use this link for exact dates, themes and booking details for season 5 2026/27
If your organisation doesn’t support or access Ticketsource, please email Hello@curatorsofchange.com to book onto the sessions.
Use this link for resources in relation to the outcomes of the “Over a Brew” sessions
What are our commitments to co-production as a region?
Each year, the Putting People at the Heart of Care and Support working group (including people who access care and support from local areas) and the “Over a Brew” crew meet to review the commitments. It was agreed that the commitments produced for 2025/26 remain the same for the year ahead, 2026/27. The commitments will be reviewed again in September 2026.
Please view our document 10 regional commitments to improve co-production locally.
Other work
Other lived experience videos:
Over A Brew on 29th October 2025 – In this video two carers from global majority communities share their experiences of care and support for their loved ones, and the challenges around language, sensory impairment, dementia, cultural needs, caring responsibilities and technology; how they all intersect, and the impact of this on those accessing care and support. They sparked conversation in the session further highlighting the need to understand the whole person, their family, and move beyond ‘one size fits all’ approaches to meeting diverse experiences and needs.
Commitments 2024-2025
The two following videos show progress against the 24/25 commitments made at face to face meetings in March 24 and September 24 involving members of the “Over a Brew” and the “Putting People at the Heart of Care and Support” Working Group.
The videos show how local authorities are learning from regional feedback and how local councils are working collaboratively with people who access care and support, families and carers to improve support.
Mental Health Services – What quality of care means to Lee
“For me it’s important to have purpose, connection, meaning, sense of belonging, worth, being seen and heard rather than traditional services”
Poem: the importance of co-production co-produced September 2024
No sitting on the fence, together we are immense. Getting rid of the nonsense!
Video from March 2024 meeting
Video from September 2024 meeting
More Over a Brew recordings
If you would like to see subtitles and they are not already embedded, click on the ‘cc’ in a box in the bottom right of the video player.
Kate and Eleanor describe the challenges a carer may have when professional support is not as good as it should be