Email service disruption
The issues affecting email messages sent to Cumberland Council have now been resolved, and we are receiving emails as normal.
Adult Social Care works best when it is shaped with the people who use it, their carers, families and communities.
We want to work alongside people to improve how support is designed, delivered and changed, not just ask for feedback at the end.
Your experiences, ideas and challenges help us understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change. Whether you use services now, have used them in the past, support someone else, or work alongside Adult Social Care, your perspective matters.
You don’t need to be confident, experienced or know the “right words” to get involved. What matters is what life is really like for you.
There are different ways to take part, depending on what works best for you. This might include:
We aim to offer different options, including online and in‑person opportunities, and to make involvement as accessible as possible. Where involvement takes time and effort, we follow our Valuing Involvement approach so people are recognised and paid for their contribution.
When you share your views or get involved, we will be clear about:
Sometimes people’s input shapes decisions directly. Sometimes it helps improve understanding, challenge assumptions, or influence future work. We will be open about the role your involvement plays and share updates so you can see how learning is being used.
This is about building trust, not ticking a box.
This work is guided by a shared set of principles about how we work together, including openness, respect, compassion, equality, equity, accountability and belonging.
These values are being brought together through a Working Together Charter, which is being developed with people and partners across Adult Social Care and Housing as part of the Community Power programme. The Charter describes what good co‑production should feel like in practice, not just in principle.
This page is one of the ways we put those values into action.
Working together in Adult Social Care and Housing
We want people to help shape the services they use, or support others to use.
Current ways to get involved include:
This includes our Making It Real Board, a group that helps us understand what Adult Social Care feels like in real life and what needs to change.
People with experience of care and support work alongside staff and partners to:
Find out more and express interest:
Current opportunities include, among others:
This might be through short‑term workshops, review sessions or working groups.
From time to time, we run surveys or small group conversations to gather people’s experiences and test ideas before decisions are made.
Some people support this work by sharing opportunities in their communities, encouraging others to get involved, or helping us think about how involvement can be more inclusive and accessible.
Over a Brew continues as an active regional learning space, bringing together people with lived experience, carers, staff and partners to reflect on what helps co‑production work well in practice.
The 2026 season of sessions is now open, with opportunities to take part in the next phase of discussions.
You can find out more about upcoming sessions here:
To get involved, email:
If you’d prefer not to email, you can express your interest by completing this form.
Read our plain English Working Together in Adult Social Care and Housing report, with real examples and learning from 2024 to 2026.
You can also share feedback about Adult Social Care services using our online form.
Your feedback helps us understand what needs to improve.