What happens when creativity meets courage, and co-production becomes a colourful invitation to think differently?
In this episode, I’m joined by Gill Phillips, whose journey spans social care, poetry, podcasting, and the creation of the Whose Shoes? co-production tool. Gill brings a rich tapestry of lived experience, from frontline practice to strategic roles in local government, woven with personal resilience and creative defiance. A cancer diagnosis became a turning point, sharpening her resolve to challenge jargon and tokenism in public services. What emerged wasn’t just a board game, but a vibrant tool for change: Whose Shoes? A playful yet profound invitation to walk in someone else’s reality, sparking empathy, dialogue, and systemic shift.
Together, we explore the power of poetry, the metaphor of the beach ball, and the joy of seeing people truly listen to one another. Gill reflects on workshops that changed lives, from maternity services in Buckinghamshire to SEND roadshows and a neonatal unit in Liverpool. She reminds us that co-production isn’t a tick box, it’s a culture shift.
This is an episode about colour, courage, and the quiet magic that happens when people feel truly heard.
 
🔗 References and Resources

Whose Shoes? – Jill’s co-production tool and facilitation method
🌐 whose-shoes.co.uk
Wild Card – Whose Shoes? Podcast
🎙️ Listen on Podbean
Coventry University TechnoCentre – supported early development
🌐 Coventry University Enterprises
NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS)
🌐 GMTS NHS Careers
Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – Jill’s collaboration with Lisa Edwards
🌐 MPFT
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – site of co-production leading to neonatal unit
🌐 Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool Women’s Hospital – referenced in neonatal transport challenges
🌐 Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
Yvonne Newbold MBE – SEND advocate and collaborator
🌐 yvonnenewbold.com
Liberating Structures – creative facilitation methods
🌐 liberatingstructures.com

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