Gjensidig støtte som forberedelse for samskaping med sårbare familier

People in need of support often experience to be well helped when they themselves holds a helping role. Equality and reciprocity are central values in the literature on co-creation and a recognition of such values was implicitly embedded in an initiative we took to- wards an action learning project in Larvik (Norway). An action learning project was aiming towards creating a dialogue between public service receivers and their counterpart public servants in the context of a public social housing support program. In the first phase we emphasized on creating contact and dialogue across the counter. Along the way however, we had to flip our focus in the project. We realized that vulnerable people need to prepare before meeting social service servants on equal basis. The article shows how recipients of social housing service benefit strongly from a pro- cess where they got the opportunity to support each other before participating in a broader co-creating partnership.