Developing guidance on co-producing research with family carers of people with learning disabilities

Purpose Co-production is increasingly widely adopted in research with family carers of people with learning disabilities but can involve challenges as well as benefits. This paper aims to describe the development of guidance on co-producing research with family carers of people with learning disabilities. Design/methodology/approach The guidance was co-produced by family carers and researchers from five co-produced research projects over the course of meetings, working groups and iterative revisions. Findings The authors identify seven golden rules for co-production with family carers: work together as peers; make it meaningful; listen and keep an open mind; communicate clearly; pay appropriately; be sensitive; and be flexible. Evaluation of the development process through qualitative interviews with family carers involved in developing the guidance indicated that, despite challenges such as the short timescale, the project reflected meaningful co-production throughout. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, they describe the development of the first guidance on co-producing research with family carers of people with learning disabilities. The authors hope that this will serve as a valuable resource for family carers and researchers and facilitate meaningful co-production in the field.