This report considers how people with lived experience, including those from diverse backgrounds and communities, can be co-collaborators in research. The authors explore research methods and tools that others might like to draw from and add to, identifying key elements and practices consistent with a participatory approach.

Recognising diverse expertise makes for better policy, the Australia Cares project was founded to enable community-led policy development shaped by lived experience, and community and academic expertise. Drawing together the findings of 18 months of collaboration, deliberation and experimentation, this report marks the conclusion of the first phase of the project.

The care sector plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives, in our communities and in the economy. As the care sector becomes a larger part of the economy, the authors of this report argue that innovation in the sector is becoming increasingly important.