Understanding meaningful co-production
Neuroflect was created after Royal College of Occupational Therapists awarded Sarah Meharg an Innovation Fund to explore co-production in relation to improving the accessibility of musculoskeletal (MSK) services for neurodivergent people.
The original project asked a practical question:
What does meaningful co-production actually look like in day-to-day practice, and what structures are needed to support it well?
Rather than focusing only on outcomes, the work examined the processes, safeguards, and supports required when involving Experts by Experience (EBEs) in training and service development.
What emerged was a set of documents that supported this work in real time. Neuroflect grew directly from that project and from the recognition that many teams want to work collaboratively with lived experience expertise, but lack clear, accessible tools to do so.
As Neuroflect launches, we have made these documents freely available in our Resources section. Making these documents public is part of Neuroflect’s commitment to practical, reflective, and neuroaffirmative ways of working. They will continue to evolve as learning develops.
We hope they are useful in your work and contribute to more thoughtful, accessible collaboration with Experts by Experience.
Why these resources were created
Across health, education, research, and service design, co-production is widely encouraged. However, people often report uncertainty about:
- How to make involvement accessible from the outset
- How to clarify roles, expectations, and boundaries
- How to recognise and compensate lived experience input fairly
- How to manage consent, confidentiality, and wellbeing in a proportionate way
During the Innovation Fund project, these questions were not theoretical. They were immediate and practical. The documents now shared were developed to meet those needs, tested within live project delivery, and refined in collaboration with EBEs.
They are not intended as fixed or prescriptive models, but as practical starting points that others can adapt to their own contexts.
What resources are available
The following Neuroflect resources are available to download for free:
- Example of an accessibility rider (click here to download)
- Accessibility rider guidance (click here to download)
- The Accessibility Rider (also known as a “communication passport”) supports people to share how they work best, including communication preferences, access needs, processing styles, and wellbeing considerations. It is designed to be used flexibly and updated over time.
- It is important to note that completing the Accessibility Rider was not mandatory. Where it was completed, the EBE was paid for their time. If someone already had an existing communication passport or “about me” profile, this was used instead.
- How the rider was completed and used was adapted to the person and their role. In practice, this meant it was shortened, simplified, or completed in different ways depending on context. Some people completed it independently using the guidance, while others completed it with support during a meeting or through written messages.
- Expert by Experience project information (click here to download)
- This document sets out the purpose of the project, the role of EBEs, what participation might involve, and how contributions are supported and recognised. It was written to be clear, transparent, and easy to revisit.
- The document was adapted based on information shared in the Accessibility Rider and included photographs and short descriptions of the people involved in the project, to support clarity and relational working.
- Example of our Expert by Experience policy (click here to download)
- The policy outlines principles and processes for EBE involvement, including recruitment, onboarding, consent, payment, confidentiality, and wellbeing. It provides a framework that can be adapted for different projects and organisations.
How these documents can be used
These resources are intentionally flexible and can be used in a range of settings, including:
- Training development and delivery
- Research and evaluation projects
- Service design and improvement work
- Organisational reflection on inclusive practice
- They can be adopted in full or used selectively. Some teams may use only the Accessibility Rider, while others may find the policy helpful as a starting framework. What matters most is that they support clear communication, shared expectations, and accessible participation.
Use, adaptation, and credit
All of these documents are freely available and shared to support better practice and reduce barriers to ethical co-production.
Where they are used or adapted, we ask that Neuroflect is credited as the source. This helps recognise the work involved in developing these resources and supports their ongoing refinement and sharing.