Lilian Kennedy, a PhD student in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, interfaced with the Scottish Government’s policy team to identify key areas of concern in the successful implementation of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. Lilian conducted primary and secondary research to produce two focused Evidence Summary Reports: Communication Outreach Strategies and Equalities Considerations for LGBT and BME Carers that filled in missing areas of research. The communication report was used to write implementation guidance for the Act for Scottish local authorities, which is being used to aid localised efforts to reach and serve unpaid carers, particularly those who, historically, have not accessed important services. The qualitative research approach used directly involved carers and carer organisations in the research process itself to de-stabilise boundaries between government and citizen involvement in policies, break down hierarchies and recognise that expertise also resides in ‘everyday’ citizens. Lilian’s work was Commended in the SGSSS Research Impact & Knowledge Exchange Competition 2018, where she presented a poster to stakeholders from across Scotland.