What we can do differently

• Prioritise time for team to connect and build relationships
• Invite peers from cross-sectors

• Hold discussion groups and support spaces with and without senior staff
• Question the impact of having leaders and managers present in peer-purpose spaces
• Create dedicated support spaces for leaders and managers

• Host online and in-person
• Tailor support and supervision to the needs of the individual

• Build in Wellbeing Funds in grant applications for all staff (and community collaboratives if appropriate) when applying for grants
• Incorporate a ‘Lived Experience Levy’ specific for LEx preventative and trauma responsive support
• Facilitate access to therapy and other external health support

• Timeout spaces
• Wellbeing weeks and time off
• Incoporate EDI assessments of mental health and chronic illness etc.

• Help staff to prioritise their recovery and return to work with increased budgets for staff absence and sickness
• Provide flexible occupational sick pay instead of statutory sick pay to support different health needs (eg. chronic illnesses and mental health)
• Establish more nuanced policies to cover different eventualities

• Share feedback, impact and
• learning regularly with funders

• Establish a central, specialist HR support that multiple organisations with lived experience staff can access

• Co-produce HR policies and processes with employees
• Reduce punitive HR practices and make them more appropriate to lived experience staff, for example, ensuring those that do investigations and disciplinary hearings have greater understanding of LEx and occupational health processes.

• Provide support and flexibility throughout the recruitment process
• Share questions in advance
• In interview, ask specific questions about LEx requirements and allow them to bring a companion
• Consider who is on the interview panel
• Consider offering video applications, real life tasks and working interviews
• Provide health and wellness packs as part of onboarding

• Give an alternative option to resigning and ending contracts

• Cross-sector placements to explore new ways of working
• Fellowship programme for a year to enable staff and employer to test the role and learn from experience

• Sector wide development programme and training around Lived Experience for funders and employers.
• Create a shared values and principles framework.

Lived Experience specific training for managers, that includes trauma informed approaches and is lived experience led, in addition to generic management training.