Our Lived Experience Partner role is a key part of our Lived Experience Leadership Framework. Our Lived Experience Partners work alongside clinical and non-clinical staff, patients, and carers, drawing upon personal experience and expertise to provide insight into the design, improvement and delivery of the services provided by the Trust.
Our Lived Experience Partners work alongside services and teams. Partners participate in quality improvement programmes, governance committees, as well as other activities like training, recruitment, and input into academic papers.
They are ‘partners’ largely because they will bring professional and personal wisdom alongside experience of using our services.
Partners are not representatives or there to provide feedback (we have other mechanisms for that) but are ‘advisors’ and ‘critical friends’ who check assumptions, ask questions, provide insights into reframing issues or identifying problems, change dynamics and model collaborative leadership.