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Lived experience is often dismissed – but we should recognise it as a form of expertise

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People living with disabilities or through poverty and racism develop deep practical knowledge of how institutions function. They should be seen as experts.

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Making change stick: Revolving Doors' toolkits for co-production

For the past five years Revolving Doors has supported the Changing Futures programme, using our expertise in bringing together lived and learned experience to support people experiencing multiple disadvantage.

Our approach to co-production recognises the insights people with lived experience offer. First-hand perspectives bridge the crucial policy and practice gap, challenge assumptions, reveal blind spots, and inspire innovation from the very start of the process, not as an afterthought.

Undertaken in earnest, with mutual respect, co-production with lived and learned experience ensures decisions are informed by real-world understanding. This helps decisionmakers grasp not only what needs to change, but why and how to make that change stick.

Revolving Doors' model of coproduction gives us crucial insight - shaped, always, by our members - into the value of lived experience at every level: from policymaking, to commissioning of services, to governing. We know that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, yet too often furthest away from resources and power. Policies work better in practice when everyone's knowledge is combined in designing them.

To acknowledge the impact of this work, Revolving Doors has created three guides to co-production, as tools designed to support and encourage more lived experience at the front and centre of tackling multiple disadvantage, and shaping systems change.

Joint commissioning with lived experience

Why lived experience must be part of policy design:

Why lived experience must shape governance:

A complete guide to commissioning, policy-making and shaping governance with lived experience:

Inspired by what you see? Partner with us:

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Making change stick: Revolving Doors' toolkits for co-production -...

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For the past five years Revolving Doors has supported the Changing Futures programme, using our expertise in bringing together lived and learned experience to support people experiencing multiple disadvantage. Our approach to co-production recognises the insights people with lived experience...

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Redressing the Power Imbalance – an article about Participatory Grant Making – The Charity Service

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This article first appeared in the October 2025 edition of Civil Society Fundraising Magazine.

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Paying people who receive benefits: Co-production - SCIE

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This briefing for local authorities, charities and organisations that support people who use services and their carers, looks at how people and carers who receive state benefits can get involved in paid co-production, involvement, participation in health and social care, highlighting what they need to be aware of to avoid any loss of benefits.

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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion | Breaking Down Barriers

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A Note about endings… — Reducing Homelessness

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In this blog Jules, who oversees the Brighton & Hove Frontline Network shares a note about endings…

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“While we work towards long-term solutions to end homelessness, we must also address the realities of those experiencing it right now.” – Groundswell

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”″] Theatre as an Approach to Participation & Catalyst for Change We know that the people closest to the issues are b

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Legislative theatre is an exciting way to shape policy in homelessness

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This column brings together a range of resources to help you navigate language, including reflections on its power and impact, guidance on engaging with people who have different language and communication needs, and examples of phrases to use or avoid. Use this collection to explore, learn, and reflect, with the aim of communicating in ways that are respectful, inclusive, accessible, and grounded in lived experience.

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https://thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/blog/words-build-worlds-why-language-matters-in-inclusive-social-care/

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Words build worlds: Why language matters in inclusive social care - TLAP

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The language we use can either open doors or close them. I’ve been thinking about how everyday phrases carry hidden histories, and how that affects people’s

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CHECK LIST - LE recruitment process must have (1)

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Doing Justice to Stories from Lived Experience Webinar

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*Multiple compound needs are two or more experiences of homelessness, domestic violence, mental ill health, substance-use challenges and interactions with the

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Below you can find out what intersectionality is and how it shapes people’s experiences of the world. Understanding it is essential for inclusive engagement, ensuring all voices are recognised, valued, understood, and meaningfully involved.

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This column highlights the importance of reflective practice across the health and social care sector, for both the workforce and communities. Reflection can take place individually, in meetings, group sessions, or one-to-one conversations, supporting wellbeing and fostering shared learning.

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Documenting ending well - Brighton & Hove Common Ambition

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How Brighton and Hove Common Ambition coproduced their project ending; making sure it felt safe and celebrated.

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This column explores asking people with lived experience to share personal stories. Stories can humanise conversations, highlight what isn’t working, and make a compelling case for change. However, if not handled carefully, sharing stories can cause psychological harm, place blame on individuals, reveal identities, or create real-life risks such as losing housing. This column provides guidance on sharing stories safely, respectfully, and effectively, while protecting the people involved.

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This column shares guidance on using case studies; personal stories shared for learning, teaching, or professional development. They must be presented respectfully, with consent and without identifiable details, to ensure ethical and safe use.

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Anti-racism is essential in co-production and participation. There is often a lack of understanding and acknowledgement of racism and the experiences of racialised communities in these spaces. Racism is a systemic issue, and some environments may lack adequate representation. This column provides guidance on creating safe, accessible, and meaningfully inclusive spaces, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

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This column focuses on ethical practice when working with lived experience. It provides guidance on minimising harm and working responsibly with people who may be vulnerable. Familiarising yourself with these principles will help ensure that research and materials produced with people are handled ethically in all external activities, including communications and media work.

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This column explores co-production as an approach to lived experience involvement. It provides guidance on how to work as equal collaborators so that outcomes reflect everyone’s expertise and perspectives.

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Women’s Mental Health Through Homelessness and Housing Transitions:…

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This research project, led by a community researcher with lived experience of homelessness and mental health challenges, in collaboration with Justlife,…

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How Peer Research helped James turn his life around

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James was one the first to join the peer research project as part of group one. Here he shares his story, and shows how being part of the project has…

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Peer research is uncovering the intersectional nature of homelessness, and call for a person-centred approach In early 2023, Justlife brought us together,…

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The results of our most recent piece of peer research are in. Read our findings and hear the experiences and insight of our research group.

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6 min read |

Posted by Casey Sailor and Robert Jones

On 18 March 2024

At the beginning of 2023, Justlife convened a group of five peer researchers in Brighton, funded by the Young Foundation. We wanted to establish a group that will be able to carry out peer research, and explore the use of peer research as a method for accessing first-hand community knowledge of intersectionality in Temporary Accommodation.

The group of five individuals all have different experiences of homelessness and temporary accommodation in Brighton. Working with facilitators from Justlife, an exciting research project is taking shape, which is already benefiting other projects in Manchester and Southampton, as well as a second group that is about to start up in Brighton.

Here the peer researchers talk about the process.

When we first met, we were all strangers in a brand new environment. We didn't have a common understanding of how the space should function, so we prioritised safety and comfort in the initial stages of the project.

We had each been approached individually before the first group meeting, giving us the opportunity to discuss details, voice concerns and build rapport with someone from the Justlife team.

The first session was dedicated to introducing ourselves to each other, discussing individual support needs/accommodations, informing how the group would function and also how we would handle issues within and outside the group. We created a group agreement, which we displayed on a large piece of paper with sticky notes, so it could be revised as the group felt necessary. Some of the key agreements we made were:

The facilitators should offer support outside of the group meetings if requested, and at regular intervals throughout the project.

The environment should be low pressure and friendly.

Our attendance was optional. Facilitators would check in on people who were absent to see if they were ok, but the group would operate on a drop in basis.

No intoxicants were to be consumed at meetings. Should someone be suspected of being under the influence by anyone in the group, it would be addressed privately, by a facilitator.

There were safety nets built in - trigger warnings throughout, which doesn't always happen in these spaces. However, there was also freedom to explore difficult topics.
Peer researcher

Throughout the project, accessibility was a recurring problem. It became quite apparent that lots of buildings that considered themselves accessible didn't consider the span of disabilities that a normal person may have. This caused a lot of scheduling hassle, and ended with the facilitators vetting venues personally before booking them. In the end, Justlife adapted a space to make it accessible.

The first phase of our research program was about training and education, building our skills. We looked at research design and ethics, led by a facilitator with a research background, and had group discussions about the issues we were going to research.

We discussed the ethics and standards around the housing charity sector, and dedicated lessons to discussing definitions of sector terminology such as 'lived experience' and 'trauma informed'. This helped us reach a common understanding during more complex discussions.

At this point we would like to make it clear that, we think that any good dialogue (such as around a piece of research) doesn't assume that everyone is viewing it with the same lens. It is far more productive to come to an agreement, than it is to push for the 'right definition'.

There is a wide group variety. People from a huge mix of backgrounds, broad neurodiversity in the room, huge amounts of life experience and perspectives, which led to really interesting shared learning from each other.
Peer researcher

During the initial stage of this project, we decided to document the process we were going through. This was to show our funders the value of our project, but we also wanted to create something to aid others who wanted to set up a peer research group; a valid research resource after this initial project is complete.

Helped by our facilitators, we produced a manual on how to set up a Peer Research Group in a safe way, which detailed the process of putting together our group and working through the first phase of the project. It is a collaborative piece of work that is currently being tested by Shared Health and Southampton University, who are using it to set up peer research groups, as well as a second group in Brighton that is about to be set up. The manual will change as they give feedback. We wish them luck.

We are now in the second phase of our project, which is conducting the research. This started with designing a research question, which took lots of discussion as we weighed up our interests against our resources and the practicalities of each topic. We drew on our real life knowledge of the town, housing system, intersectionality, and also considered logistics and ethics. This is what we decided to research:

"How can we prevent people of different intersectional identities from ending up in Temporary Accommodation?"

By intersectionality we mean the different intersecting identities a lot of us have, such as being neurodivergent, queer or from a different ethnic background.

Since we were researching in our own local area, we not only had to consider the impact of our work on the community we chose, but also on ourselves. Our actions could have a negative impact on lives or communities. We also wanted to be mindful that, since we were researching issues that had impacted each of us, we didn't take on anything we weren't equipped to do physically or mentally.

Switching to the second, more independent phase of the program brought forward other issues. As people's lives changed, some peers moved on to do other things, using skills and confidence built in the group. We revisited the group agreement and reassessed our commitments for the year.

To answer the research question, it was quite quickly decided that we wanted to be creative and do a workshop style event. During our time with Justlife, we have had experience of working at several of these events, and have seen how they provide an opportunity to directly support and engage with our research participants and make their time worthwhile.

The event will be supported by a survey which we are in the process of sending out. The replies will help decide what research methods we use at the event, and also give people who don't have the opportunity to attend the chance to contribute. The event will happen sometime in the summer and will be an opportunity for people to share their experiences of staying in temporary accommodation. Once we have all the data, we will analyse it using our new research skills, and share the insights as widely as possible.

For a group like us with low expectations, it has been a remarkable success already. The experiences and skills gained have been enough to change each member of the group. It's been a worthwhile year already. This project is a means of empowering and supporting a group of peers, while also benefiting their wider community. We're positive that even the most disadvantaged people in a community can affect positive change on themselves and their surroundings with the right resources and support. And we're not finished yet!

If you have experience of staying in TA in Brighton, and are interested in taking part in this research, get in touch on info@justlife.org.uk or click here for the online survey.

Have a look at the manual on how to set up a peer research group here.

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Our journey into peer research as people with lived experience of...

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Our group of peer researchers with lived experience of homelessness explore how they are setting up research projects to explore intersectionality in...

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One approach to involving lived experience is peer or community research. While it can be a powerful way to give people decision-making power and recognise their expertise, it needs to be carefully considered and thoughtfully set up. This column explores how to establish peer research groups, involve people meaningfully, and shares examples of community-led research in practice.

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Participation is about giving communities a real say in the decisions that affect their lives. This column explores different ways to involve people, from consultation to co-production, highlighting approaches that empower communities and ensure their voices shape outcomes.

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Trauma-informed approaches are key to co-production. They help ensure that the ways we work with people do not inadvertently retraumatise them, creating a safer and more supportive environment for meaningful collaboration. This column provides guidance and resources to help embed trauma-informed principles into your practice.

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Co-creating group agreements gives everyone ownership over how a group works together. Establishing clear agreements and boundaries helps ensure that interactions are respectful, safe, and productive. This column includes examples of group agreements and guidance on setting boundaries to support safe and effective collaboration.

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When working with people with lived experience, it is important to remunerate people fairly for their time, expertise, and contributions, which is an essential part of working equitably. Careful consideration is needed to ensure this does not create risks for people receiving benefits, and it is a question often raised at the start of a project. Below is a list of guidance and resources to help you navigate this.

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Understanding power is central to meaningful lived experience engagement. This column provides resources on how power operates, how it shapes projects, and ways to navigate it to promote fairness and inclusion.

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Taking time to have thoughtful, honest conversations about roles, expectations, support, and payment during recruitment helps create conditions where people can participate confidently. This column focuses on the internal preparation and the quality of conversations needed to recruit well, supporting inclusive, transparent, and effective lived experience involvement.

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A tapestry of incredible ideas, co-produced by support workers and anonymous clients with lived experience, Common Ambition is a steering group like no other. Its goal is to improve support systems by working collaboratively and ensuring the voice of those with lived experience is central to service improvement and systems change.

How can we best help people experiencing homelessness and Multiple Compound Needs issues? Let's ask them.

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Co-Production in Action | The Practice Networks Podcast

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A tapestry of incredible ideas, co-produced by support workers and anonymous clients with lived experience, Common Ambition is a steering group like no other. Its goal is to improve support systems by working collaboratively and ensuring the voice of those with lived experience is central to service improvement and systems change.

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Lived Experience | The Practice Networks Podcast

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What is Expertise by Experience, and how vital is such lived experience to support work?
Alex Procter, Justlife’s Lived Experience Lead tells Sam and Jules how the organisation strives to innovate.
We discuss shifting the focus in the support sector and how we can learn from clients.
Sign up to the Practice Networks here. Funded by Changing Futures.

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The Balance of Power in Co-Production: Reflections from Engage 2024 | NCCPE

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Power can be a tricky concept to engage with, but its a defining aspect of co-production and forms the focus of my PhD which explores public contributors' experiences of power and power-sharing (or lack of) in the co-production of UK health research.

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Workshop originally produced for Peer Researchers on intersectionality, not peer research specific

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Guiding questions that go with a workshop for peer researchers on intersectionality

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Justlife - Guiding Questions for participant reflection On Intersectionality

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A Roadmap for Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change: Guidance for Organisations, Systems and Workforces in Scotland (2023)

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A Roadmap for Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change: Guidance for Organisations, Systems and Workforces in Scotland (2023)

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Implementation - National Trauma Transformation Programme

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Stories about people's lived experience can help to humanise conversations on how to improve our housing system. They can shine a light on what isn't working and what solutions are needed, and make a compelling case for change. Like all communications, we need to consider how we frame these stories, so people's experiences are understood as intended.

Connect individual stories to the big picture

We know that people tend to think about housing in individualistic ways. For example, people may think that the solution to improving someone's housing situation is for them to work harder and earn more, so they can afford a decent home. This individualistic lens obscures systemic factors, such as how housing policies affect people's lives, and how constraints like low wages and high rents restrict their options.

To make the case for changes to our housing system, zoom out and show the bigger picture.

What to do:

Add context to stories, rather than leaving gaps that may be filled with unhelpful assumptions. For example, highlight the lack of - or availability of - decent affordable homes in someone's area, or factors such as how wages compare to the cost of local rent.

Explicitly talk about how different housing policies, or shortcomings in our housing system, have impacted people's individual experiences - for better and for worse.

Ask people questions that draw out context, like 'What support did you have?' and 'What options and opportunities did you have?'.

Tell a range of stories to highlight shared experiences

When we tell a range of stories that draw attention to shared experiences of housing, it means they can't be written off or dismissed as exceptional. Instead, build up a picture of the scale of the challenges we need to address. Telling these stories from diverse perspectives can also help sidestep stereotyping.

What to do:

Tell a range of stories from the perspectives of different people.

Highlight shared experiences, such as waiting for a social home or trying to keep up with private rent increases.

Tell stories about positive experiences too, like the difference it makes to have a decent and affordable home.

Ask questions that draw out scale and shared experiences, like 'Are there others in the same position as you?' and 'Does this affect other people living in your area?'.

Paint a picture of how things can and should be

As well as showing the problems that need to be fixed, stories from people's lived experience can bring solutions into view. This is important for building a sense that change is possible, so that people don't disengage.

What to do:

Explicitly talk about what solutions have changed people's lives for the better, or what would change them for the better.

Tell stories that show the positive impact that decent, affordable homes have on people's lives, as well as telling stories that highlight problems.

Ask questions that draw out solutions, like 'When was the turning point, and what happened?' and 'What would have helped?'.

Here are some further framing guides on how to talk about homes.

This guide was written by Sophie Gordon from FrameWorks UK, as part of JRF's and the Nationwide Foundation's co-funded Talking about Homes project.

Any questions? Get in touch with sgordon@frameworksuk.org or natalie.tate@jrf.org.uk.

For more information about framing, visit FrameWorks UK.

Download

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Talking about Homes: framing stories from lived experience

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Stories rooted in lived experience can bring housing issues to life by revealing what isn't working, highlighting the solutions we need, and helping to build understanding through careful, considered framing. Here's how to do these stories justice.

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This column introduces you to lived experience engagement in practice and gives you the essential foundations you need before getting started. Here, you’ll find guidance on safe and effective ways of working, how to begin a project, and the key benefits of meaningful lived experience engagement.

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This column explores the importance of positive endings in lived experience engagement. Ending involvement can be difficult, so it’s essential to plan carefully, provide support, and ensure that endings are clear, respectful, and safe for everyone involved.