Safe exit
Practitioners Families Organisations Researchers Login/Register

Building a sustainable lived experience partnership: The Lived Experience Network

The South Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) established the Lived Experience Network (the Network) following a co-design process to advise how the Child and Family Support System could better support families to keep their children safe and well at home.

Rather than being engaged for a single project, participants became long-term partners who worked alongside decision-makers to influence how systems and services support children and families.

Moving from consultation to partnership

A defining feature of the Network was that families were involved from the beginning and remained involved throughout decision-making processes.

They moved from individual interviews into supported stakeholder workshops. Rather than being repeatedly asked to recount personal experiences, families were supported to contribute as ‘System Advisors’, focused on improving services and systems for others.

Family members helped design:

  • the System Advisor role
  • membership criteria
  • recruitment processes
  • Terms of Reference
  • governance arrangements
  • mentoring and succession approaches.

‘Co-design for us means that you’re involved in every step and that you’re listened to, along each and every step.’

Lived Experience Network member

How the Lived Experience Network was formed

In the following video (3 minutes, 58 seconds) staff explain how:

  • families were engaged
  • trust was built
  • the System Advisor role emerged
  • governance and Terms of Reference were developed alongside family members.

Building the foundations

Members consistently identified relationships as the foundation of successful lived experience partnership.

Before undertaking emotionally demanding work, members spent time getting to know one another, building trust and establishing shared values. Training and support helped members build confidence and understand their role. Members described the importance of creating a culture where people felt comfortable contributing in different ways and where cultural differences and individual needs were recognised.

Over time, members learned how to notice when someone was finding the work difficult, support one another, and create space for quieter voices and different communication styles.

Supporting meaningful participation

DHS invested in a dedicated coordinator role responsible for supporting members, maintaining communication, organising participation opportunities and acting as a bridge between members and decision-makers. Members consistently described this dedicated coordination as critical to the Network’s success.

Practical supports included:

  • childcare and crèche arrangements
  • accessible meeting locations
  • transport considerations
  • flexible meeting times
  • online participation options
  • accessible communication approaches
  • food and opportunities for informal connection.

Members were also asked what support they needed in order to participate. This included support for language needs, learning differences, anxiety, accessibility requirements and cultural considerations.

Communication was adapted to suit different needs. Members described receiving follow-up calls, verbal explanations of complex documents, opportunities to contribute in different ways and support to ensure everyone understood discussions and decisions.

What helped the Network succeed

In the following video (1 minute, 39 seconds) members share what they believe made the Network successful, including dedicated coordination, organisational commitment, leadership support and ongoing feedback.

Creating safety, trust and influence

The Network recognised that lived experience partnership work can be emotionally demanding.

Members received advance information about meeting topics, could step out when needed, and were supported before, during and after challenging discussions. Confidentiality agreements, debriefing opportunities and ongoing check-ins helped create a safer environment for participation.

Power imbalances were openly acknowledged rather than ignored. Coordinators prepared practitioners before engaging with the group, advocated for members when concerns arose and worked to create environments where lived experience expertise was given equal weight to professional expertise.

‘If you don’t acknowledge the fact that there’s a power imbalance, then I think you’re part of the problem.’

Lived Experience Network member

Members described being able to challenge language, question assumptions and see evidence of their influence in resources, training, policy and service design projects.

Sustaining the partnership

The Network was designed to be an ongoing partnership rather than a one-off consultation process.

Members were not only reimbursed for their time and expertise, but provided with training, networking opportunities and leadership development. Members described increased confidence, stronger networks, new skills and greater belief in their ability to influence services and systems. For many, involvement in the Network created opportunities to contribute beyond the partnership itself.

Outgoing members mentored incoming members, and an alumni pathway allowed people to remain connected after their formal term with the Network ended. This helped maintain knowledge, relationships and continuity while ensuring opportunities for new voices to participate.

Key learnings

The Lived Experience Network practice example offers several insights for organisations seeking to build meaningful lived experience partnerships:

  • Share influence: Involve lived experience partners throughout decision-making rather than seeking feedback once plans have already been developed.
  • Invest in the partnership: Provide dedicated coordination, reimbursement and visible leadership support.
  • Create the conditions for participation: Build relationships and respond flexibly to people’s practical, communication and support needs.
  • Plan beyond the immediate project: Provide mentoring, succession pathways and opportunities for new voices to contribute.

Acknowledgments

Emerging Minds would like to acknowledge the Lived Experience Network alumni, consultants and coordinator who so generously shared their insights and wisdom for the project: Shelly, Mirja, Jasmine, Wei, Jamie, Lemy, Chloe, Dana, Mel and Yasmin.

We thank them for investing their time and energy into creating this practice example for others to learn from.

Read about some of the key achievements of the Network

Discover more resources

Subscribe to our newsletters