Central To The Success Of Enabling Good Lives

Is A Well Supported Living Experience Workforce, Sufficient In Numbers, And Embedded Across All Areas Of The Disability System

This Approach Results In Benefits For Disabled People Accessing Support, Their Whanau, And Service Providers As Well As The Broader Community

What Will We See

  • Disabled People And Their Whanau Being Understood

  • Trusted Ambassadors In Our System

  • Emotional Intelligence In Action

  • Modeling Possibilities For Others

Who Is The Living Experience Workforce Comprised Of?

When We See The Inclusion Of The Disabled Person And The Family Experience ... We See Representation ... We See Increased Diversity Of Voice ... We See Both Experiences Valued And Valuable

  • PERSONAL LIVING EXPERIENCE ROLES

    Disabled People are informed by: direct experience of disability.

  • FAMILY LIVING EXPERIENCE ROLES

    Whanau are informed by: supporting someone through an experience of disability and the disabling experience of society on the family unit.

Living Experience Employees Draw On Their Own Life-Changing Experiences To Help Others

The Living Experience Perspective

The living experience perspective can be characterised as:

  • Relational

    The basis of the work is through relationship. Relationships are the core of connection and aim to bring greater inclusion of diverse voices in all aspects of the work.

  • Political And Rights-Based

    Individual experience is connected to system change and a drive to improve services and outcomes for people who are accessing services as well as family/carers. Lived Experience roles are based in a rights and social justice framework.

Benefits Of The Living Experience Workforce

What Living Experience Is Required For Living Experience Roles?

It Is Not So Much The Particular Living Experience, That Is Important To Living Experience Roles ... But The Expertise And Valued Knowledge, Skills, And Wisdom Gained Through This Experience

  • What Enables A Person With Living Experience To Work In A Living Experienced Role ?

    Being willing and able to share and apply the knowledge and understanding gained within their work role. It is important to understand that the experiences, and impacts, are very personal and while ‘how much experience is enough’ is highly subjective, people with living experience describe experiences that changed life as they knew it and took them on a different path from what they had planned. The experiences, also caused significant change to the way they viewed themselves and their place in the world

  • The Work Is Informed By Relationships Based On Connection, Trust, Equality, And Hope

    It can at times be desirable to hire someone with a certain type of living experience or background, compatible with the setting and people who will be accessing support. There are advantages for Living Experience workers who understand what it’s like to access services in particular settings and have greater empathy for people with similar experiences. Identity and culture are also important factors that benefit from interacting with Living Experience workers with ‘like’ experiences, identifications and cultural backgrounds

  • Living Experience Perspectives Can Be Applied At All Levels Of An Organisation And Living Experience Workers Are Valuable In A Range Of Positions And Contexts.

    It is important for organisations and HR professionals during the recruitment and interview process to know how to ask about living experience and for people applying for these roles to understand what is important in talking about their experiences. It is essential that living experience is recognised as a valued asset to the role, and to explore the expertise that person has gained through navigating their experiences

The People Who Make Up The Living Experience Workforce

Are At The Forefront Of Social Change

TO PROTECT THAT PERSPECTIVE ... Time Dedicated To Demonstrating The Enabling Good Lives Approach In Their Personal Lives, Is A Vital Outward Facing Component Of Their Professional Role. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'LIVED' EXPERIENCE AND 'LIVING' EXPERIENCE