1. Supporting and developing people affected by multiple disadvantage
In keeping with our ethos of releasing the potential of those with lived experience, we continuously work with local volunteer ‘expert citizens’, who are early on in their journeys of recovery and development. We provide support through volunteering opportunities, peer support and skills development. We hold the contract for peer support for Stoke’s Housing First project, with that work being delivered by our expert citizens who all have first-hand knowledge of multiple disadvantage.

2. Research, consultation and partnership
We offer research and consultancy to organisations across the voluntary, public and private sectors. Examples include being commissioned by Virgin Money Foundation to review their use of language around the issue of multiple disadvantage; working in partnership with St Mungo’s to better understand the experiences of people sleeping rough who accessed drug and alcohol support services; and very recently supporting Clore Social Leadership to develop a leadership programme for leaders with lived experience of the criminal justice system. We are currently working with the Centre for Health and Development (CHAD), Staffordshire University, most recently conducting research surrounding COVID-19 and homelessness and are active within The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s APLE Collective which brings lived experience to bear on issues around poverty.

3. Insight Evaluation Programme
Our flagship programme, Insight, has three strands of activity: INSIGHT Evaluation, the National INSIGHT Awards, and the INSIGHT | Public Involvement project.

Firstly, uses our bespoke set of standards to recognise how well organisations support - and learn from - people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage, using an Appreciative Inquiry approach to foster and recognise best practice. Organisations that offer services to those experiencing multiple disadvantage participate in the programme by commissioning Expert Citizens to carry out evaluations of their services using these standards and are awarded one of the four levels: Welcoming, Listening, Learning and Leading. Furthering the digital development of the Insight programme is a priority for the coming year.

Secondly, we hold annually, to recognise and commend outstanding work. These awards are made at a major national conference and offer a unique opportunity for organisations working in the field to come together and celebrate excellence in involving those with lived experience in the development of their services. This attracts a wide range of delegates and keynote speakers who share how their lived experience has shaped their organisations and the services they offer. 

Thirdly, we are expanding the range of this programme by working with local academic and NHS partners to co-develop a version of the Insight programme for health research settings. This iteration will use the Expert Citizens INSIGHT Evaluation framework to co-develop and implement an equivalent set of standards - initially focusing on health research departments and is currently referred to as the ‘INSIGHT | Public Involvement Quality Awards for Public Involvement in Research’ project. This ongoing project is funded by the West Midlands Clinical Research Network (part of the research arm of the NHS) and represents the first step in diversifying the INSIGHT ‘brand’.

As you can see from the above, the voice of lived experience informs and drives everything we do - it is the reason we exist!