Lived experience is at the heart of the Living Assessments programme of work, and we recruited three Experts by Experience groups to inform our research and policy development. The Experts by Experience groups are a way for people directly affected by policies to share their personal experiences in a meaningful way.
The groups are formed of:
- Disabled children and young people, 11 - 25 years old
- Adult care leavers, 16 - 25 years old
- Parents and carers whose children have experienced social care assessments, 0 - 25 years old
The Experts by Experience were the life and blood of this project. They shaped the direction of the research, advised the academic partners, and co-authored journal articles. They engaged with politicians, meeting ministers and parliamentarians and advocating in Parliament; they worked with us to design and speak at events, and they always held the project team to account to advocate for improving the lives of children and families experiencing children’s social care assessments.