Lived Experience Consultant

User Voice is looking for a passionate, committed individual with personal lived experience of the criminal justice system to join our team as a Lived Experience Consultant.

This roles is central to ensuring that the voices of people in the justice system shape the services that affect them. 

You’ll work across London prisons, as well as a range of community‑based projects regionally, and occasionally national. Some projects will require significant travel, so flexibility is essential. 

You must be off-license to apply, as this role is subject to HMPPS clearance.

Duties and Responsibilities

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in an innovative and growing charity. We are looking for a dynamic, authentic, and inspiring individual to join our team. 

At the national level there is a crucial need for insights from people with lived experience of crime, addiction and homelessness to inform system reform as this voice is often absent. 

At the same time User Voice has an unrivalled and significant footprint across the country engaging with the hardest to reach people, through elected and trained service users who can provide the information to fill this void. 

There is no one better placed to identify what works or what doesn’t, and to be part of identifying the solution than people with current and recent experience of the system. More significantly, there has never been a time when it has been more important and timelier that service users are given the platform to be heard, and to be part of transforming services and systems. 

User Voice peer research projects, delivered by Lived Experience Consultants, will use this insight to both influence fundamental changes to the policy and public debate, to innovate new services, and to reform systems. 

User Voice peer research and consultations projects have a positive impact on individual participants as a result of the peer-led approach, change institutions along the way by providing them with real time insight and give policy makers a massive reality check.

The successful candidate will be results and outcome-orientated with knowledge of the criminal justice sector and a have their own lived experience. 

We are looking for passionate and motivated staff willing to go above and beyond!

This role involves a significant amount of travelling as it is a front-line role, delivering research, consultation and other service user engagement activities.

Key responsibilities

The Lived Experience Consultant will be responsible for:

• Leading the delivery of User Voice youth and adult projects and consultations
• Engaging with children and adults in both secure and community settings
• Liaising with research partners, prisons, probation and other stakeholders to gain access to children and adults, to support the delivery of User Voice projects
• Playing and active role in project planning and management
• Recruiting, training, and supporting children and adults to be involved throughout research, consultation, and other engagement projects
• Actively recruiting, training, coordinating and supervising groups of volunteers across our youth and adult projects.
• Conducting interviews, surveys and focus groups and other engagement activities with children and adults.
• Supporting the analysis, reporting and dissemination of project information/data.
• Supporting the delivery of other User Voice Councils & projects as needed
 

In addition, the post holder will be required to perform other duties which are assigned from time to time to meet need. However, such other duties will be reasonable in relation to skills, abilities and grade. 

Flexible working hours will be expected in order to accommodate varying travel distances and engagement opportunities.

Person Specification

Essential:

1. Personal lived experience of the criminal justice system
2. Ability to communicate with a wide range of people at all levels
3. Experience of engaging in a range of ways, e.g. interviews, surveys, focus groups
4. Experience of recruiting, training, and supporting individuals and groups of people
5. Interest in research and a desire to help others.
6. Computer literate to a good standard, including collecting and entering data
7. Experience of contributing to project planning and project management
8. Well organised with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively and meet deadlines amid a range of competing demands
9. Ability to be flexible and adaptable to project needs
10. Ability to accept and maintain confidentiality
11. Commitment to Equity, Diversity and inclusion for all.
12. A ‘can do’ attitude and the motivation to succeed.
 

Desirable:

1. Experience of social research techniques in any environment
2. Experience of working with prisoners and service users
3. Good knowledge of the charity sector and/or criminal justice
4. Data analysis and reporting
5. Experience of using spreadsheets, databases, and mobile technology

Terms & Conditions

• Full Time/ Part-time
• Permanent 
• £25k- £30k depending on experience (pro-rata for part-time)
• Bank holidays plus 25 days holiday (pro-rata for part-time)
• You must be off community order / prison license
• Probationary period: Six months