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Our Community
The network is a collective of over 1500 amazing individuals and organisations, with the common vision of a world where people with lived experience of multiple disadvantages are treated as equal partners in decisions made about their lives. Our members are from a range of backgrounds, many of whom have lived experience of disadvantage. Here are some of the reasons members like being part of the network:
“I am enjoying being part of something that is evolving and growing with a common purpose”
“The outlook of the people involved - it's nice to link with people aiming for genuine improvements”
“The respect and kindness of the members to one another”
“I love the 'safeness' of Expert Link - I've always felt comfortable and safe to speak, which is a really underrated skill/value that a lot of environments don't think about. I think Expert Link really values all people which enables them to facilitate real and wide ranges of conversations across the board”
Our Staff
What are you passionate about?
People and change. I believe in people, their potential and their ability to be able to create change regardless of were they are coming from or where they are heading.
What are your skills and strengths?
I hope that one of them is being able to create the spaces and environments for change either for individuals or across services and systems.
What is your proudest achievement?
I don’t have a single moment, but I am proud of our philosophy of “everyone who comes into our world should leave a better human being than when they arrived”. It’s no matter whether that is because they’ve learnt new skills, been listened to, been given a voice or just treated with love and compassion, what matters is that it happens.
Why is it important to have people with lived experience engaged in decision making?
In my own recovery I learnt that if I wanted to permanently change for the better then I needed to be very honest with myself. If systems and services want to change for the better then they need to be honest too. I cannot see how they can claim to be honest if they exclude their biggest stakeholders, lived experience, from their policy and decision making. Coproduction seems to me the best and most honest way to recognise all stakeholders, their wisdom and their strengths so that we can create a better world.
What are you passionate about?
People with lived experience being engaged in decision making. And all that that entails - reducing stereotypes, supporting each other, coming together and achieving things.
What are your skills and strengths?
Quite good at looking at the bigger picture. Recognising the talents that people have. Trying new things. Organised and really enjoy research.
What is your proudest achievement?
Working with Expert Link as it became a charity, securing substantial funding and getting people with lived experience of homelessness into key debates, whether a seat on the Governments Rough Sleeping Taskforce or advising DWP staff on how to support people experiencing homelessness.
Why is it important to have people with lived experience engaged in decision making?
Pragmatically, how can we have the best policies and services if we don’t know how they work in the real world? But also making a difference to peoples lives can be a valuable part of recovery for some – a virtuous circle!
What are you passionate about?
People realising how utterly fantastic they are. I think everyone has experiences and skills that are so valuable and needed, and when people realise that, magic.
What are your skills and strengths?
I genuinely love hearing what others have to say, this makes the conversations I'm able to have compassionate, open, and engaging, and it feeds into my love for reading up on the wider policy etc.
What is your proudest achievement?
I’m proud that I have surrounded myself with some truly amazing people, which has given me the opportunity to use my own lived experiences to make change. To be able to help others is something I’m very grateful for.
Why is it important to have people with lived experience engaged in decision making?
It’s the answer to having systems and services that work, joining up the ‘on paper’ to the ‘in practice’. People with lived experiences are experts in their experiences – why wouldn’t you call in the experts whilst making decisions?
Our Board
Shane works at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as a senior policy advisor for multiple disadvantage, where he led the design and set up of the Changing Futures programme. Prior to joining the civil service in 2019, he worked as policy and public affairs manager at the London Borough of Newham in East London, and in the voluntary sector for Revolving Doors Agency developing policy proposals, evidence and campaigns to improve support for people experiencing multiple disadvantage.
Throughout his career he has worked closely with people who have lived experience of multiple disadvantage to shape policy, and is excited to support Expert Link’s mission to champion co-production in policy and service delivery.
Marnie currently works for the Homeless Charity Changing Lives in the North as an Area Manager covering Durham and Tees Valley areas, providing supported accommodation for men, women and young people experiencing multiple disadvantage. Previous to this role Marnie worked at Homeless Link a membership organisation for frontline homelessness services as a Partnership Manager covering the North and before that she worked for Sunderland City Council for 18 years latterly managing the Housing Options Team providing advice and guidance for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
I am the Lived Experience Team Manager for Empowerment Charity in Blackpool supporting people with Multiple Disadvantage – Substance Misuse, Mental Health, Offending and Homelessness. The team support people as well as ensuring their voices are heard in the influential places that they need to be heard. Working to inform System Change in Blackpool.
I started my employment journey in 2014 after many years of Substance Misuse and all other issues that the people we work with are facing. I was employed as an Apprentice Navigator on the Fulfilling Lives programme and always ensured that the voice of the people we work with were being listened too.
During this time, I gained my Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Social Care and became a Manager of the Lived Experience Team. All of the team, have Lived Experience of Multiple Disadvantage and have used services in Blackpool.
As Director of Sector Development at Homeless Link, the national membership body for frontline homelessness services, Peter pioneers and promotes innovative practice, while working to strengthen and enable Homeless Link’s member organisations working on the frontline of homelessness and supported housing. He leads the practice development, regional partnerships work, membership programme and events, training and consultancy offering.
Peter returned to Homeless Link in October 2020, where he was previously Head of Partnerships, following two years’ secondment as a Rough Sleeping Advisor at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Prior to joining Homeless Link in 2014, Peter managed Sunderland City Council’s Housing Advice and Homelessness Service.
Ryan works for Change Grow Live as their Homelessness Services Cluster Manager, supporting their services across England to improve and develop their offer for people experiencing homelessness. He works with the managers and leadership teams in their street outreach services, to ensure that the people they support receive a flexible and trauma informed support offer to help them exit homelessness as soon as possible.
Ryan joined Change Grow Live as a volunteer in 2016 and has held various frontline and management roles since then. He is passionate about the support his colleagues provide to people experiencing homelessness and feels privileged that within his role he can meet new colleagues who inspire him every day.
Steve has suffered childhood trauma and as a consequence in later life faced addiction, homelessness and mental illness. Overcoming the worst of this Steve has become a community champion volunteering at local community hubs, volunteers with a large homeless charity and has received an award from the National Citizens Service for his work with school leavers.
Steve is one of the founding members of Expert Link, committed to the purpose and values of the organisation.
Representatives from the Network
What am I passionate about?
Restoring hope and a good and fulfilled life to the homeless and near homeless. People should "live and not just exist" and not be left to "rot" on the street. Specific areas of interest include mental health, criminal justice and working with the DWP
What are my skills and strengths?
Attention to detail. Looking for better ways to achieve improved outcomes. Showing empathy and compassion for those whose lives have gone massively wrong. Helping them rebuild their futures
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
A person with "Lived Experience" knows, by definition, what it is like to be at the hard end of life. That experience, when shared with people trying to deliver services can often improve engagement and outcomes
What am I passionate about?
Children in care having a better outcome. I am passionate to change statics instead of just accepting them
What are my skills and strengths?
I am committed and devoted to supporting people with severe multiple disadvantages to feel like they are someone and instil self-worth into them when they have always been looked down on, they are worthy and amazingly people. I am very loyal, committed and persevere. I can also be a strong advocate for the people I am around
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
We can't second guess we need to hear directly from the person that the decisions are meant to help. I can't understand how successful decisions can be made without consultation with the people those decisions will effect
What am I passionate about?
People being asked what they need not spoken for
What are my skills and strengths?
I am a mother, and have a wide range of lived experience, mental health, DV and social services and homelessness
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
How can decisions be made without including those who are directly affected?
What am I passionate about?
Getting the unconscious voices heard loud and clear
What are my skills and strengths?
My curiosity tenacity and determination
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
Too much untapped power and knowledge which is never respected in equal measure
What am I passionate about?
I passionately believe that those with multiple disadvantages deserve a platform from which to share their experiences and opinions
What are my skills and strengths?
I am a considerate and sociable person that uses my own negative experiences in ways that have a positive impact on others
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
The most effective way to help those disadvantaged by homelessness, unemployment, or mental health issues is to listen to their views
What am I passionate about?
I’m passionate about the power that people with lived experiences can have in implementing real change, and the sharing of knowledge, particularly around the laws that are there to protect people
What are my skills and strengths?
I’m good at communicating with people, whoever that might be. I enjoy seeing the wider picture of issues, how they all interlink and so I like thinking outside of the box to try and find solutions
Why should Lived Experience be involved in decision making?
People with lived experiences are experts in their experiences – why wouldn’t you call in the experts whilst making decisions?
Organisations we have worked with
About our organisation
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