Question 1

What is lived experience consultancy?

Accepted Answer

Lived experience consultancy works on an organisation's structures, decisions and systems rather than primarily on individual practitioner skills. At LEXs, it examines how lived and living experience enters an organisation, where authority sits, whether advice reaches decision-making, what conditions surround lived experience roles and what the organisation can evidence about the resulting influence.

Question 2

What can an organisation commission from LEXs?

Accepted Answer

Organisations can commission an independent Lived Experience Workforce Review, multicultural co-creation, lived and living experience support for research and evaluation, advice on policy, standards and system design, and targeted organisational capability development. The appropriate starting point depends on whether the organisation needs to understand a problem, change an existing structure or build something new.

Question 3

How is this different from lived experience training?

Accepted Answer

Training primarily develops the knowledge or capability of people. Consultancy works on the organisation those people operate within, including governance, workforce structures, policies, decision pathways, services and accountability. Either can be commissioned directly. Where both are needed, the scope and sequence are agreed around the organisational purpose and participants’ learning needs.

Question 4

How much does lived experience consultancy cost?

Accepted Answer

Consultancy is fixed-fee. The Lived Experience Workforce Review has published scopes of $3,500, $7,500 and $12,500; other consultancy is quoted after scoping. The scope, deliverables and fee are agreed in writing before work begins.

Question 5

Can you review an existing advisory group or workforce structure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A focused Lived Experience Workforce Review can examine one advisory group, including membership, representation, terms of reference, authority, resourcing, governance, where its advice goes and what happens after advice is provided. An organisation does not need a large lived experience workforce to commission a review.

Question 6

Can you help if we already know what we want to build?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An engagement can begin with a draft policy, advisory model, workforce structure, service, resource, engagement process or research design that needs strengthening. A review is most useful when the organisation still needs an independent assessment of what is happening before deciding what should change.​

Question 7

Do you work with organisations outside Western Australia?

Accepted Answer

Yes. LEXs is based in Perth and delivers consultancy online to organisations across Australia. Document review, interviews, consultation, co-creation sessions, sense-making and presentations can all be delivered remotely.

Question 8

Do you provide consultancy to government, universities and research organisations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The work can be commissioned by government bodies, mental health and suicide prevention services, community organisations, universities, research centres and other organisations working with lived and living experience. The scope is based on the organisational question rather than the sector label.

Lived experience consultancy for organisations across Australia

A defined engagement for a defined need

What consultancy is

When tailored work is appropriate

What an organisation can commission

Know it, change it, sustain it

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)