Spectrum teams from seven prison sites across the North East and Yorkshire have been awarded a “Working Towards” status at the recent Lived Experience Charter Awards.
The event, organised by Career Matters, brought together colleagues across health, health & justice, local and central Government, social care, and integrated care systems (ICS) – all committed to creating an open, inclusive and representative workforce.
Held on Wednesday 4 December at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Liverpool, the secure estates which gained a foot in the ladder were HMP Durham, HMP Frankland, HMP Northumberland, HMP Holme House, HMP Kirklevington Grange, HMP Humber and HMP Hull.
The teams’ success follows in the footsteps of two other Spectrum sites which were recognised by the Lived Experience Charter. In early 2023, HMP Low Newton received their “Working Towards” status, whilst HMP Deerbolt achieved the Bronze Award.
The Lived Experience Charter is a direct response to the NHS People Plan & Workforce Plan. The aim of the programme is ‘to improve the recruitment and retention of a larger, more diverse, inclusive and representative workforce’. Consultation and co-production are the central ethos throughout the Lived Experience Charter design process, and integral to the Charter’s ongoing success. Last week’s event included:
- Panel discussions around the benefits of lived experience recruitment.
- Inclusive recruitment practices supporting skill shortages across employment sectors.
- Sharing of Good Practice in effective models for recruitment.
- Updates on further developments of the Lived Experience Charter and the Thrive programme.
- Networking opportunities with a wide range of professionals.
- Membership to the Lived Experience Charter Community of Practice.
- Awards of services who have gained Lived Experience Charter status
Agnes Wozna, Spectrum’s Head of Experience and Freedom To Speak Up Guardian, was one of five guest speakers for the panel discussion entitled ‘Services Who Have Been Through The Lived Experience Charter’.
Agnes said, “The Lived Experience Charter has been a twofold catalyst for us here at Spectrum. On one hand, it inspires us to support lived experience voice and representation within our workforce, working through barriers people with lived experience of criminal justice face in gaining employment, and continuously working to adapt our service models to create those opportunities.
On the other hand, the charter has inspired huge organisational changes and improvements, bringing co-development and co-production with people that have lived experience to the forefront of our people and patient initiatives. Our exploration of how to become an even more inclusive, trauma-responsive organisation challenges us to create and innovate, as well as educate ourselves to break down barriers and inequalities faced by our current and future workforce – whether that’s due to our own lived experience, or intersectionalities, or both.”
Lived experience is the experience of people for whom a social issue, or combination of issues, has had a direct impact. Examples include ill mental health, recovery, substance misuse, trauma, and experience of the criminal justice system and/or care system.
Spectrum is working to develop a more inclusive culture as part of its three strategic ambitions; to be an Employer of Choice, to deliver Excellence in Care, and to embrace Growth and New Solutions. The company understands that by improving experiences of one group, it can improve experiences for all staff and service users. Its commitment to the Lived Experience Charter is part of a wider organisational approach to lived experience, embracing the diverse nature of people and welcoming staff with lived experience of a wide range of issues. A lived experience steering group has completed a comprehensive gap analysis to strengthen foundations for further development, as well as future improvements.