Transcript: Why lived experience matters

Lemy, Lived Experience Network
I am a group member because when they came to us and they talked about, that it was going to bring change and the change I knew the change was within us. If we don't stand up and put our heads up there and talk out our feelings, then nothing can be changed. So I did change a group because I knew I would make a difference and would be a voice for those who can't be able to express out or talk out their feelings.

Wei, Lived Experience Network
I feel for, for me, initially, I just want to give a go because I have a no idea what it's about. I just want to say what this group can offer, or what this opportunity means to me. But once I get started with the co-design and the forming parts of the, the group, I start to realize this is not only like a group, like a playgroup.

Sometimes they get nothing. So obviously this is a very meaningful group, as Lemy mentioned, is really focused on reform.

Jamie, Lived Experience Network
A lot of my friends were going through mediation and things like that and will come to me for advice because I didn't know if there was any other services out there to help them. So that was where I was like, Well, we need to make it more understanding for everyone that there's heaps of services out there and this is how you find them.

Jasmine, Lived Experience Network
So the reason I started in the Lived Experience Network is because I have supported families in the community who are using services, and I could just see that sometimes if practitioners could change their approach, sometimes that families would be more open to listening. And so I kind of bring their voices into the network. And so I feel like that's been part of my journey, is really listening to my community and bringing their voice and when they have felt that they haven't been able to have a voice.

Shelly, Lived Experience Network
I think being involved in the lived experience network and the reason why I became involved was to be able to give a voice to other families who were in a situation like we were. There were things that did not go well. There were things that were, could have been done better. But then there was, you know, there was the practitioners that made the difference that took the time and, and that had a positive impact on our journey.

Chloe, Lived Experience Network
The other thing that's also really important, and it's come up a lot during the interviews, is making sure that, yes, you have your lived experience, but you have to be at a point where you're kind of able to remove yourself and think of things from above the system. It's not about us. It's not about, you know, our friends, it's not about our situation.

It's about the system and the system reform, for years down the track.