We value your experiences.

What being a Lived Experience Interviewer means to us.

We are committed to involving people with lived experience in every aspect of our work; it is therefore important we start this at the very beginning recruitment.

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“It gives me great pleasure working towards a shared goal concerning primarily about mental health, to give back my experiences learnt and to work for something much bigger than myself.”

Lived Experience Interviewer

What is a Lived Experience Interviewer (LEI)?

In our organisation we use the term ‘lived experience’ to refer to anyone who has experienced mental health challenges either through their own journey or by caring for someone with mental health challenges. We deeply value the opinions and contributions to Oxfordshire Mind from our LEI. We are fortunate that they chose to work with us as their experiences brings expertise and insight that is invaluable to us.

I love that Lived Experience Interviewers share their insights with me when I interview. Listening to their voice ensures that we look at our candidates from every aspect.” Oxfordshire Mind Employee

Who are our Lived Experience Interviewers?

We have a group of people with lived experience of mental health challenges who we have specifically recruited and trained. Their training involves practical interview skills, recruitment law, technical IT knowledge and tips of getting the best our of interviewees. No prior experience of interviewing is necessary. Our training has been co-created by our LEI and is designed to help individuals grow in confidence and expertise.

Our LEIs are not permanent members of staff, but we do pay them for their time when working with us. They provide a unique first-hand perspective of what is needed from employees of a mental health organisation. They help to plan interviews so that candidates are asked questions which people with lived experience feel are relevant. They add value by judging how well applicants engage and communicate with people who have lived experience. Our LEIs are an equal member of the interview panel.

What do we give back to our Lived Experience Interviewers?

Our LEI’s can choose how much interviewing they do with us, this can range from choosing to do nothing to a several hours a month. We respect that everybody’s health comes first so we have created a system where LEI’s can be active or take a break when needed. They have complete choice over which interviews they want to be part of. We pay our LEIs for their time and reimburse their travel expenses. We partner with the www.livingwage.org.uk, following their recommendations which are based on the cost of living because we believe people deserve a wage which meets everyday needs. We also work with our LEIs to identify their goals in joining our interview team. This can be to learn new skills, enhance a CV, meet new people, be involved in changing the mental health sector or all of those.

If you would like to join our LEI team we would love to hear from you.

You don’t need to have used our services to be one of our LEI, just someone who has experienced mental health challenges and would like to use that experience.

Apply now

If you think you’d make a great Lived Experience Interviewer then please get in touch.

Email: getinvolved@oxfordshiremind.org.uk