Lived Experience

What is Lived or Living Experience (LE)?

Lived Experience (LE) is the things that someone has experienced themselves, especially when these give the person a knowledge or understanding that people who have only heard about such experiences do not have.

At the NSRF we are trying to ensure that our research is informed by Lived Experience (LE). This means that we want to carry out our research ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public with lived or living experience rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. For us, LE involves people with lived experience contributing to all aspects of our research and practice. We are seeking to create a panel of people with lived experience who will be described as ‘LE Representatives’.

What does a LE representative do? 

As a LE Representative, we at the NSRF will ask for your thoughts, and to help us to design the work we do. As a LE Representative you will have 100% choice over what pieces of research that you would like to contribute to. 

Examples of tasks may include: 

• Reviewing documentation and/or contributing to research proposals across a variety of topics relating to mental health and suicide.  

• The development of research ideas and how to put these into practice.  

• Discussions of relevant mental health and suicide related updates and developments relevant at national and local level (example: local and national policies, best-practice guidelines, education standards etc.) 

At the NSRF, we work on many projects. Throughout the year we will reach out to you and other members of the LE panel asking you to take part in work.  There are multiple stages of the research cycle, from the initial identification of a problem or gap in research, through to evaluating how well a treatment or measure works. Overall, we hope that the LE panel will have the opportunity to contribute to each stage of the research cycle. 

Who can become a LE Representative? 

We welcome LE Representatives from all backgrounds, with varying levels of lived experience of suicide, self-harm, and mental illnesses; e.g. those bereaved by suicide, those who have experienced suicidal behaviour in the present/past, those who have experienced mental illness in the present/past.  We actively engage in supporting all members of the public, carers, and communities to be involved in our research.

Remuneration and expenses 

All LE Representatives will be compensated for their time spent attending meetings and taking part in co-design work, at a rate of €25 per hour. This will be paid in One4All vouchers, which can be agreed with Representatives in advance. For in person meetings LE Representatives will also have their travel and expenses covered at a maximum rate of €120 euro per day, depending on where you are coming from.  

For questions or further information

Contact: Aileen Callanan LE Co-ordinator for NSRF
Email: ppie@ucc.ie or aileen.callanan@ucc.ie

Phone: 087 3481760

Postal Address: Aileen Callanan, LE Panel co-ordinator, NSRF, 4.28, Western Gateway Building, Western Rd, Mardyke, Cork

Information about applying to become a LE Representative with the NSRF

Who should apply?  Anyone with lived experience of suicide, self-harm or mental illness is invited to apply to this panel. If you are still unsure, please contact us.  You do not need to know anything about research to become a LE Representative. Anyone who feels uncomfortable discussing suicide or self-harm related topics or feels this may be a trigger for them should carefully consider this before applying. We also suggest that you discuss becoming a LE Representative with your current mental healthcare provider, if you have one. 

Who will see this form?  Once this form is sent to us it will be held in the strictest confidence. Only those involved in senior management of the NSRF and the LE advisory panel will see this information.  

Why am I completing this form?  This form will be used to gather some basic contact details for our records and some additional information on your experience and/or background. This will not be shared beyond the senior management of the NSRF and the LE advisory panel. We will ask some questions regarding your ethnicity and access needs to ensure we include a broad representation of contributors from varying backgrounds. 

What if I do not feel comfortable sharing this information?  This is completely voluntary. If you do not feel comfortable with some of the questions on this form, you are under no obligation to answer. Please only give details that you feel comfortable sharing.   If you are completing this form online, please feel free to adjust the text box sizes accordingly. This can be done by clicking on the text box and then clicking on the circle that appears in the bottom centre of the box. If you are completing by hand feel free to use additional sheets if necessary. 

LE Panel Representative – Application form

You can complete the form online below or you can download and print a copy yourself:

Additionally, you can request a copy to be posted to your home address by emailing ppie@ucc.ie.

Online Application Form

Name *

First

Last

Address

Please provide the postal address that you would like us to use for any communication about your application or Lived Experience Panel activities

Email *

Phone Number

Please provide a phone number that you would like us to use for any communication about your application or Lived Experience Panel activities

Why do you wish to participate in the NSRF LE panel? (You may tick multiple boxes)

• I have lived experience of suicide, self-harm or mental illness
• I have been bereaved by suicide
• I am, or have been, a carer of someone with lived experience of suicide, self-harm or mental illness
• I have lived experience of mental health issues
• I represent group of people I think are relevant to these topics
• I am a member of a relevant patient or advocacy group
• Other, please specify below

You may use this space if you wish to give additional information, for example, you may want to detail which advocacy group you are a member of, or if you would like to further explain something.

Have you ever participated in research or have been a member of a LE group?

If you have ever participated in research or LE group in any capacity, please give details here

Are you comfortable sharing contact details of your GP or personal mental healthcare professional in case of an emergency?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure, I would like some more information before replying

In the case that a LE Representative expresses any thoughts of suicide or self-harm, the LE Advisory Group, with the permission of the LE Representative, will share this with the individual's personal mental health professional or GP depending on the situation.

To which gender do you most identify?

• Male
• Female
• Transgender male
• Transgender female
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say
• Other

How old are you?

What is your ethnic or cultural background? (Please select all that apply)

• White Irish
• Irish Traveller
• Other white
• Black or black Irish African
• Any other black background
• Asian or Asian Irish Chinese
• Any other Asian background
• Other, including mixed background
• Prefer not to say

Do you have any of the following long-lasting conditions? (Please select all that apply)

• Blindness, deafness or a severe vision or hearing impairment
• A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying
• A learning or intellectual disability
• A psychological or emotional condition
• Other, including any chronic illness

Do you require any additional support/equipment to be a LE panel representative?

Do you require any further supports that would make it easier for you to undertake this role, for example, a screen reader or materials in large print.

I declare that the information that I have given, is to the best of my knowledge or belief, true and complete.

Please type your signature in the box above

Thank you for completing this application. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Applications will be stored in the strictest confidence by the NSRF. Your contact details will be used to contact you with any questions we have in relation to this form or for LE panel related activities only. Please note that not all applications will go on to become panel members. This will depend on the number of responses received. We will contact you soon regardless and thank you for your interest in contributing to the LE Panel

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