Please subscribed to the channel, like and/or leave a comment

In this episode of ChangeTalk, I'm joined by representatives from three different lived experience groups working in different parts of England to improve services for people experiencing homelessness, multiple & compound needs, addiction, and poverty. Monica from LEAF in Oxford, Astrid from Lived Insights in York and Nicky & Cindy from Common Ambition in Brighton & Hove. We reflect on the benefits of lived experience involvement/ co-production, what it takes to do this well, what changes have come about as a result of their work and what needs to happen next. 'It needs to be in the core of how things are done'.

Common Ambition: https://www.bhcommonambition.org

Lived Insights: https://livedinsights.org/

LEAF: https://oxfordgatehouse.org/services-activities/leaf/

Imogen runs a social research consultancy Imogen Blood & Associates (IBA):

https://www.imogenblood.co.uk/

IBA is proud to have worked with each of these three groups:

With LEAF on the Housing-led Feasibility Study for Oxfordshire:

https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/homelessness-knowledge-hub/housing-models-and-access/oxfordshire-feasibility-study/

With Lived Insights on the York Drug & Alcohol Strategy

With Common Ambition on the Evaluation of the Changing Futures Multi-disciplinary Team: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/IBA%20CF%20MDT%20Evaluation%20Final%20Report%2003032025.pdf

and recently in looking at Oasis Project's women-only drug and alcohol support services.

Chapters

1:08 - Introductions

7:07 - Why co-produce?

15:50 - What does good look like?

35:25 - Impact and change

48:45 - What else needs to happen?

Please subscribe to the channel, like and/or leave a comment!!

In this episode, I'm speaking to Jane Farrell (former co-founder and CEO of Equality Works/ EW Group) who has spent over 30 years improving diversity and equity in workplaces . We talk about unconscious bias, institutional discrimination, equality monitoring, building a business case, what it means to take a strategic approach to Diversity, Equity Inclusion (and how you can do this on a tight budget).

Jane Farrell Consultancy: https://www.janefarrellconsultancy.com

Imogen runs a social research consultancy Imogen Blood & Associates:

https://www.imogenblood.co.uk/

Imogen specialises in Equality Impact Assessment, and the analysis of equality monitoring data.

Discussed in the podcast:

1999: Report of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-stephen-lawrence-inquiry

On racial inequalities in UK maternity services

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmwomeq/94/report.html

Evidence for business case for DEI:

McKinsey: Diversity matters even more (2023): https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact

Deloitte: Missing out: The business case for customer diversity: https://www.deloitte.com/au/en/services/consulting/perspectives/business-case-customer-diversity.html

Chapters

1:09 - Introduction

2:13 - Finding hope in tough times

07:35 - Social class

11:39 - Doing DEI on a shoestring

16:24 - Access, Experience, Outcome

17:55 - Unconscious bias

23:26 - Institutional Discrimination

27:39 - Monitoring data

32:24 - DEI is life or death

35:09 - Strategic approach in a criminal justice setting

42:39 - Workforce and/or service provision

45:44 - Building a business case

50:53 - DEI in the care sector

53:39 - Advice for those working on DEI