OFFICIAL
HQ Job Description (JD)
Band 7
Directorate: Reducing Reoffending, Partnerships &
Accommodation
Job Description - Lived Experience Lead
Document Ref.
HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
17 November 2025
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OFFICIAL
HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0
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Job Description
Job Title
Lived Experience Lead
Directorate
Reducing Reoffending, Partnerships & Accommodation
Band
7
Overview of the
The role sits within Reducing Reoffending Team as part of the
job
HMPPS Reducing Reoffending, Partnerships & Accommodation.
The role involves engagement with external and internal
stakeholders. The post will have a responsibility for ensuring
service user voice/needs is considered in all parts of HMPPS
business. In addition, will work to embed service user
experience into staff development and normal recruitment
practices.
Participation at senior level meetings at operational delivery and
strategic level with internal and external stakeholders. The post
holder will provide senior managers across the business with a
unique insight into service user experiences and provide
guidance aspects of service user experiences.
While subject matter expertise and recent lived experience of the
Criminal Justice System are desirable, we also welcome
applicants who bring strong transferable skills and relevant
experience The role will include advising and support Reducing
Reoffending projects and across the business.
This is a non-operational role with possibility of line management
in the future and the role will matrix manage at the moment.
The post holder will operate remotely and travel to support
activities across England and Wales.
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HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0
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Summary
The job holder will operate as a special advisor/consultant to
HMPPS for service user lived experience.
The purpose of this job is to provide a unique subject matter
insight, or facilitating the wider voice of service users, experience
as a recipient of community and custodial services to support the
development of work within HMPPS.
The job holder will develop effective working relationship with a
range of stakeholders at all levels of the organisation. These will
include front line staff, service users, the Voluntary and
Community Sector (VCS), HMPPS and senior officials from other
government departments.
They will also be responsible for ensuring a programme of
activity and advice and guidance on the recruitment of staff with
lived experience in HMPPS.
The job holder will on occasion be required to represent the
Directorate at external or internal meetings with external
stakeholders.
The job holder will work as part of the Directorate Team
supporting several initiatives and projects.
The job holder must be able to work effectively within a
multidisciplinary team.
The role will be instrumental in developing HMPPS approaches
to ensuring that work develops with the lived experience voice
heard.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Responsible for providing senior managers with advice on
service user experiences.
• Actively seeking engagement links which supports project
outcomes or improves HMPPS understanding of service user
experiences.
• Champion the service user experience at meetings.
• Work with VCS such as Clinks, Unlock and User Voice or
other organisations that supports offender
reintegration/resettlement outcomes.
• Establish a network of key stakeholders that can support
HMPPS delivery of Reducing Reoffending (RR) outcomes.
• Act as peer support/mentor to other service users.
• Support the training and development of HMPPS staff by
holding workshops that raise awareness of Service User
Experience.
• To contribute to the development of Prison Leavers Strategy.
• To contribute and take a professional lead in providing and
developing service user responses through development and
maintenance of networks with partner agencies and
stakeholders.
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HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0
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• Review, develop, evaluate and monitor RR Activities with
partner agencies delivering resettlement services to
offenders.
• To build and develop collaborative relationships and networks
with other government departments, agencies and other key
stakeholders to achieve effective team working.
• Promote HMPPS policy in all activities and behaviours, e.g.
promote inclusion, diversity, decency and reducing re-
offending agendas.
• Embed service user lived experience into staff development
and normal recruitment practices.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is
expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of
a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
Behaviours
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
Note: We recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally - select
from the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the intranet.
Essential
• Experience of building rapport with Service Users whilst
Experience
maintaining professional boundaries.
• Experience of providing a service as part of a
multidisciplinary team.
Technical
• A working knowledge of IT applications.
Requirements
Ability
• An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with
confidence through the medium of English or (where
specified in Wales) Welsh.
• Effective communication skills (speaking and listening),
with demonstrated relationship management and
stakeholder engagement experience.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability
to draft and submit a variety of documents, policy papers
and submissions.
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HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0
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Minimum
Please do not alter this box
Eligibility
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they
have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a
group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
To be used by the JES Team only
OFFICIAL
HQ-JES-2772 Lived Experience Lead v2.0