Members of Nacro’s Justice ExChange came together with a range of people with lived experience at Oxford Brookes University in February 2025 as part of a lived experience project with Grow Transform Belong which aims to ensure that people who have lived experience are treated fairly, feel included and are supported in their work.
The project is creating a set of ‘Growth Standards’ to guide organisations in working authentically and responsibly with people who have lived experience in the criminal justice system. To inform the project an international survey was carried out, gathering global insights into how lived experience is valued in different justice systems. The day, which was facilitated by Dr Sarah Lewis from Grow Transform Belong, was held so that people with lived experience could analyse the data from the survey. It was important they took a lead on this aspect as they have a unique and first hand experience of what it feels like to have been through the system and then return to give back and shape it into something better.