HOME Kit Part 1.
Principles and Values
Principles and Values
People with lived experience of housing insecurity and homelessness have often suffered oppressive and discriminatory issues of deep inequalities, injustice, and societal failures. Research from the Centre of Social Impact at the University of Western Australia outlines the individual and structural determinants of homelessness and housing insecurity, along with the risk factors associated with this.1
The following diagram outlines this:
For people with lived experience, these injustices and inequalities are still clearly visible across systems and organisations, while for those with power and privilege they may be more difficult to perceive. Instead of blaming the individual for the circumstances they are in, rather try to understand that there are a range of factors which can impact on a person’s circumstances. Therefore, treating people with empathy and equity is essential to positive co-design and engagement.
To adopt these principles, it requires embedding an empathetic approach and substantive sharing of power in co-design and engagement with people who have lived experience.2 Applying the guiding principles will naturally lead to a ‘doing with’ co-design and engagement approach rather than a doing to or for. Information in this toolkit and the resources in Part 6 showcase how to enact these principles in co-design and engagements.
- Kaleveld, L., Seivwright, A., Box, E., Callis, Z. and Flatau, P. (2018). Homelessness in Western Australia: A review of the research and statistical evidence. Perth: Government of Western Australia, Department of Communities, p 50
- Western Australian Alliance to Ending Homelessness. 2020. ‘#End Homelessness Review of Literature & Practice: Co-Design’. Perth: Centre for Social Impact
The Importance of Empathy
Empathy must be a shared value that underpins lived experience co-design and engagement for everyone involved. Without empathy as a core principle, meaningful collaboration with people with lived experience is simply not possible. This principle is centred on the ability to understand and share the feelings and experience of another, in this case people with lived experience. You must consciously have the capacity to deeply consider what someone has experienced, along with their perspectives, thoughts, and emotions.[1]
Many of the issues that arise in inadequate or problematic engagements can be traced back to a lack of empathy. Conversely, good co-design and engagement rests on embedding empathy at the heart of engagement and ensuring that it flows through into project planning and execution. It is crucial to often ask yourself empathy-based questions such as:
- How would I feel being in their shoes right now or more generally?
- If I were them, would I feel like I am being treated as an equal partner?
- Would I feel like I am empowered, respected, cared for, and supported in this?
- Would I feel like what we are doing is positive and meaningful?
You can find a number of empathy-based co-design activity templates (such as storyboards, journey and system mapping, concept exercises, and more) in the Centre for Social Impact’s ‘Co-Design and Action Kit’ in Part 6 under resources.
Top Tip: Develop new ways of doing business – long meetings and bureaucratic procedures can be very draining and alienating, not only for people with lived experience.
Top Tip: Promote a co-design or engagement team culture that is compassionate, accepting, and honest – in which people’s input is respected and differences are celebrated.
The Importance of Equity
The second core principle is equity, this is in the sense of sharing power and partnership, ensuring all involved are treated fairly and equitable in status, rights, and opportunities. Equity involves, inclusion, empowerment, and respect.
It should be recognised that organisations at times cannot practice an equity-based approach in all decision-making. For example, where organisational decision-making structures need to be adhered to due to non-negotiable constraints (For example, an organisational leader may consult with lived experience advocates involved, but ultimately make the decision on the length of an engagement due to funding or resource constraints or contractual obligations – however this decision can be made in a transparent way through discussion with people with lived experience). Equality can’t happen without equity. The concept of ‘Substantive Equality’ is a good concept to ensure that people indeed are treated equally.[1]
“Organisations must have the courage to share power with us and adopt an equality-based approach.”
– HOME Lived Experience Advocate
– HOME Lived Experience Advocate
Substantive Equality: ‘The output or outcome of the policies, procedures, and practices in addressing and preventing systemic discrimination. It recognises that organisations must take aspects such as discrimination, marginalization, and unequal distribution into account to achieve equal results for basic human rights, opportunities, and access. While some systems and processes may externally appear as non-discriminatory, they may not be fully responsive to the needs and aspirations of different people and groups internally, and as a result can unintentionally exacerbate further inequalities.’
To achieve equity, organisations must eliminate systemic forms of discrimination and promote awareness of the different needs of groups across all aspects of involvement. Aiming for approaches that will maximise co-design and engagement opportunities for more equitable and reciprocal relationships, the sharing of roles and responsibilities, including decision making, is likely to result in positive changes and outcomes.[2] [3]
The way to follow this principle in co-design or engagement, is to confront and change the clear power differential between an organisation and people with lived experience by sharing power, knowledge, and decision-making.[4] Realising that the lived experience voice is important to all aspects of ending issues such as housing insecurity and homelessness, best practice states that lived experience advocates must have equal say in the decision-making process. But changing organisations to implement more equitable practices may not happen overnight. It is a gradual process that organisations must commit to. It requires learning, trial and error, and often a change in relationships and the culture within the organisation. [5]
Research showcases that power is not something that can simply be given or made to feel. Leaders cannot just say they have shared power or because they have shared decision-making for a single or few aspects and tick the box. Sharing power must be consciousness and acted at every stage. The ability for people with lived experience to feel empowered to co-design and engage will depend on the opportunities to take on meaningful experiences of power. [6] This can only be done by shifting from a paternalistic relationship and environment of us and them, professionals and consumers, service providers and service users etc. to a united team.
This does not assume that professional expertise and skills are not required, rather that the skills, insights and expertise of people with lived experience are needed to inform and complement the skills of service providers. It recognises that, while professional expertise is vital, knowledge that comes from personal experience is also vital in achieving the best outcomes for all, otherwise decisions are imposed on people. Your approach must lean less on delivery and more on partnership. [7]
Top Tip: If you cannot co-design from start to finish due to the nature of the project, set out the scope of the project in partnership with lived experience advocates and/or map out as many aspects as possible where decision-making can be an equal partnership.
- Equal Opportunity Commission. 2020. ‘Substantive equality – implementation of the policy framework’
- Sercombe, J., Stubley, K., Wellington, K., Clark, K., and Flatau, P. (2019). Co-design Toolkit: Developing an Action Plan to #EndHomelessness. Centre for Social Impact, UWA.
- Health Consumers Council WA. 2016. ‘Principles & best practices strategies for consumer engagement in the alcohol and other drugs sector in Western Australia’
- Boyle, D., Slay, J., & Stephens, L. (2010). PUBLIC SERVICES INSIDE OUT: Putting co-production into practice (p. 36). London: NESTA.
- Clayson, A and Webb, Lucy and Cox, Nigel (2018) ‘When two worlds collide: Critical reflection on co-production. Drugs and Alcohol.’
- Durose, Catherine & Gains, Francesca & Richardson, Liz & Combs, Ryan & Broome, Karl & Eason, Christina. (2011). Pathways to Politics.
- Mental Health Commission. (2018). Working Together – Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug – Engagement Framework. Western Australia: WA Government
Practicing the Principles
With an understanding of the empathy and equity core principles, it is important to adopt the interconnected values below towards lived experience co-design and engagement as to naturally enable those core principles and a best practice approach.
The Shelter WA Lived Experience Engagement Framework, along with empathy and equity outlines a number of additional core principles to underpin and guide engagement. These are:
- Safety: Trust – relationship – authenticity – care – respect
- Security: Care – authenticity – accountability – relationship – confidentiality – transparency
- Awareness: Of people, perspectives, and processes
- Partnership: Empowerment – equity – collaboration – recognition
The following model has been adapted from various principles and sections of best practice research and frameworks. It is important for organisations and lived experience advocates to follow these principles when working with one another: Each sub-principles has a line out in empathy graphic on right to related text below.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Safety – Everyone has the right to feel safe. Trauma-informed practice. Focus on relationship and self-determination. Identification of power dynamics and explicit strategies to mitigate. Trust and relationships are the foundation of personal safety based on authenticity and respect.
Security – Relationships built on trust with a stigma-reducing approach. A sense of purpose for Lived Experience participants and care of each person as self-determining beings. Transparency of the process and Accountability in process and individual actions.
Awareness – Lived experience is an expertise. Power is recognised, acknowledged and shared. The diversity of individual needs and the capacity and types of knowledge and expertise is understood and met.
Partnership – Empowerment of the voices heard. Inclusivity is embraced. There is continual collaboration. Recognition is given to each person’s expertise.
These principles are demonstrated through:
Respect – Must go beyond mere acknowledgment or noting of people’s feelings and input, treating people with a deep level of dignity and even admiration due to their experience and knowledge is essential. This must also exist among lived experience advocates.
Recognition – People’s contributions must be valued, their input must be regarded as their intellectual property, and their voices must be actively listened to on every occasion.
Empowerment – Bring the perspective of lived experience from secondary thoughts to the forefront, empower people by giving them the information, autonomy, and self-determination towards tasks.
Integrity – It is imperative to adopt an ethical, honest, and strong moral attitude to create an environment that is safe, transparent, and united.
Authenticity – There must be a genuine and good-natured approach in every aspect that acts with legitimacy. Partnership activities need to be transparent and accountable, establishing clear and measurable criteria against which the success of partnerships can be measured.
Acceptance – As opposed to just tolerating the voice of lived experience, processes need to ensure people are being accepted for who they are and their perspective, they are received in a validating and welcoming manner to build a team environment.
Care – Facilitate what is necessary for the health, welfare, and protection of people and the project broadly. Serious attention and consideration must be applied to people’s wellbeing throughout but must not be done with a supervising, micro-managing, or paternal attitude.
Accountability – Take responsibility for people’s feelings and input, duty of care, intellectual property, and expectations. Do not set unrealistic expectations of potential outcomes or what is required of people. Clear and agreed upon processes that are followed again is key.
“ Lived experience expertise is unique and valuable, it should be treated as such and must be empowered.” – HOME Lived Experience Advocate
Adapted from WA Alliance to End Homelessness Action Plan Co-design Toolkit
Before any co-design or engagement, the decision-making structures within the lived experience involvement must be recognised and respectfully communicated to those involved. Due to realistic systemic constraints in organisational structures, contractual or funding obligations, and official employment positions there may be some aspects of lived experience involvement that is not complete equality. But if there is transparency and determined, structured effort to follow the equality principle and reach as close to ‘equally shared power’ when and where possible, and there is agreement amongst those involved on those conditions, then the engagement is worth pursuing.
- Sole Power
- No sharing of power
- A select individual or few select leaders have ultimate power and decision-making
- Centralised Power
- Power is shared in small parts
- A select group or area (e.g. an organisation) have ultimate power and decision-making
- Open Power
- Power is shared for larger portions
- A select group has ultimate power and decision-making but largely determined by everyone involved
- Equal Power
- Power is equally shared
- Everyone involved has joint ultimate power and decision making
Lived Experience Story: Sarah and Cass – Co-Design Policy Team
Sarah and Cass are young people who both experienced homelessness in the form of rough-sleeping and couch-surfing for a time when they were teenagers following individual family issues. They then lived in a youth supported accommodation for several years before they each gained an affordable housing tenancy.
Given their lived experience expertise, Sarah and Cass were both connected with a State Government Department to be part of a paid co-design policy team to help guide the State’s homelessness and youth policy and strategy.
They have both been provided training and support mechanisms from the beginning and have felt empowered to contribute towards action supporting young people.
Their positive and unique contributions derived from lived experience was vital to the co-design team and added significant value to Government actions and outcomes in solving complex community issues, and their experience has supported them taking on policy-related studies and a career in social policy and advocacy work
Case Study: Department of Communities WA – No Wrong Door Co-design Project
‘No Wrong Door’ means that people can get help regardless of which service or agency they connect with. The Department of Communities WA and the Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia embarked on a process to co-design how a No Wrong Door system will be realised, moving from agreed principles into action.
This focused on developing a collective understanding of what a No Wrong Door system means in practice – including sector expectations, incentives, enablers and key platforms needed to facilitate a No Wrong Door system.
The core co-design team was chosen following an expression of interest process and resulted in a diverse cohort of 32 members. This group had equal representations from people with a lived experience of homelessness, specialist homelessness service providers, local and state government, and peak bodies, and including representatives from metropolitan, south-west and regional areas.
By Government co-designing community-focused solutions with people who have lived experience of the issue the outcomes of the project were more credible, tangible, and effective.
More Information: https://www.communities.wa.gov.au/strategies/homelessness-strategy/no-wrong-door-approach-co-design/
[1] Western Australian Alliance to Ending Homelessness. 2020. ‘#EndHomelessness Review of Literature & Practice: Co-Design’. Perth: Centre for Social Impact.
[2] Western Australian Council of Social Services (WACOSS). (2020). ‘WACOSS Lived Experience Framework’ Perth, Western Australia.
[3] Homelessness Hub Canada. 2020. Lived Experience Advisory Council. ‘Seven principles of leadership & inclusion of people with lived experience of homelessness’
[4] Mental Health Commission. (2018). Working Together – Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drug – Engagement Framework. Western Australia: WA Government