Recruitment, Workforce & Supervision
Bring LENs-employed Experts by Experience into your organisation
Get the lived experience expertise you need without recruiting people into your own workforce.
LENs defines the role with you, recruits and employs the Experts by Experience, then places them into the agreed role within your organisation. We can also support onboarding, supervision, wellbeing planning, scheduling and administration, so the placement has the structure it needs from the start.
What it includes
- Role design and scoping
- Recruitment and employment by LENs
- Placement into agreed roles within your organisation
- Onboarding, supervision and wellbeing support
- Scheduling and administration
Create the role without taking on the employment process
Organisations often know they need lived experience in a programme, team or governance structure but are less certain about how to define the role, set boundaries and provide suitable support.
This service gives you access to Experts by Experience who are recruited and employed by LENs. They are placed within your organisation for the agreed work, but they do not become members of your workforce. LENs remains the employer and provides the employment and supervision structure around the placement.
From role design to ongoing supervision
01
Role design and scoping
We work with you to define what the role is for, what the Expert by Experience will contribute, where the boundaries sit and what good delivery will look like.
02
Recruitment and employment by LENs
LENs recruits and employs the Experts by Experience. We use a proprietary selection process that has been refined over time, but do not publish the detailed method.
03
Placement within your organisation
The Expert by Experience is placed into the agreed role for the work set out in the written scope. Your organisation provides the relevant context, access and working arrangements, while LENs remains the employer.
04
Onboarding and practical preparation
The placement is prepared for the setting and the responsibilities involved. The scope sets out what LENs will cover and what the host organisation needs to provide.
05
Supervision and wellbeing support
LENs provides an agreed supervision and support structure for the Experts by Experience it employs. The detail is adapted to the role and setting without publishing private internal arrangements.
06
Scheduling and administration
LENs can coordinate agreed schedules and the administration connected with the placement, reducing the operational work required from your team.
What this service is not
This is not a candidate-introduction service for recruiting Experts by Experience onto your organisation’s payroll. The Experts by Experience remain LENs employees throughout the placement unless a separate written arrangement states otherwise.
A three-way working arrangement
The placement involves LENs, the host organisation and the LENs-employed Expert by Experience. The written scope makes each party’s responsibilities visible and sets out the work, boundaries, working arrangements and routes for support or escalation.
LENs will give your organisation the information it needs for the placement while keeping confidential internal information within LENs.
How a placement is set up
Discuss the role you need
Tell us about the programme, service or team, the work the Expert by Experience will contribute to and the questions you are trying to answer. LENs will help shape the initial role brief.
Agree the role and boundaries
Together, we define the responsibilities, working pattern, expected contribution, organisational contacts, access needs and limits of the role.
Put the placement in writing
LENs prepares a written scope covering the placement, division of responsibilities, practical arrangements, supervision and intended outputs. We review it with you before moving forward.
LENs recruits and employs the Expert by Experience
LENs recruits and employs an Expert by Experience for the agreed role. The detailed process remains confidential.
Prepare and begin the placement
LENs and the host organisation complete the agreed onboarding and practical preparation. The Expert by Experience then begins the role within the boundaries of the scope.
Supervise and review the arrangement
LENs provides the agreed supervision and administrative support. We review how the placement is working and make reasonable changes within the scope where the work requires them.
What your organisation can receive
The current LENs service offer and owner-approved employment model support:
- A written Expert by Experience role scope
- Recruitment and employment of the Expert by Experience by LENs
- Placement into an agreed role within your organisation
- Onboarding and practical preparation
- An agreed supervision and wellbeing-support structure
- Scheduling and administrative support
- Periodic review of the placement arrangement
The number of Experts by Experience, working pattern, duration, responsibilities and support arrangements will be set out in the proposal.
Give everyone a clear route for support
The scope will explain working boundaries, organisational access, confidentiality, supervision, host contacts and routes for raising an issue. These arrangements can be adjusted to the role and setting while keeping employment responsibility with LENs.
Recruitment, Workforce & Supervision FAQs
Who employs the Experts by Experience?
LENs recruits and employs the Experts by Experience. They are placed within your organisation for the agreed work but do not join your workforce or payroll.
Is this a recruitment-agency service?
No. LENs is not introducing a candidate for you to employ. LENs remains the employer and provides the employment and supervision structure around the placement.
Can LENs help us define the role?
Yes. Role design and scoping are part of the service. We can work through the purpose, responsibilities, boundaries and practical requirements with you before preparing the written scope.
Does LENs provide supervision?
Yes. Supervision and wellbeing support form part of the current service. The arrangement will be suited to the role and recorded in the proposal.
How does LENs select an Expert by Experience?
LENs uses a proprietary process that has been developed and refined over time. We keep the detailed method confidential and provide the host organisation with the information it needs for the agreed placement.
Can you place more than one Expert by Experience?
The number will depend on the role and the work involved. We can discuss the requirement on the initial call and set out the proposed arrangement in writing.
Can this service support an Expert by Experience Programme or advisory board?
Yes. Recruitment, placement and supervision can be scoped alongside other LENs services where an organisation needs a wider programme of lived experience involvement.
Build the placement into a wider programme
- ServiceExpert by Experience ProgrammeFor regular service visits, patient and/or carer feedback and monthly insight reports.
- ServiceLived Experience Advisory BoardsFor a standing group that meets senior teams regularly.
- ServiceStrategic Co-Production & AdvisoryFor policy, pathway, governance or service-redesign work.
Related guides
- GuideHow to support and supervise Experts by Experience ethicallyPractical guidance on role design, preparation, boundaries, supervision and wellbeing when Experts by Experience work with health and social care organisations.
- GuideWhat is an Expert by Experience in health and social care?An Expert by Experience uses knowledge gained as a patient, through accessing services or as a carer to contribute to health and social care work.
- GuideHow Experts by Experience contribute to service review and improvementLearn how Experts by Experience can add patient and/or carer insight to service visits, feedback, review activity and practical improvement work.
Tell us where lived experience needs a formal role
You do not need to arrive with a completed job description. Tell us what the person needs to contribute and how the role fits your organisation. LENs will help define the role, recommend an arrangement and prepare the written scope.