Working with lived experience: exploring practices, challenges and mindsets

In this 4-part workshop series, Morgan draws from her 10+ years of practice wisdom to support practitioners to meaningfully partner with people with a lived experience in their work.

Through this series, Morgan builds the reflective capability of advocates, designers, and practitioners to enable a deeper understanding of participatory approaches and methods for lived experience inclusion for influencing systemic and social change.

The workshop series is offered online over Zoom.

The dates

March 2023

Tuesday 07 March, 1-3pm (AEDT)
Tuesday 14 March, 1-3pm (AEDT)
Tuesday 21 March, 1-4pm (AEDT)
Tuesday 28 March, 1-4pm (AEDT)

Times by States: (Please be aware of the time differences for each state and time differences for each session)

VIC, NSW, ACT & TAS | Sessions 1 & 2, 1.00-3.00pm | Sessions 3 & 4, 1.00-4.00pm
SA | Sessions 1 & 2, 12.30-2.30pm | Sessions 3 & 4, 12.30-3.30pm
QLD | Sessions 1 & 2, 12.00pm(noon)-2.00pm | Sessions 3 & 4, 12.00pm(noon)-3.00pm
NT | Sessions 1 & 2, 11.30am-1.30pm | Sessions 3 & 4, 11.30am-2.30pm
WA | Sessions 1 & 2, 10.00am-12.00pm(noon) | Sessions 3 & 4, 10.00am-1.00pm

What does the training cover?

Part 1

Nothing about us without us: What is consumer participation and lived experience?

This workshop takes a deep dive into participatory practices and methods and reflects on the role and value of lived experience and expertise in social and systems change contexts.

We look at how participatory practices are being used in the context of social change using real-world examples and explore emerging practice in the field, such as co-design and co-production.

You will come away with a deeper understanding of the rich history and principles of the consumer movement and be able to locate your work within this broader context.

Part 2

Making the invisible, visible: The role of power in our work

We cannot work with lived experience without interrogating power. This workshop delves into different models and frameworks of power and explores how we can shift our own practice from ‘doing to and for’ to ‘working with and alongside’ affected communities. We will also interrogate how power shows up for us as practitioners in our approaches and practices.

You will gain a deeper understanding of the complex power dynamics at play in your work and the organisations and wider systems you work within, as well as how to identify and articulate your own power and identities within different spaces and relationships and ‘bridge worlds’ through the act of sharing/transferring power.

Part 3

We contain multitudes: An introduction to ethical storytelling

This workshop is for those who want to learn more about ethical storytelling for advocacy. It supports both practitioners and advocates to build their knowledge, skills and confidence in exploring representations of lived experience and the impacts of stories and storytelling.

We take a deep dive into how people with a lived experience are often represented through storytelling, the impacts of these representations on people with marginalised identities, and the danger of the ‘singular narrative’. Morgan provides guidance on ethical storytelling, including how to centre dignity and humanity in the stories we share and tell.

You will come away with a deeper understanding of the risks of extractive and exploitative approaches to storytelling and be able to draw from foundational principles of informed consent and reciprocity when listening to and sharing stories for social change.

Part 4

Moving beyond the abstract: Incorporating lived experience in our work

This workshop looks at ways we can practically translate and integrate participatory and systems approaches as social innovators and embed lived experience inclusion in our everyday work.

It is also an opportunity for participants to bring their own practice challenges and questions to reflect on with Morgan and peers in a supported space.

You will come away with being able to better communicate the value of lived experience-informed practice in your organisations and communities and a tailored roadmap of how to integrate lived experience-informed advocacy and insights into your work.

What are people saying about Morgan's training?

"I loved how the safe space was set up and thought the break times were set out well. I also appreciated being able to express how I was feeling each day. Morgan was a fantastic and engaging facilitator. The information learnt was invaluable and will enrich the core work that we do that aims to elevate the voices of women and gender diverse people as well as value those with lived experience." – Kathryn Evans, Women's Health Loddon Mallee

"Morgan's training is excellent. While I found the content to be incredibly rich and stimulating in ways that pushed my thinking and practice, it was the way Morgan delivered the training that took the learning to a whole other level. The training is so well held, deeply respectful and yet seemed somehow effortless by Morgan, which I know is not the case. Morgan truly lives and models how to work with people with lived experience." – Kerry Graham, Collaboration for Impact

"Morgan was the standout. The way she walked the talk, held space for the people in the (digital) room and made sure that everyone was supported through the experience was fantastic. Working with lived experience is [not just] about the theory, it's about who you are as a person in relation to and in relationship with other people, and Morgan really showed us what that was all about.” – Ryley Lawson, Victoria Legal Aid

"I highly recommend this thoughtful and practical course to anyone that wants to improve their approaches to engaging people with lived experience. Over four workshops, Morgan created a brave space for us to explore and understand the theory, examine our own practices, learn from each other and fill our tool belts with evidence informed tools and resources to utilise in our work. I will be consciously seeking opportunities to put them into practice. Definitely one of the best pieces of professional learning I've undertaken." – Simon Crabb, Social Ventures Australia

"This was one of the best workshops I have attended in years. Really loved Morgan's style and stories or yarns. I cannot express how valuable this series was to the work I am trying to do within my organisation." – Susie Flynn, Beyond Blue

Who is Morgan’s training for?

This workshop series is for those who:

• are seeking to level up in their participatory practice
•  are working with people with lived experience.
• want to learn more about how to effectively draw from their own lived experience as part of their practice and/or advocacy
• are setting up or running consumer advisory groups 
• are practitioners (new and experienced) and haven’t had the chance to reflect on theory and/or practice alongside sector peers (e.g. Peer Workers, Lived Experience Consultants and advocates). 

Facilitator

Morgan Cataldo

Morgan has worked within the for-purpose sector for 12+ years in a range of policy, advocacy and service development roles. Her professional passions stem from her own intimate lived experience of service systems.

Morgan dedicates her professional life to developing and advocating for participatory practice and peer education as essential levers for creating true, lasting, power-shifting systemic change in services for systemically neglected communities.

She advises, coaches and consults with organisations across Australia who are seeking to understand the role of power in their everyday work and how they can design and shape more meaningful policies, programs, and services by partnering with people with lived experience relevant to their purpose.

Morgan offers her workshop series, “Working with lived experience: exploring practices, challenges and mindsets” publicly in partnership with For Purpose.