By engaging with the ICOS, individuals and organisations can enhance their capacity, knowledge and ethical approach to working with lived and living experience, ultimately contributing to a safer and more trauma-informed, strengths-based, survivor-centered approach to addressing domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) and other forms of gendered violence and abuse.
ICOS provides capacity building services to organisations to effectively engage with DFSV lived experience to integrate it in decision making, service design and delivery, research, and evaluation.
ICOS collaborates with organisations to embed lived expertise into their work, ensuring that decisions, governance, services and programs, research, and evaluation are informed by the valuable perspectives and lived expertise of victim survivors.
ICOS supports organisations in working ethically with victim survivors of DFSV, providing guidance on best practices, frameworks such as Experts by Experience, and the development of protocols and policies that prioritise safety and wellbeing.
ICOS assists organisations in establishing lived experience expert advisory groups, enabling them to access the insights, advice, and guidance of people with lived and/or living experience of DFSV for co-design processes, research, and decision-making.
ICOS enables connection to survivor advocates with lived experience of DFSV for speaking engagements and media appearances, supporting organisations to amplify authentic voices and raise awareness about the impact of gendered violence.
Coming soon: ICOS offers training and resources for people who have experienced DFSV and want to become survivor advocates, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to share their stories, influence change, and provide peer support to others.
At ICOS, we believe that lived experiences are the heartbeat of meaningful change. Engaging with individuals who have firsthand knowledge and insights can profoundly impact the development and evaluation of services and policies. But is your organisation ready to embrace this transformative approach? Our Organisational Readiness Framework including our organisational readiness checklist is here to guide you.
Why Assess Readiness?
Engaging with lived experiences is not just a process; it’s a commitment to change, growth, and learning. Assessing your organisation’s readiness ensures that you have the necessary resources, values, and strategies to effectively engage with survivor advocates and experts by experience.
Our checklist is designed to help organisations gauge their preparedness across various domains including Governance and Leadership, Resourcing & Training, Workplace Safety & Inclusion, Recruitment, Procedures, and Accountability.
Ask yourself:
Does your organisation have a clear commitment to engaging survivor advocates in the strategic plan?
Is there a culture that aligns with the principles of ethically engaging with lived experience?
Are there resources allocated for appropriate remuneration and support for experts by experience?
Does your organisation operate in a trauma-informed way and demonstrate diversity and inclusive practice?
Are there formal feedback mechanisms and evaluation processes in place?
If your organisation lacks the conditions or resources to engage individuals with lived experience, have you considered partnering with ICOS? Our expertise and commitment to engaging lived experiences can support your organisation in making a lasting impact.
Get in touch with us today to explore the possibilities.
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and Owners of the lands in which we live and work across the nation state Australia. We pay our respects to Elders of the past and present. We are committed to collaboration that furthers self-determination and creates a better and safer future for all.
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