Lived Experience Consultant

Catch22; Northampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 47,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel expenses covered

Sessional pay £100 per session

Job summary

Catch22 is seeking passionate Creative Consultants to join our Justice Hub. This sessional role uses lived experience of the criminal justice system to help shape and influence justice services.

You will co-design workshops and materials, working closely with Catch22 staff and other consultants to ensure inclusive, trauma-informed services reflecting the voices of those affected by justice matters. This is sessional work with bi-monthly three-hour workshops paid at £100 per session and travel

Qualifications

• Direct lived experience of the criminal justice system
• Passion for social justice and using experience to drive positive change
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in creative settings
• Reliability, time management, and commitment to professional development

Responsibilities

• Co-design workshops and consultations with stakeholders
• Develop creative materials (campaigns, videos, resources)
• Support recruitment and mentoring of new consultants
• Advocate for lived-experience leadership in justice reform

Skills

Lived experience

Social justice passion

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Reliability & time management

Professional development

Job description

Company Description

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'.

We achieve this in two ways. First, we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. With the heart of a charity and the mindset of a business, we are uniquely placed to deliver on this challenging agenda.

In Justice, we work with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing a range of services including offender management and resettlement, mentoring, veterans in custody, victim services, gangs work and youth justice. We believe that with effective support mechanisms and the correct interventions, we can change service user’s ideology, helping them desist from crime and reach their true potential.

Job Description

Catch22 is seeking passionate and creative individuals to join our Justice Hub as Creative Consultants. This is an exciting opportunity to use your lived experience of the criminal justice system to help shape, design, and influence the future of justice services.

As part of our Justice Studio (Experts by Experience), you will bring your unique perspective, creativity, and insight to co-design workshops, consultations, and service development sessions. Working closely with Catch22 staff and other consultants, you’ll help ensure our services are inclusive, trauma-informed, and truly reflect the voices of those affected by the justice system.

In this role, you’ll contribute to the design of programmes and interventions, provide feedback on existing models, and help develop creative materials such as campaigns, videos, or written resources. You may also support the recruitment and mentoring of new consultants and act as an ambassador for lived experience leadership in justice reform.

This is sessional work, with bi-monthly three-hour workshops (paid at £100 per session) and travel expenses covered. You’ll be part of a collaborative, supportive network committed to driving real and lasting change across the justice sector.

Qualifications

Essential

• Lived experience of the criminal justice system (directly or through a close family member)


• Passion for social justice and using experience to drive positive change


• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in creative settings


• Reliability, time management, and commitment to professional development

Desirable

• Experience in creative fields such as writing, media, spoken word, art, or design


• Experience in public speaking, peer mentoring, or advocacy


• Understanding of trauma-informed or co-production approaches

Contract

Sessional

Hours & work pattern

This is sessional work, four three-hour workshops per year (paid at £100 per session) and travel expenses covered. No guaranteed hours.

Salary

£33.33 per hour, equating to £100 per 3-hour session.

Career Family & Scale

Sessional

Closing Date

31st of July 2026. Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the vacancy at any time, for any reason before the stated closing date.

Screening

Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK. Catch22 does not currently provide a licence to sponsor visas but please see this register to see those that do.

Use of AI

Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) should not be used to exaggerate skills & experiences, create generic responses that are not unique to the individual, and for any assessments used by the Hiring Team to measure an individual's natural abilities.

Catch22’s Commitment to Opportunity & Progression

At Catch22 we are proud of our commitment in supporting people develop in their careers and progress in our organisation. In 2024, within our Justice Hub, we have 68% of those in management roles that originally joined Catch22 in the frontline workforce and some worked across a number of roles and Leadership positions before joining management. This allows us to have a highly experienced management group and provides development opportunities for those in our much valued front-line.

Catch22’s Commitment to Ban the Box

Catch22 is proud to have “Banned the Box”. This means that we do not ask for candidates to disclose criminal convictions at the application stage. Instead, we invite disclosures at interview stage, and encourage them at the offer stage. Please see our statement of commitment on hiring people with convictions for more information.

Social Media Search

Please note, we may conduct an online search as part of our due diligence checks for successful candidate(s). This will involve a search of all publicly available information online and in social media.

Vetting Requirements

This role is subject to the satisfactory completion of relevant pre-employment checks, which may include HMPPS vetting, NPPV, or other role-specific security clearances. Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful outcome of these checks. Where clearance is not granted, or is subsequently withdrawn, Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Catch22 Justice requests no contact from agencies or media sales.

Benefits / Apply for Opportunities / recruitment process / Recruitment Policy / Set up Job Alerts

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.