LIVED EXPERIENCE POLICY: FREEFRAME

Dated March 2026

For review March 2027

• Our values at Freeframe are anchored in the belief that people, our circles of support and communities, have our own expertise and strengths, we are resourceful, and have the capacity to develop our own solutions to problems that we encounter: because people should not be disempowered by having their problems solved for them.

•  At a practical level, this means that Freeframe will endeavour to work in a way that enables people to reach their own potential of being capable, resourceful and empowered.

• For lived experience to be embedded Within Freeframe we believe that our service must provide for all communities. We aim to improve the health, and well-being must be at the forefront of the commissioning of all care that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland.

• While we appreciate that we work within the paradigm of the medical model, Freeframe will endeavour to provide service delivery that shifts towards a recovery focus that is Trauma informed and takes a Human Rights approach that adopts PANEL Principles of  Participation, Accountability, Non-discrimination and equality, Empowerment, and Legality.

Skills and leadership within Freeframe.

For person centred approaches to work across education, consultancy, research and training within Freeframe, we are committed to integrating:

Ensuring Co production of all training materials that we use within the delivery of all aspects of Freeframe’s business.

Using reflective practise to ensure that our services are embedded in lived experience, including using audit and Including but not limited to all policy and procedures.

Freeframe will use the person-centred framework from McCormack and McCance (2020)

This embeds the needs for person centred care through all care domains working towards achieving outcomes based for individuals’ people and populations.

This requires

• leadership
• alignment of organisational values
• working in a way that is bottom up rather than top down, thereby expanding organisational change to include service users as practise partners.

Freeframe will motivate others this way by modelling the value of person-centred approaches when creating and delivering training to all health and social care providers.

• Person centred approaches will be at the forefront of all communications with service users, families, carers, the wider community and other care delivery services.

This relies on holding the system to account with meaningful outcomes that are designed through Co-production.

Freeframe will explore a value based, person centred audit framework that will be based on the principles of dignity compassion and respect. It will focus on:

• coordination and integration of care
• clear information education and support,
• emotional support,
• involvement in family and friends,
• attention to physical comfort and
• environmental needs and
• respect for each person’s values persons preferences and needs

We acknowledge individuals own lived experience of using services themselves, and of supporting close family and friends.

We will endeavour sharing the evidence of positive impact for people who use our services, so that others may learn from our experience.

We will be using qualitative research including thematic analysis and working groups to demonstrate the importance and relevance of the care journey experienced by people who use Scotland’s services. Working in partnership for consent to share information means that we may include storytelling in local, national and international media.

We will be embedding this way of working into our codes of conduct, revalidation appraisal and continued professional development.

We will be delivering training that endeavours to be person centred, Co-produced and values based to encourage others to learn from our experience.

We will support positive risk taking and shared decision making.

However, Freeframe will reserve the right to safeguard vulnerable children and adults.

We will support people to understand positive risk taking and shared decision making and this model will be embedded in our training and consultancy.

Working with disadvantaged groups of people and health inequalities:

We recognise that health inequalities are the unjust and avoidable differences in people’s health across the population and between different population groups.

Freeframe is aware that several groups of disadvantaged groups may have difficulty gaining access to services:

• Including members of residential establishments such as care homes and prisons, homeless people particularly those who are rough sleepers,
• transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse people
• groups often deemed “harder to reach” (for example, Gypsy, Roma and Traveler groups, ex-prisoners, asylum seekers, victims of domestic violence and undocumented migrants or victims of human trafficking)
• https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/inclusive-data-taskforce-recommendations-report-leaving-no-one-behind-how-can-we-be-more-inclusive-in-our-data/pages/3/

Freeframe will prioritise tackling stigma and discrimination within services to reduce intersectional stigma within marginalised communities. Free frame will actively encourage marginalised groups to be prioritised for all training, enduring the creation of all training delivery.

Freeframe will support mental health literacy within all groups including health promotion in schools.

Freeframe will produce all literature in easy-to-read format and Produce literature that is accessible to all including asylum seekers, we will shape access to mental health and wellbeing training on the feedback from people within lived experience across communities.

PAYMENT

Freeframe is dedicated to collaborating with only experts with lived experience, ensuring that all freelance experts receive compensation at standard rates consistent with those applied to other freelance workers engaged by Freeframe.

TRAVEL: We encourage people to use public transport to get to our meetings, as this is better for the environment.

We will:

• contact you before the meeting to arrange transport that meets your needs
• book and pay for your tickets.

If you’re unable to travel on public transport because of special circumstances, we can talk about other options with you.

Considerations for people in receipt of state benefits

Involvement payments

As payments for involvement are classified as income for state benefit calculations people in receipt of state benefits may choose not to claim them or chose to claim a voucher of a shop of their choice.

 Different rules in regard to earnings apply to different types of benefits. Individuals in receipt of state benefits are advised to liaise with relevant agencies, which as the Department for Work and Pensions or their local Jobcentre Plus.

Travel, subsistence, and out of pocket expenses

Travel, subsistence, and other out of pocket expenses will be covered, in line with this policy, in addition to the payment. Payment of these expenses should not affect any state benefits the lay contributors receive. However, because NICE offers a standardised subsistence payment of a maximum of £20 per day, these subsistence payments may be considered as earnings when calculating benefits. Lay contributors whose subsistence costs are lower than £20 can claim the exact amount spent on subsistence. This claim for the exact amount will not be considered as earnings.

Rail travel

In terms of the environmental footprint, public transport, including trains, is typically the preferred mode of business travel and, where individuals have a reasonable rail option, this should be prioritised over air or car wherever possible. (please see appendix 6 for the sustainable travel hierarchy)

Tickets should always be purchased as economically as possible taking advantage of cheaper fares where available through advance booking. You can request tickets to be booked for either collection from a self-service machine at the train station or an e-ticket to download. If tickets are no longer required, you must report this to your booker. Do not collect the tickets from the machine or activate on your mobile device, instead contact the booker to arrange cancellation or amendments.

Rail travel will be standard class. First class travel is not permitted under any circumstances, even in rare circumstances when a first-class ticket is cheaper than a standard class fare.

Compensation relating to delayed trains, where travel has occurred may be retained by the individual in recognition of the impact of the delay. Where a journey is cancelled and a full refund offered, this should be returned to NICE and where appropriate a new booking will be made.

Other public transport (e.g. tube, tram or bus)

In cities where public transport services are comprehensively available individuals are expected to use these modes of transport.

Individuals are encouraged to use contactless payment cards for travel on public transport. These paperless systems provide a cost-effective means of travel. Any bus, tram or tube passes that allow unlimited travel (such as a monthly season ticket) will not be reimbursed as no additional cost has been incurred.

Tickets, receipts or bank/credit card statement extracts should be attached to the claim as proof of expense.

Taxis

Taxis may be used where there is a justification on the grounds of:

· Cost-effectiveness due to multiple people travelling to the same place together.

· Personal safety, for example travelling at night.

· Disability, impairment or a long-term condition.

· Travelling with heavy or bulky items of equipment of luggage.

· Travelling in an area with limited public transport.

Individuals wishing to travel by taxi should discuss this in advance with the relevant NICE team so that budget holder approval can be obtained prior to travel if the cost of the journey exceeds £15.

Where an individual has paid for a taxi fare, a receipt must be obtained and a scanned copy attached to the claim.

Car use

As per the sustainable travel hierarchy, where there is a reasonable option, individuals should prioritise public transport (like rail) over car travel wherever possible, to reduce the associated environmental impacts, unless there is a specific need for car use, for example due to illness/disability, there being a lack of public transport options or travel to a public transport departure point.

Reimbursement of mileage expenses will be paid where travel by public transport was not available or not appropriate for the journey. Individuals who use their own vehicles in these circumstances will receive reimbursement at the prevailing reserve (public transport) mileage rate, this is currently

45 pence per mile for Cars

24 pence per mile for Motorcycles

20 pence per mile Bicycles

Individuals are also required to hold insurance for the vehicle and provide evidence of this when claiming mileage.

Reasonable receipted parking fees, congestion charges and tolls will be reimbursed. Individuals are expected to use the most cost-effective parking options available and to make use of any discounted parking where available, having due regard for personal safety and other considerations, especially when travelling at night. Parking fines or excess charges will not be reimbursed.

Reasonable receipted parking fees, congestion charges and tolls will be reimbursed. Individuals are expected to use the most cost-effective parking options available and to make use of any discounted parking where available, having due regard for personal safety and other considerations, especially when travelling at night. Parking fines or excess charges will not be reimbursed.

Car sharing is encouraged and as such if a passenger is carried to the same meeting or event, an additional 5p per mile can be claimed.

REFERENCES

McCormack, B., (2020) The Person-centred Nursing and Person-centred Practice Frameworks: from conceptual development to programmatic impact, Nursing Standard. 35, 10, 86-89. doi: 10.7748/ns.35.10.86.s40 The Person-centred Nursing and Person-centred Practice Frameworks: from conceptual development to programmatic impact (rcni.com)