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Lived Experience Advisory Forum (LEAF)

If you want to contribute and use your experience of homelessness with like-minded people and to influence change within the homeless pathways in Oxfordshire, then come and join our Forum.
Play video iconLEAF Lucy Monica
Lucy and Monica explain how LEAF works

Accessing this service

The Forum meets regularly at the New Road Baptist Church in Bonn Square, but days and times vary so please check the What’s On calendar of activities for details.

To find out more about joining LEAF email leaf@oxfordgatehouse.org or send us a message using the contact form below.
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    Help provided by this service

    LEAF is an independent group run by and for people with lived experience of homelessness.

    LEAF offers Forum members a safe space to come together to look at solutions on how to improve the homeless pathways and connecting services within Oxfordshire. LEAF also recognises that collaborative working and sharing best practice is an important cog to changing systems for the benefit of the people using the services. LEAF encourages and practises sharing of learning and knowledge to also improve services nationally.

    Forum members are supported in trying new roles and are offered new opportunities which help build their own confidence and overall wellbeing.

    Information about LEAF activities plus co-produced reports and findings and much more can be found on our LEAF Activities page.

    LEAF is an equal opportunities Forum and welcomes the involvement of individuals from all backgrounds. Everyone is welcome!

    The Lived Experience Advisory Forum (LEAF) is an initiative that makes homeless provision in Oxfordshire more effective by consulting people with lived experience. LEAF was initiated by Oxfordshire Homeless Movement and is now being funded by them, thanks to generous donations from local businesses and the public.

    This service is provided in partnership with the Gatehouse, Aspire and the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement.

    LEAF Partners

    Positive impacts of this service

    LEAF has supported all forum members building on their own goals in life with new skills to add to their CVs – one forum member has achieved their goal of being in full time work.

    All of LEAF’s forum members have noticed an improvement in their overall wellbeing.

    LEAF members interviewed over 30 local residents experiencing homelessness, providing real insight, depth and learning for the sector, which contributed towards the recommissioning of the homeless pathway in Oxfordshire.

    LEAF are continuing to support King’s college London in collecting data for a service in Oxford – currently LEAF are one of the top providers of feedback which is showcasing that working together and involving people with lived experience can improve better engagement form participants. The feedback has supported positive change within the service such as adding a communal area where residents can now eat together.

    Testimonials by LEAF members

    “You are not alone when you are part of LEAF and you can get you voice heard”
    “LEAF is a positive place to be listening, sharing and making a difference”
    “LEAF is a place where we can start bringing positive change from our lived experience”
    “All those years on the street can be turned into something positive to help others because we know what it’s like and express it to those who have not lived it”

    Co-production partner feedback

    “I can't emphasise enough how important the involvement of LEAF is in this process - you are one of the few areas to be doing "genuine" involvement of lived experience in service development... This is very rare when you look at the other areas... ”

    Dr Michelle Cornes, Senior Research Fellow, Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London

    Read more in our 2023 Co-production feedback report