Expressions of interest have opened for South Australians with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) to join the new Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG), a formal government advisory body that will report directly to the Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Alice Rolls.
Established in direct response to the 2024/25 Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, the LEAG will bring together up to 12 members drawn from the adult Lived Experience Advisory Network (LEAN), coordinated by Embolden, South Australia’s peak body for Domestic, family and sexual violence services.
“The voices of those who have lived through domestic, family and sexual violence are not just valuable, they are essential. We know that people with lived experience bring a depth of knowledge that no other source can provide,” said Minister Rolls (pictured).
“South Australians who have experienced domestic, family or sexual violence have told us they want to be part of creating change, not just consulted on the margins. This is our commitment to making that a reality.
“I encourage eligible South Australians with lived experience who feel safe and ready to do so, to consider putting their hand up and registering an expression of interest. Your insight and expertise will directly shape the decisions this government makes.
“We are investing in a proper structure, with remuneration, dedicated support and a direct line to decision-makers to make sure those voices are heard at the highest levels. The LEAG is about genuine partnership.”
The LEAG will be coordinated by the Department for Human Services and will provide strategic advice on the policies, programs and services that affect victim-survivors across South Australia, with an initial focus on the implementation of Building Safer Futures: South Australia’s whole-of-government response to the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.
It fulfils a key recommendation of the Royal Commission, which called for a small, formal group drawn from the lived experience networks to meet regularly with the Minister and contribute directly to systemic reform.
The South Australian Government has accepted 129 of the Royal Commission’s 136 recommendations, backed by a $674 million commitment over the next decade.
The LEAG will seek to reflect the full diversity of South Australians’ lived experiences, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTQIA+ communities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, people with experience of incarceration and those from regional and remote South Australia.
In line with the South Australian Government’s commitment to gender equity, at least 50 per cent of members will be women.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have lived experience of domestic, family and/or sexual violence
- Be a current member of the adult LEAN (or have applied to join the LEAG at the time of submitting interest)
- Be a South Australian resident
- Be aged 18 or over
No prior experience in advocacy, policy or government processes is required.
Members are appointed for a two-year term, and the Department of Human Services will work with each member to develop a personalised safety and wellbeing plan.
Expressions of interest are open now. For more information and to access the EOI form visit dhs.sa.gov.au/leag or email:Â dfvslivedexperience@sa.gov.au.
