This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT.

I am Matt, a director at LEAD - Lived Experience Advisory Directory C.I.C., a not-for-profit, whose mission is to create better workplaces for people with lived experience.

Part of this mission means standing alongside the lived experience workforce in any challenges they may face.

I have a unique skillset, in that I am a UK qualified employment lawyer, in addition to having my own lived experience of mental illness and workplace challenges.

My younger self often felt alone in his struggles. That is what drives me. I want to be the person that my younger self needed.

In a world in which I constantly felt unsafe - and often still do - I want to provide a safe, non-judgemental and supportive place in which people like me can be allowed to thrive.

I know how much I have struggled to communicate my needs in the workplace in the past, particularly where there were strong power dynamics.

In my view, it is important that people with lived experience have a safe, independent place where they can communicate openly.

It is only then that their personal needs can be understood and they can be allowed to work in a sustainable way for them.

This supervisor has been approved to provide supervision under the ACCESS TO SUPERVISION PROJECT. If you are a supervisee who has received an approval email/letter from the CMHL you may contact this supervisor for supervision for this project, then follow the stated processes for supervision payment.

I started my first lived experience role in 2022. I was Lived Experience Vice Chair of an alliance of mental health charities in Somerset in the UK.

I remember that I even cried in my interview for the role, when I was asked by a lived experience worker: "what does the role mean to you" (I guess not many people can say they cried during an interview and still got the job!)

The pride I felt in that interview room, knowing those individuals had been through what they had been through, but they were now here – I was here – thriving and bringing about positive change felt so incredible.

Upon taking up the role though, it became apparent quite quickly that it was largely tokenistic. I was sold my dream role, but the reality was very different. I left the role after only 6 months.

One great thing that came from my first lived experience role though was meeting my friend, Rachel Edgecombe.

Now, we lead (excuse the pun!) LEAD – Lived Experience Advisory Directory together, which aims to create better workplaces for the lived experience workforce.

The lived experience workforce faces unique challenges such as isolation and burnout; inadequate support structures; a lack of advocacy; and stigma and discrimination.

We saw the power of facing these challenges together – rather than alone – and we wanted to offer this support and comradery to the lived experience workforce more widely too.

I have a life-time of mental ill-health, I am qualified UK Employment Lawyer and I have completed the Imroc Peer Informed Supervision Course.

Don't take it from me, take it from others I have already been working with:

"Matt you did the whole field proud, honestly. You gave me courage and strength. Knowing you were right alongside me and knowing you truly know this position is soo powerful. I've never felt that in spaces like this, like, truly seen and understood."

“LEAD empowered me by being right with me, giving me knowledge, strength and courage to keep on keeping on... I feel very lucky and extremely thankful. I know how much this work is needed and I have felt the impact and power of the way LEAD’s support changes things.“

“I’ve told my family about you, my dad used the expression ‘go on Matt!!’ many times when I said what you’d said... That’s like the biggest of biggest compliments from him as he is a man of few words.”

“Matt has provided his legal and personal expertise on the Peer Worker Foundation course. His lived experience combined with his expert knowledge gives a unique depth and understanding to his delivery. He made an equality and diversity session fun, dynamic and insightful. Participants came away from the session feeling empowered with a good degree of useful information and knowledge. Thank you.”

"Incredible session. I have experienced difficulties navigating how I interact with my lived experience in the workplace. The session Matt held helped me to feel less alone, and to know how work can support me."

"Fantastic, comprehensive, useful, authentic... Generous time."