Lived experience opportunities

WHAT- Samaritans Cymru are working with the Wales National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research to set up a Lived Experience Advisory Group to give advice and participate in decision-making throughout all phases of research. All involvement opportunities are voluntary, and there is no obligation to get or stay involved. You can be involved in the following ways:

· Input into Centre studies

· Identify topics for research

· Clarify research questions

· Co-production of resources

· Be part of project steering groups

Samaritans Cymru will be the secretariat for the Lived Experience Advisory Group and organise the regular meetings. The National Centre will be responsible for the work programme for the group and Samaritans Cymru will be available for support in between meetings.

WHO – We would like to involve a diverse range of people with personal/lived experience of suicide, suicidal thoughts and behaviours and/or self-harm as well as people who have been bereaved by suicide.

You must be over 18 but don’t need a background in medicine, science, or research to help. Your daily lives and experience will give us important insights to guide our work. Everyone is welcome, no research experience required!

WHY - The Wales National Centre, led by Swansea University needs people from all walks of life with real-life experience of suicide and/or self-harm to help ensure their research is useful and makes a difference.

WHERE - Meetings will ordinarily be online, with occasional face to face meetings.

WHEN: It is expected that there will be:

· 1–3hour online meetings (occasionally face to face)

· Approx. every 3 months

· Emails in between meetings

RENUMERATION - £75 per meeting (this includes pre/post meeting reading/tasks)

SUPPORT - Support to fulfil the role will be provided by our Senior Policy & Influencing Manager and others in the team. You will have the opportunity to discuss your support needs and/or complete a wellbeing action plan at any point.

HOW - Scroll down to read the role description and then complete this form - https://forms.office.com/e/xb1P6cfRKU

DEADLINE - 31 July 2025 at 5pm

For more information contact: Keith Bowen at wales@samaritans.org

BETH - Mae Samaritans Cymru yn gweithio gyda Chanolfan Genedlaethol Cymru ar gyfer Ymchwil ar Atal Hunanladdiad a Hunan-niweidio i sefydlu Grŵp Cynghori Profiad Byw, i roi cyngor a chymryd rhan yn y gwaith o wneud penderfyniadau ar bob cam o’r gwaith ymchwil. Mae’r holl gyfleoedd i gymryd rhan yn wirfoddol, ac nid oes unrhyw reidrwydd arnoch i gymryd rhan nac i barhau i gymryd rhan. Gallwch gymryd rhan yn y ffyrdd canlynol:

• Rhoi mewnbwn i astudiaethau’r Ganolfan
• Pennu topigau ar gyfer ymchwil
• Egluro cwestiynau ymchwil
• Cyd-gynhyrchu adnoddau
• Cymryd rhan mewn grwpiau llywio prosiect

Samaritans Cymru fydd yn darparu’r ysgrifenyddiaeth ar gyfer y Grŵp Cynghori Profiad Byw ac yn trefnu’r cyfarfodydd rheolaidd. Y Ganolfan Genedlaethol fydd yn gyfrifol am raglen waith y grŵp, a bydd Samaritans Cymru ar gael i roi cymorth rhwng cyfarfodydd.

PWY – Hoffem gynnwys ystod amrywiol o bobl â phrofiad personol/profiad byw o hunanladdiad, meddyliau ac ymddygiad hunanladdol a/neu hunan-niweidio, yn ogystal â phobl a gafodd profedigaeth trwy hunanladdiad.

Rhaid ichi fod dros 18 oed ond nid oes arnoch angen cefndir mewn meddygaeth, gwyddoniaeth, neu ymchwil academaidd i helpu. Bydd eich bywydau bob dydd a’ch profiad yn rhoi inni ddealltwriaeth bwysig ar gyfer llywio ein gwaith. Mae croeso i bawb ac nid oes angen unrhyw brofiad o waith ymchwil arnoch!

PAM – Mae ar Ganolfan Genedlaethol Cymru, dan arweiniad Prifysgol Abertawe, angen pobl o bob cefndir sydd â phrofiad bywyd go iawn o hunanladdiad a/neu hunan-niweidio er mwyn iddi sicrhau bod ei gwaith yn ddefnyddiol ac yn gwneud gwahaniaeth.

BLE – Cynhelir cyfarfodydd ar lein fel arfer, gyda chyfarfodydd wyneb yn wyneb o dro i dro.

PRYD: Disgwylir y bydd:

• Cyfarfodydd ar-lein rhwng 1 a 3 awr (wyneb i wyneb yn achlysurol)
• Oddeutu pob 3 mis
• Cyfathrebu trwy e-bost rhwng cyfarfodydd

COSTAU A DELIR - £75 y cyfarfod (gan gynnwys darllen/tasgau cyn ac ar ôl y cyfarfod)

CYMORTH - Byddwch yn derbyn cymorth i gyflawni’r rôl gan ein Uwch Reolwr Polisi a Dylanwadu, ac aelodau eraill o’r tîm. Byddwch yn cael y cyfle i drafod eich anghenion cymorth a/neu gwblhau cynllun gweithredu llesiant ar unrhyw adeg.

SUT -  Dylech sgroliwch i lawr i ddarllen disgrifiad y rôl ac ynagwblhau’r ffurflen hon   - https://forms.office.com/e/xb1P6cfRKU

DYDDIAD CAU – 5pm ar 31 Gorffennaf 2025

I gael mwy o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â: Keith Bowen at wales@samaritans.org

WHAT - Work with us to develop a webinar to help build our volunteers' understanding of Safeguarding.

We are looking for up to 3 people over the age of 18 years old with lived experience of being safeguarded where support helped prevent abuse and harm, to work alongside Samaritans staff to develop a recorded webinar and talking heads style video to support our plans for Adult Safeguarding Week (17 – 21 November 2025). The project's overall aim is to improve Samaritans' understanding of safeguarding principles and the positive impact safeguarding can have on a person and their life.

WHO – We would like to involve a diverse range of people with lived experience, we are looking to recruit people who are over 18, with differing experiences and are particularly keen to work with people who have lived experience of Safeguarding. Ideally this experience will be within the past 5 years.

For the purpose of this project, we define Lived Experience of Safeguarding as an adult who has either:

• been safeguarded when they were a child (under 18yrs) or
• been safeguarded as an adult at risk or
• been involved in safeguarding due to their connection with children.

WHY - We want to make safeguarding more visible and better understood across Samaritans by getting volunteers and staff more involved. Our aim is to keep safeguarding a top priority for everyone in the organisation, while helping each person learn more about how to do safeguarding well.

By including people with real-life safeguarding experience in this project, it means we can all learn more together and better understand how our safeguarding can help those we support and the positive impact it can have on someone and their life.

WHERE - Zoom

WHEN - Up to 2 days between September 2025 and November 2025

RENUMERATION - £150 per day

SUPPORT - Support to fulfil the role will be provided by our Safeguarding Manager and others in the team. You will have the opportunity to discuss your support needs and/or complete a wellbeing action plan at any point.

HOW - Please complete this form - https://forms.office.com/e/J6EQANbNpD

DEADLINE - 04 August 2025 at 9am

For more information contact: Laura Emmerson at safeguarding@samaritans.org