5 Ways to Grow Your Lived Experience Workforce Effectively

In the world of disability support, there’s a growing recognition that real-life experience is just as valuable as formal qualifications. A lived experience workforce refers to people who have personally lived with disability or have cared for someone with a disability.

These individuals bring deep empathy, authenticity, and insights that are hard to teach through training alone. Lived experience professionals contribute significantly to more responsive, participant-centred care in NDIS services.

The Power of Lived Experience in the Disability Sector

At Posity Online, we specialise in helping NDIS providers build skilled and inclusive teams by supporting everything from NDIS business registration to internal audits and quality assurance. By integrating people with lived experience into your workforce effectively, you can improve service delivery, strengthen your compliance, and foster inclusive practices that support NDIS Practice Standards.

Let’s explore five ways to grow your lived experience workforce the right way—strategically, sustainably, and with care.

1. Be Strategic with Recruitment

Recruiting lived experience workers means more than just creating a job ad. It’s about finding the right people in the right places and building pathways that feel accessible and welcoming.

Instead of relying solely on mainstream job boards, think about the networks that already exist within your community. Disability advocacy groups, local support services, social media forums, and TAFE disability programs are excellent channels to find talent. Many potential workers with lived experience may not actively be job seeking but are open to roles if approached respectfully and with understanding.

Ensure your job descriptions use plain English and make it clear that lived experience is a valuable asset. Avoid overcomplicated language or listing unnecessary criteria that might discourage applications. Highlight how the role contributes to positive participant outcomes and the value of real-life insight.

Before recruiting, conduct a gap analysis of your current team. Do you need more representation of mental health experiences? Neurodivergence? Cultural or linguistic diversity? A proper gap analysis will help you recruit more meaningfully.

If you’re unsure where to start, an experienced NDIS consultant can help develop recruitment plans that align with the NDIS Practice Standards and your business goals.

2. Invest in Training and Pathways for Growth

Once someone with lived experience joins your team, it’s crucial to support their professional growth from the beginning. Many lived experience workers have not been in formal employment for some time, or may not have worked in a highly regulated sector like disability services. So onboarding and training must be clear, supportive, and empowering.

At Posity Online, we provide tailored business coaching that focuses on both leadership and daily work skills. We also offer access to NDIS Policy and Procedures Templates that make onboarding smoother and reduce confusion around compliance expectations.

To build a strong foundation, consider enrolling lived experience staff in structured programs like our Internal Auditor Training. While not everyone will become an NDIS internal auditor, understanding the framework behind NDIS Practice Standards equips staff with essential knowledge around compliance, service delivery, and documentation.

Career progression should be built into your workforce strategy. With the right training and guidance, your lived experience staff can grow into roles such as:

• Peer mentors
  
• Team leaders
  
• NDIS internal auditors
  
• Community engagement officers
  

By offering a clear development path, you show lived experience staff that they are not just contributors—but future leaders.

3. Build a Supportive, Inclusive Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is often the deciding factor in whether lived experience staff stay, thrive, or leave. To grow this workforce, you need a culture that respects the insights people bring from their personal journeys.

This doesn’t just mean offering flexibility or kindness—it means building structures that protect and empower. You might create peer support groups, encourage team storytelling sessions, or hold regular reflective practices where staff can openly share feedback.

Support should also extend to mental health. Lived experience workers may have endured long-term health issues, trauma, or discrimination. Providing access to counselling, wellness programs, and time for self-care makes a big difference in retention and morale.

A workplace committed to diversity should also embed lived experience into its leadership. That might include having co-leaders with lived experience, creating steering groups, or including staff voices in program design.

These cultural strategies are not just good practice—they also help meet your obligations under the NDIS Practice Standards, especially in areas of participant rights, worker capability, and risk management. Internal audits are a great way to monitor whether your culture truly reflects these standards.

4. Use NDIS Funding and Government Support Effectively

Expanding your lived experience workforce doesn’t have to strain your budget. There are several funding options available through the NDIS and other government programs that support employment and professional development.

The NDIS Price Guide includes supports under “capacity building” and “support coordination” that can be designed to incorporate lived experience roles. These include participant mentoring, peer-led initiatives, and employment-related supports.

There are also grants for workforce development, especially for employers who prioritise diversity and inclusion. These grants may help you fund:

• Peer mentor training programs
  
• Workshops on mental health or trauma-informed practice
  
• Employment initiatives in regional or remote areas
  

If you are starting a new business and wondering how to apply for NDIS registration, there may also be startup support available—particularly for businesses that hire staff with disability or lived experience.

Working with a qualified NDIS consultant can help you identify funding opportunities, streamline applications, and align your hiring with compliance requirements. Grants, pricing arrangements, and employment support must be well-documented, so having audit-ready systems will ensure everything runs smoothly.

5. Support Long-Term Career Development and Leadership

Too often, lived experience workers are seen only as peer supporters or entry-level employees. But with support and encouragement, they can grow into leaders, educators, and change-makers in your organisation.

A long-term career development plan shows your staff that they’re valued beyond their lived experience. It communicates that you see their potential as professionals and contributors to your broader mission.

Consider offering training programs that lead to supervisory or leadership roles. Give staff opportunities to engage in quality assurance and governance. Invite them to participate in internal audits, help write policy documents, or represent your organisation at sector events.

You could also set up leadership pipelines where lived experience workers can access mentoring, take on stretch roles, and contribute to strategic planning.

If you’re not sure how to structure career development plans, a gap analysis is a good place to start. It helps identify what’s missing in your workforce and where people can grow. You’ll be able to offer progression that’s not only relevant to your business but deeply meaningful to your team.

In Summary: Grow with Intention, Inclusivity, and Compliance

The disability sector is changing. A truly responsive service is one that values the voices of people with lived experience—not just in theory, but in practice.

By investing in recruitment, training, workplace culture, and long-term development, you’ll not only meet your compliance responsibilities—you’ll build a team that’s committed, passionate, and aligned with your participants' needs.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Thoughtful recruitment driven by gap analysis and inclusive practices
  
• Training support through auditor training, coaching, and onboarding tools
  
• A workplace culture of respect, empowerment, and care
  
• Funding leveraged through capacity building supports and grants
  
• Real career development with access to compliance and audit leadership
  

Ready to Build a Stronger Workforce?

At Posity Online, we help providers grow their teams with confidence and compliance. Whether you’re registering your business, looking for policy support, or planning to train a lived experience team—our consultants are here to support your success.

Contact us today to start building your future workforce.