Mental health research funders operate in different ways, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to lived experience (LE) involvement.
Good LE involvement starts early enough to shape decisions, is accessible, and makes clear what people can and cannot influence. It considers who is involved, when they are involved, what support they need, and what difference their involvement makes.
Involvement can take many forms, and the level of influence should match the decision being made rather than a fixed role title. For example, the same lived experience consultants, embedded in a funder’s team and employed as staff, might generate ideas alongside colleagues when a call is being scoped, give advice that a funding approver weighs against other input, and hold equal decision-making power with academic reviewers when applications are assessed. Funders may also engage people through advisory networks or external organisations rather than an embedded team. The method of engagement does not, by itself, determine influence.
What matters is that the level of influence is clear and appropriate to each decision.