Incorporating lived experience into social work practice: A personal and organisational journey

Social workers with lived experience of incarceration can be more relatable and empathetic, improving their ability to connect and advocate for those they support. However, they face significant barriers to entering the profession, including difficulty obtaining accreditation to work with children, placement requirements, professional association eligibility, and exclusion from employment through criminal history checks and accumulated marginalisation. For women, this marginalisation commonly includes experiences of victimisation, mental health issues, intellectual and cognitive impairments, child protection involvement, substance dependency, and poverty. Their exclusion from social work reduces the profession's ability to best support marginalised people. This article explores these barriers and incorporates the lead author's personal journey from imprisoned student to practising social worker supporting incarcerated women, exploring the personal and broader costs of excluding a criminalised person from entering a profession that espouses social justice and inclusivity. This discussion is positioned in the context of the Transform Lives Program, an innovative, co-created model of service delivery for incarcerated mothers and their children which incorporates mothers’ voices by creating a skilled clinical team, inclusive of staff with lived experience. We challenge the sector to dismantle these barriers and foster inclusive practices that value those with lived experience.