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The NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner is seeking expressions of interest from people who want to join the NSW Lived Experience Advisory Group for victim survivors with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence.
We are creating the Advisory Group to amplify the diverse voices of people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence. The Advisory Group will share their insights and advice with the NSW Government. This will ensure that people’s lived experience will help shape government policies and programs.
You can apply for both groups using the same application form (see the link at the bottom of the page).
The Women’s Safety Commissioner encourages people with different experiences and backgrounds to apply. We recognise that true diversity includes gender, age, race, disability status, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, education levels, and many more aspects of your identity and experiences.
We want to ensure that all people can participate in the application process for the Advisory Group, and are committed to prioritising the safety and privacy of everyone who applies. For more information about how we will protect your privacy, see the links at the bottom of this page.
If you have any further questions, or need any support with applying, please feel free to contact us at: livedexperience@dcj.nsw.gov.au
The Women’s Safety Commissioner acknowledges and honours the expertise of people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence. We recognise the harms victim-survivors are subjected to and thank those who have already shared their stories and advocated for change. We remember and mourn those who have been murdered and acknowledge the ongoing pain of those who have lost loved ones.
If you or someone you know is subject to domestic, family and/or sexual violence, support is available. Click here for available support services.
Expression of interest applications open |
31 March – 16 May 2025 |
Information sessions |
30 April 2025 |
Candidates appointed |
June 2025 |
You can apply for the NSW Lived Experience Advisory Group if you:
If you want to apply for the broader lived experience network, you must meet the first 4 eligibility criteria above.
If you have any current ongoing legal matters relating to domestic, family or sexual violence (including family court matters), this may impact your eligibility. A member of the team may be in touch to better undertsand your situation.
Before applying to be a part of the NSW Lived Experience Advisory Group, it would be good to think about the following questions and consider whether you would be ready to join such a group, and whether this group is suitable for you.
Being on a lived experience advisory group can understandably be difficult and uncomfortable at times for those who have been subjected to trauma and violence. The Office of the Women’s Safety Commissioner will provide group members with individual de-briefing sessions with a therapist following each quarterly meeting.
It is important to note the Advisory Group is not a therapeutic group. We encourage group members to have their own therapeutic and healing support in place during their term.
Advisory Group members will be appointed based on a number of different factors:
The NSW Government will ensure that a range of lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence is represented. We encourage applications from people across NSW:
Advisory Group members will use their skills and experiences to ensure that victim survivors’ perspectives are shared with the NSW Government to improve reponses to domestic, family and sexual violence.
Title |
NSW Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Lived Experience Advisory Group Member |
Length of appointment |
Two years |
Participation methods |
Online and in-person participation |
Expected time commitment |
Four meetings a year, which will be four hours each. There may be optional activities throughout the year. |
Payment Rates |
$75 per hour sitting fee |
We will provide the below support to Advisory Group members:
$75 per hour for online or in-person meetings.
We will pay reasonable transport costs for all group members to attend meetings. For regional and rural members, we will pay for travel and accommodation.
We can arrange payment through bank deposits or vouchers.
For in-person meetings, we will arrange and pay for on-site childcare.
We will pay for four therapeutic sessions per person per year following each Advisory Group meeting (up to $250 each session).
We will provide group members with relevant training and professional development.
We will provide First Nations members with access to cultural support.
The NSW Government's privacy practices in collecting, storing, using and disclosing personal and health information are regulated by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Further information about DCJ's privacy practice in collecting data can be found here.
16 Apr 2025