Decision details

The reasons for the decision are:

That Revolving Doors Agency is an award-winning national charity with over 20 years of experience aiming to change systems and improve services for people caught in the ‘revolving door’ – those who come into repeat contact with the criminal justice system due to multiple unmet needs. Their vision is to end the revolving door crisis by 2025.

This next phase of the lived experience approach by Revolving Doors, builds on the success of the involvement of a Lived Experience Team of individuals (LET) from Revolving Doors Agency that worked successfully alongside GM Integrated Rehabilitative Services team to help procure rehabilitative and resettlement support services across five areas (Accommodation; Education, Training and Employment (ETE); Peer Support; Family Support; and Women) during 2021.

Two further services covered by GM IRS (Emotional Wellbeing, and Dependency and Recovery) were not included in previous work but lived experience input is required across all services to add value and to ensure consistency across GM IRS. Lived Experience is therefore to feature into subsequent and upcoming co-design of these services.


The proposed model seeks to;
• Enable lived experience peer researchers to visit and assess services against service specifications;
• Ensure lived experience insight is part of service monitoring and evaluation;
•Support those with lived experience to input into service expansion or innovation as required.


GMCA and HMPPS need to know that the services they are commissioning will make a real difference to the lives of those who have been in contact with the criminal justice system :

• The Lived Experience Team know the system, they’ve seen it firsthand, lived through it and now want to help change it for the better.
• They have experienced probation services, been a part of or have known others stuck in the ‘Revolving Door’.
• They can tell commissioners what works, what helps people move on with their lives and be free from crime.
• They can share their journey / story – things that went wrong for them and the things that helped them get to where they are now.
• They’re the experts in knowing what it’s like -together we will shape what it can be.


Some of the current gaps in GM IRS Revolving Doors can address :

•Ongoing monitoring / service scrutiny from the perspective of individuals who know and understand the system.
•LET individuals conducting site visits i.e. Probation Delivery Units.
•Facilitate innovation and offer creative ideas for service expansion / reiterating service specifications as funds increase over the years.
•Lived Experience attendance and input at contract management meetings.


Revolving Doors will take a three-stage approach to delivery:

1. Development of the existing Lived Experience Team, including further recruitment and training to ensure effective site visits
2. Quarterly monitoring of commissioned services offering lived experience insight and input into contract management and service development meetings.
3. Broader perspectives from across Greater Manchester through LET engagement with Revolving Doors Lived Experience Regional Forum in Manchester.

Through a joint GMCA & GM Probation Service approach, that recognises the expertise and specialist nature of Revolving Doors. A Grant will be awarded to provide specialist lived experience advice for the Greater Manchester Integrated Rehabilitation Services which are the commissioned services that support the Greater Manchester Probation Service. Total Value - £95,000