More than 230 people have joined a network to drive meaningful change for people experiencing or dealing with the effects of domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV).
The Lived Experience Advisory Network (LEAN) brings together advice and insights from adults who have experienced DFSV to inform State Government, the sector and community as DFSV reform post the Royal Commission gets underway.
Members of the LEAN will be invited to share perspectives on the design, development and evaluation of DFSV services and initiatives.
The LEAN is being coordinated by peak body Embolden and will be the first statewide network in South Australia dedicated to DFSV reform.
The state’s Royal Commission into DFSV also recommended establishing a separate LEAN for children and young people, which is expected to commence later this year.
Drawn from the Lived Experience Advisory Networks (LEANs), a small formal group named the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) will meet directly with the Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence to discuss actions.
People who are interested in expressing their interest in the LEANs can visit www.embolden.org.au for more information.
For more information about South Australian Government DFSV programs and initiatives, visit www.dhs.sa.gov.au/DFSV.
Quotes
Attributable to Hildyard
Those who have survived or are surviving domestic, family and/or sexual violence know best how to ensure the reform we are progressing makes a difference.
Survivors are courageous and hold the solutions. I am deeply grateful to the many who have stepped forward to bravely provide their wisdom, views and experiences as part of the Lived Experience Advisory Network.
With patience, purpose and determination, post the Royal Commission, we have an opportunity to make lasting change and survivors will be at the centre of it. I thank every brave person who has made the decision to speak up about their experiences of DFSV in ways that will help others.
We are determined to act with purpose and patience to seize this generational opportunity for change and DFSV survivors’ input will be life changing and life saving.
Anonymous quotes provided by LEAN members
LEAN member 1
I want to join this lived experience group because, nine years after my crisis point, I am still navigating the lifelong consequences of domestic violence. My story highlights systemic issues for Aboriginal women.
LEAN member 2
I am seeking to join the adult LEAN because, as a survivor of family and domestic violence, I understand firsthand the lifelong impact that harm, fear and instability can leave on a person.
My lived experience is not just a chapter in my past - it shapes the way I parent, advocate, and engage with the world. As my children grow, I have become increasingly aware of the patterns of behaviour, learned responses, and intergenerational effects that can quietly resurface despite our best efforts.
This awareness has strengthened my resolve to ensure that what happened to me does not continue through them, or through any other child navigating similar circumstances.
The Royal Commission’s recommendations offer a pathway to safer, more responsive systems - but only if they are implemented alongside the voices of people who have lived these realities.
I want to contribute my perspective to help build services that are trauma-aware, culturally respectful, and genuinely protective of families. By participating in this group, I hope to turn my experience into meaningful change, ensuring that future generations grow up with stronger safeguards, better support, and the opportunity to thrive free from violence.
LEAN member 3
I want to join the LEAN because my experiences of domestic and family violence didn’t end when I left the relationship — they continued through the systems that were meant to protect me.
My children and I have navigated the courts, Centrelink, child support, legal services, and enforcement processes without meaningful support, and at times the response from these systems has amplified the harm instead of reducing it.
