Shadow Board

The Wallich’s Shadow Board is a group of individuals with lived experience of our services, past or present

The Shadow Board meets on a regular basis to inform, improve and co-produce The Wallich services.

They work closely with The Wallich CEO, senior team and Board of Trustees.

What does the Shadow Board do?

The Shadow Board provides a unique perspective and service user voice across Wales.

Here’s how the Board has an impact on The Wallich’s services:

• Providing valuable feedback and consultation on how The Wallich services are run
• Supporting with tenders and funding applications
• Sitting on interview panels or shortlist candidates
• Providing sense-checking for new services and initiatives
• Representing The Wallich at events, sharing their experience with stakeholders, staff and other service users
• Co-producing and co-designing policy and procedures

The benefits for being on the Shadow Board

• Professional training and support to develop work-related skills and increase confidence

To date, the Shadow Board have consulted and worked on:

• Our Gwent BOOST project’s design of questionnaires, interview panels and subgroups for people with lived experience
• The Welsh Government Finance Committee regarding their draft of the budget for the 24/25 financial year
• The Participation and Progression team regarding an employability project – Steps To Progress
• The Wallich senior team regarding embedding sustainability and green issues

Engaged in: 

• Workshops with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion network and influenced the network the name of EDI panel
• Workshops with The Wallich’s People and Talent team regarding staff role names
• Workshops with The Wallich CEO, Lindsay Cordery-Bruce about governance at The Wallich
• Films with Welsh Parliament to share their views

Attended:

• A public involvement event with Cardiff University regarding the NHS Preventing Violence Team to consult regarding the planning of this new department
• A get together with the Board of Trustees and co-produced a Manifesto
• The Senedd and took part in a tour and viewed the debate about the budget following their consultation

Coproduced:

• A Shadow Board recruitment plan of how to reach service users
• A training plan for the Shadow Board to strengthen the Board and support the progression of members
• Terms of reference called the Shadow Board’s Purple Print
• SMART learning plan with the new north Wales Peer Mentoring service
• Shadow Board Safeguarding group

Shadow Board and Trustee Manifesto

Different knowledge coming together to end homelessness

This Manifesto is an agreement between The Wallich’s Shadow Board and the Board of Trustees.

It outlines how they aim to work together, using different knowledge to end homelessness and support people who are homeless.

The Manifesto was created through conversations with the two Boards as a part of a learning experience in June 2023.

It sets out their aims of how to work together and what they want to achieve to ensure that the Boards are united, stay on track and make change.

Together – it is not what one can do for the other, it’s what we can do with each other – to better the experience for all.

As two Boards joining forces, we pledge to be

We are courageous

• Offer and welcome challenge
• Create magic
• Inspire change

We are determined

• To be inclusive
• To listen and hear everyone’s voices
• To hold each other accountable in our vision

We are authentic

• Mean what you say, say what you mean
• We will be open with each other
• We will respect each other’s strengths and experiences

We are compassionate

• We will celebrate successes together
• Be kind and don’t be a a**hole
• We will support people to contribute how they want to

We are community

• We are fearlessly united to empower our community
• As a community we grow together by learning from each other’s life experiences
• Protecting our community with patience and understanding

“The Shadow Board for me is about commitment, understanding, communication, belonging.

It provides an opportunity for me to make a difference that is helping others.”

– Dean, Shadow Board member

 

“The Shadow Board is about making sure we make decisions and plans together. There is no ‘them and us’, we’re all fighting together to end homelessness.”

– Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, The Wallich CEO

Aled’s experience on the Shadow Board

“I started with the Shadow Board roughly four months back. From the get-go I was made to feel welcomed, and everyone was so friendly.

In my short time with the Board, I have already had a number of experiences.

I went into it expecting it to be a one-way street. I’ll be there to give my views and opinions and that’ll be that, but it isn’t that at all.

It’s developed into a little community all respecting each other and all having an impact.

The best quote I can think of that suits the Shadow Board is that:

It’s not what one can do for the other it’s what we can do for each other to better the experience for all.

I hope that makes sense, we are all working to better The Wallich, the service staff provide and the lives of the service users, by using our real-life experience.

I believe that’s the most valuable thing going currently as the Board is made up of individuals from all sorts of backgrounds.

The Wallich is fighting to end homelessness, so why not have individuals with lived experience of homelessness to help with their input.

This is the best thing about The Wallich Shadow Board.

It’s got individuals with different experiences together to help influence decision making. It’s amazing and a concept that I believe should be adopted by so many others.”

Can you offer specialist training, experiences, or opportunities for our Service User Shadow Board?

Get in touch with our Co-Production and Lived Experience Coordinator.