Staff Lived Experience – Ben Harman

My name is Ben Harman, and I work as a Dynamic Support Advocate within the Dynamic Support Service Commission at KCC. Our team provides both practical and emotional support to young people under 26 who have complex autism or learning disabilities and are experiencing crisis, often at risk of Tier 4 hospital admission. My role focuses on offering intensive community-based support to help prevent unnecessary hospital stays and ensure young people can remain in their own environments wherever possible.

I bring lived experience in mental health, neurodiversity (including ADHD and autism), suicide, addiction, impulsive behaviours, and caring responsibilities. This background deeply informs my work with Involve. It gives me a grounded understanding of what many of the young people I support are facing, how they think, and why they may struggle within systems that often fail to meet their needs. It helps me build trust quickly, communicate in ways that resonate with them, and advocate effectively within professional networks.

My lived experience also shapes how I connect with service users. They recognise that I understand their world, and that shared experience creates an immediate sense of safety and rapport. It allows us to communicate using references and ways of thinking that others might not naturally understand. It’s also what motivated me to apply for this role, not only because lived experience was valued, but because I want to leave the world better than I found it. If I can use what I’ve been through to make someone else’s journey easier, then that’s exactly what I want to do.