The College of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (CLERO) has emerged in the course of the last year as a powerful force for building an evidence base for recovery community organisation and for generating a positive radius of trust and hope. This will grow into a set of quality standards and a network of recovery organisations committed to evidencing what they do and championing innovation that is embedded in a set of clearly articulated values including transparency, openness and trust.

The CLERO has been boosted by support and engagement from Dame Carol Black who is looking to the group for guidance around the role of recovery and organisations and by a small grant from the Big Lottery to develop our work. One of the key aspects of this is the support and training of a group of lived experience peers in the principles of research. This is not an abstracted academic course but training and development geared towards the first engagement phase of work done with LEROs across the UK.

We are delighted to become a part of this exciting and challenging project to connect, support and encourage the development of Lived Experience Recovery Organisations around the UK as a Member. Want to be a part of CLERO too? Become a member here

What are the Underlying Principles of a LERO?

Principle 1: Informed by a primary relationship with their community and who act in response to the needs and aspirations of their community, recognising and employing the assets and competencies that already exist

Principle 2: Everything done in and by a LERO is driven through co-production

Principle 3: All activities will be informed by a rights-based approach, including the right to health

The History of CLERO

Starting in May 2020, a group of 10 champions of recovery from different corners of the recovery ecosystem began to meet on a weekly basis to share their thoughts and support each other and an agenda quickly developed consisting of five objectives:

1. To expand the scope beyond a narrow definition of recovery to include all of those damaged by exclusion and marginalisation – and so the term LERO (Lived Experience Recovery Organisation) was born
2. To provide a platform for sharing and disseminating the Innovations that are central to recovery oriented organisations
3. To agree on a core set of Values for Lived Experience Recovery Organisations
4. To create an Evidence-Base for recovery organisations to provide credibility and professionalism
5. To develop a set of Standards for LEROs as a framework for growth and development rather than a cage

It is no coincidence that these five objectives connect to form another acronym, LIVES. The aim of all LEROs is to support individuals, families, and communities to lead positive and meaningful lives that contribute to the wellbeing of their communities.

The Clero Mission

The aim is to develop a Recovery Strategy that is signed up to by crucial leadership figures and organisations for (addiction) recovery in the UK. The focus will be on Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (LEROs), that has the idea of active citizenship at its core. We want to build coherence, trust, credibility and consensus for recovery groups and communities based on a model that promotes an evidence-based approach predicated on Lived Experience.

What are the Four Objectives of Clero?

1: To identify and champion innovation in LEROs and provide a supporting evidence base

2: To provide connections and support for recovery leadership

3: To champion good practice in LEROs and to develop standards

4: To act as a voice for LEROs and a hub of evidence and knowledge

The CLERO Members

CLERO is aiming to create a local, regional and national voice that can support quality standards, evidence good care in formal treatment settings and contribute to policies and decisions relating to service provision. We want to help the development and sustainability of other Lived Experience Recovery Organisations.

These are the current tiers of membership:

• CLERO connectors are (the group that will provide strategic oversight and make the connections that will enable voices to be heard on all levels)
• CLERO members are (the core group that will be the voice of the LEROs across the UK and help shape our strategic direction)
• CLERO supporters / friends are (supporters and champions of LEROs, that will help build bridges and relationships to enable change)