Kev Francis

Kevin Francis is a member of the Aberystwyth University Lived Experience Advisory Panel and a lived experience professional working at the intersection of health, justice, education, and social care. His perspective is informed by experiences of childhood trauma, neurodiversity (autism and dyslexia, with ADHD assessment pending), and a history of 19 years of substance use, from which he has been in sustained recovery since 2016. Through long-term therapeutic engagement and personal development, Kevin has translated lived experience into applied expertise focused on recovery, resilience, and system improvement.

Kevin works within the health and justice interface, collaborating with services connected to His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the National Health Service (NHS), and organisations across the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to support individuals transitioning from custody into the community. His work focuses on improving continuity of care, strengthening access to health and social support, and supporting sustainable reintegration. His practice and contributions are grounded in trauma-informed approaches, co-production, and addressing the structural health inequalities experienced by justice-involved populations.

Kevin brings a diverse professional and educational background to this work. Prior to entering the health and justice field, he worked within the construction industry. He subsequently rebuilt his career through education and professional development, completing a BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition (2:1) and gaining qualifications in coaching and mentoring, personal training, and sports massage therapy. He is currently completing a Master’s degree in Global Health Management, with interests in health policy, service design, and cross-sector collaboration.

Alongside his practice role, Kevin contributes to research advisory groups, policy discussions, and professional training, bringing experiential knowledge into academic and service development contexts. He regularly undertakes public speaking and teaching contributions within health and justice settings, focusing on trauma-informed practice, recovery, rehabilitation, and the development of pathways into wellbeing, education, training, and employment.

Kevin joined the panel to contribute to research and teaching that meaningfully integrates experiential knowledge, helping to bridge the gap between academic inquiry, policy development, and the realities of navigating complex systems, and to support more equitable and evidence-informed approaches across health, justice, and community services.