Officers and elected officials understand their roles and have a support network in being party to difficult decisions, this doesn’t currently exist in the same way for lived experience representatives. It may also be more difficult to establish where conflicts of interest exist as representatives for the Third Sector, Unpaid Carers and Service Users have more complex conflicts and personal experience, including where they may be directly involved with, or receive, services - creating complex conflict-of-interest scenarios if they were voting on decisions that affect those services. • Extending voting rights at this time may lead to difficulties for IJBs to set balanced budgets when financial responsibilities remain with the Council and Health Board, and in effect may leave the IJB unable to meet its own statutory duties. • Recruiting and retaining lived experience members is difficult, members are asked to volunteer on their own time and afforded an opportunity to offer their advice and experience to shape how services are delivered.