Community Profiling: Teaching Old Skills to New Students

1. Community Profiling: Teaching Old Skills to New Students Dr. Mark Baldwin & Dr. Barbra Teater University of Bath

2. Aims of this presentation Provide some context � the teaching of community profiling on the Bath programmes Research objectives/questions Methodology Approach Analysis Learning Conclusions

3. The context Social Work and Applied Social Studies degree programme through University of Bath on 2 sites � Bath and Swindon Run a degree at Bath since 1970s � DipSW previously embedded Long-standing commitment to teaching community needs assessment at Bath Unit entitled � �Community profiling: community needs assessment, groups and teamwork in practice�

4. Community profiling: community needs assessment, groups and teamwork in practice Taught in first year � students work in small teams (4/5) on projects from local organisations 30 days of practice learning Groups supervised by academic staff with link person in organisation Formative assessment at the end of semester 1 � presentation and feedback Group report at end of semester 2 plus individual assignment � linking to PUs & VRs

5. Community profiling: community needs assessment, groups and teamwork in practice Community Profiling is learnt through teaching in 1st 3 weeks of each semester Followed by a period of collaborative experiential learning Semester 1 teaching: Definitions of community, profiling (Hawtin et al 1994), needs (Doyal and Gough 1991) etc Linking to �good� social work practice � needs-led approach, AD and ARP, user involvement, hearing �voice� Evaluation/planning services, familiarity with community, identifying formal/informal resources

6. Community profiling: community needs assessment, groups and teamwork in practice Teaching practical skills Seeking information Research methods/methodology Types of/skills in questioning Data analysis Data presentation Social constructivism as a theoretical foundation Links to sociological imagination Links to theory of need and autonomy Links to the practice of participation Links to the values and political nature of social work

7. Community profiling: community needs assessment, groups and teamwork in practice Semester 2 teaching: Focus on groups and teamwork Group theory and process Relating this to their projects � use of focus groups, evaluating own research team Consideration of group theory in relation to social work � e.g. power, participation, negotiation, facilitation etc Looking at the importance and implications of user involvement in group/team process Focus on teams and teamwork � purpose, leadership, maintenance etc. Looking at inter-professional teamwork as preparation for future practice

8. Research Objectives Describe the purpose of community profiling projects Explore the process of learning for social work students engaged in a community profiling project Examine the outcomes of community profiling projects (i.e. final product; perceived by community; implementation of project recommendations)

9. Research Questions What is the relevance of a community profiling project on practice learning for first year social work students? How are community profiling projects perceived by the hosting organizations?

10. Methodology 1.Relevance of community profiling on practice learning: A series of three focus groups with students Held separately for Bath and Swindon students 2. Perception of community profiling projects by hosting organizations: Formal interview with one community profiling supervisor and ongoing informal communication with others.

11. Methodology Social Constructivism Framework: Acknowledge before the interviews that each individual will describe their experience through their own reality and use the language that is common to them to describe these experiences.

12. Methodology Solicitation Process: Voluntary Consent Form Sample: Swindon � Focus Group 1 � 10; Focus Group 2 � 8; Focus Group 3 � 9 Bath � Focus Group 1 � 8; Focus Group 2 � 8; Focus Group 3 - 5 Instrumentation: Semi-Structured Interview Schedule consisting of six questions

13. Semi-Structured Interview Schedule What is a community profile? What is the importance of a community profile? What relevance (or non-relevance) does a community profile have for social work? How does a community profiling project relate to social work Pus and VRs as well as GSCC codes of practice?

14. Semi-Structured Interview Schedule 5. How do you think a community profile will contribute (or not contribute) to your social work education? 6a. What are your expectations of the community profiling project? (first and second groups) 6b. Were your expectations met? (third focus group)

15. Methodology Each focus group, and individual interview, lasted between 40-60 minutes. All focus groups, and individual interview with CP supervisor, were audio taped. Each were transcribed for analysis.

16. Data Analysis Relevance on practice learning Constructivist Grounded Theory was used to guide the analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1997; Charmaz, 2005; 2000) Open coding - Constant comparative method Axial coding (causal conditions; phenomenon; strategies; context; intervening conditions; action/interaction; consequences) Selective coding

17. Data Analysis Relevance on practice learning Analysis yielded 5 emergent themes: Importance of service user involvement in defining �needs� Ability to challenge one�s assumptions Enhancement of research skills Ability to enhance groupwork/teamwork skills Ability to apply lecture material to the �real� world

18. Definition of Community Profiling(First Focus Group) �Trying to build a picture of the community itself and to see what it needs and what it is lacking at the moment, how it is working and how it�s not working.� �It could be a way of certain groups giving their opinion, being listened to, it might not necessarily mean that anything can be done about it, but it is a way for them to give an opinion.�

19. Definition of Community Profiling(Third Focus Group) �Well one thing that stuck out to me more than last time [�] is that it�s not just an analysis of need but also an analysis of resources as well. So-things that already exist in the community that we are profiling to see if not only that they exist in the first place but are they adequate for who actually needs them.�

20. Importance of Service User Involvement in defining �needs� �it gives people within the community�not somebody else saying this is what�s happening within the community�it�s their community.� �we are promoting the views of the service users and the carers.� ��the active participation of the community was important so that they can tell you what that need is and it�s not just you imposing that need � what you think is the need. They can tell you what the need is.�

21. Ability to Challenge One�s Assumptions ��important to hear from the individuals or community instead of just placing your own ideas on to that�� ��it has also given us a chance to question our own stereotypes and our prejudices�� �don�t take things as face value� ��to think more than assume.� �rather than people telling you what�s happening out there, you can see if for yourself.�

22. Enhancement of Research Skills ��but essentially what we are looking at here is the practical application of methodologies and of social studies so this is a research project, so this is practical experience of a research project.� �It puts theory into practice as well � like quantitative and qualitative [�] we have to write about it in Core Skills, but when you are stuck with a huge spreadsheet with information�you actually know the implications of transcribing interviews��

23. Ability to enhance groupwork and teamwork skills �You get more ideas from the group than you would by working on your own.� �I would have never selected the children�s group if I had to work on my own.� ��working with people in a group and they give you support and confidence and help you when you feel like you don�t know what you are doing.� ��we help each other and talk to each other, and work through it with each other.�

24. Ability to apply lecture material to the �real� world ��you can apply [sociological theories] to the CP because you are actually going out there and seeing it with your own eyes [�] it�s not something that someone just says is happening, you�re seeing it happening�you know it�s happening.� ��it can actually be so different learning about things academically and then putting it into practice�I think it gives you a bigger insight into how to deal with day to day problems which academically may seem pretty easy.�

25. Additional Comments From Students �CP is the way that social work SHOULD be practised � you know, working with service users rather than for them all the time, so it�s kind of showing a new way to social work practice really � the way it should be.� �When we were told we were going to do a CP, we couldn�t really realise what that was � I was not sure at first and it is only now we have come to the end that I realise what a difference it can make.�

26. Outcomes of Community Profiling Projects Usefulness to Agencies Examples of Community Profiling Projects Integration of Community profiling project recommendations into the agency.

27. Conclusion Students learning about: Community Action Involvement of service users Usefulness of Research Empowerment � both to themselves and to service users/communities

28. Questions???

29. References Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded theory: Objectivist and constructivist methods. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed) (pp. 509-535). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Charmaz, K. (2005). Grounded theory in the 21st century: Applications for advancing social justice studies. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.) (pp. 507-535). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Doyal, L., & Gough, I. (1991). A theory of human need. Basingsoke: MacMillan. Hawtin et al. (1994). Community profiling: Auditing social needs. Buckingham: Open University Press.

30. References Strauss, A.L., & Corbin, J. (1997). Grounded theory in practice. London: Sage Publications. Strauss, A.L., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research, grounded theory and techniques. London: Sage.