Social Work from the User's Perspective

1. Social Work from the User's Perspective Elective course, ECTS: 3 2nd semester, 1st year kristina.urbanc@pravo.hr

2. Course Description • Interactive classes based on principles of active learning and critical thinking, outreach practice based on the concept of service learning. • Concept of active learning and critical thinking in social work; • Principles, prerequisites and ethics of user involvement in social work practice; research and education; • Examples of good practice of users involvement into the theory and practice of social work; • Field visits to associations institutions ; • Writing reports in small groups, presenting reports from field visits; Conclusion and evaluation.

3. Plan of the course 1.3. 2018. • Introduction, course description, expectations and tasks. 10.3.2018. • Principles, prerequisites and ethics of user involvement in social work practice research and education. 15. 3.2018. • Watching the film; small groups discussion. 22.3. 2018. • Preparation for field visit and group task. 29.3. 2018. • Examples of good practice of users involvement into the theory and practice of social work; • Field visits to associations institutions; 5.4. 2018. • Writing reports in small groups, presenting reports from field visits; • Presenting reports from field visits; Conclusion and evaluation.

4. After successfully completing the course, students will: • Be able to define and understand principles of user's involvement and historical context and the importance of the user's perspective in social work • Be able to define and recognise ethics of participation in the decision-making process in social work and the level of respecting the user's perspective in examples from practice • Gain insight into the examples of users involvement in social work in other countries and be able to recognise and analyze examples of good practice • Gain insight and be able to recognise and analyze key obstacles to the users involvement in decision-making processes and creation of services in social work • Get direct experience of interviewing users about their expectations from social workesr and be able to analyze these experiences in group discussion • Recognise, analyze and evaluate their own experience and contribution in the process of learning

5. Expectations from students: Final grade is defined as a result of written exam, oral presentation from a field trip (gropup task) and essay (homework). • Group presentation (2 points) • Essay (homework) (2points) • Writen exam (10 points) Talking hours (previous appointment by mail): kristina.urbanc@pravo.hr • Wednesdays 11:00 - 13:00, room 13

6. Literature: • Urbanc: Lectures • Ljetopis socijalnog rada/Social Work Annual, (2009) 16, 2.(thematic issue on users involvement in social work practice) • Urbanc, Kristina; Bratković, Daniela; Lisak, Natalija (2014.) Civil society organisations as a vital support for persons with disability in Croatia. // Socialno delo. 53 (2014) , 3; 85-96 • Sewpaul, V. i Jones, D. (2004) Global standards for social work education and training. Social Work education, 23, 5, 493-513. • Beresford, P., Branfield, F., Taylor, J., Brennan, M. Sartori, A., Lalani and Wise, G. (2006) Working together for Better Social Work Education. Social Work Education, 25, 4, 326-331 • Scourfield, P. (2007)Social Care and the Modern Citizen: Client, Consumer, Service User, Manager and Entrepreneur. The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 37, Issue 1, 1 January 2007, Pages 107–122,https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bch346 • Hodge, S. (2005) Participation, discourse and power: A case study in service user involvement. Critical Social Policy. 25(2): 164-179. doi: 10.1177/0261018305051324 • Sladović Franz, B. & Branica, V. (2013) The relevance and experience of education from the perspective of Croatian youth in-care. European Journal of Social Work, 16, 1, 137 – 152