1 / 19

Service User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education: Learning from experience Dr Eleni Skoura-Kirk, Lecturer in

Service User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education: Learning from experience Dr Eleni Skoura-Kirk, Lecturer in Social Work CCCU Presentation at the Working in Partnership Conference, 10—12 March 2008 . Introduction.

mimi
Download Presentation

Service User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education: Learning from experience Dr Eleni Skoura-Kirk, Lecturer in

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Service User and Carer Involvement in Social Work Education: Learning from experience Dr Eleni Skoura-Kirk, Lecturer in Social Work CCCU Presentation at the Working in Partnership Conference, 10—12 March 2008

  2. Introduction • Present experience of service user and carer involvement as part of social work education at CCCU • Project funded by GSCC and Skills for Care, started April 2007

  3. Whole systems approach towards participation • Successful participation reaches beyond specific events to include a whole overarching approach (Kirby et al, 2003; Wright et al, 2006) actions values structures

  4. Levels of participation (adapted by Arnstein, 1969)

  5. Project aims: • To promote the inclusion of service user and carer perspectives within the social work educational programme offered at the University • to facilitate networking and collaborative opportunities for service user and carer groups across Kent and Medway.

  6. Plan implementation • Mapping exercise • Steering group • Service user groups • Training and support • Networking opportunities

  7. A) Mapping exercise of existing involvement work across Kent and Medway • Took place June-September 2007 • Based on questionnaire designed by existing Experts by Experience group, as part of their research training • Sent to social care organsiations

  8. Mapping exercise findings • Service user and carer involvement a common aim • Existing innovative work across agencies • Lack of networking opportunities • Lack of feedback at a regional and national level

  9. B) Steering group • Through event members of the steering group were recruited. • Steering group mainly made up of service users and carers. • Meeting monthly, consistent membership at the moment

  10. C) Service user groups • Three main groups originally identified, based on existing or new links: • Experts by Experience group (mental health) • Young people (leaving care, homelessness) • People with learning difficulties, challenging behaviour

  11. Service user groups cont. • Further expansion planned to include older people, people with physical disabilities, carers, amongst others. • Recruitment efforts to include existing service users and carers (workshop format, contact with agencies, mentoring role)

  12. D) Training and support • Recognised need and good practice to avoid 'tick-box' involvement (Turner, 2008; Levin, 2004; (Branfield et al, 2007) • Training programme planned (Jan- June 2008) • Topics include information on higher education, teaching and learning, personal skills.

  13. Training and support cont. • Service users to be used as trainers. • Service user registered as part-time students with CCCU

  14. E) Networking opportunities • Website • Database • Plans for a regional newsletter • Plans for a regional charter • Long-term aim to promote feedback at a national level (SCIE recommendation)

  15. Learning from experience: Good practice • Recognise existing expertise • Aim at involvement on all levels • Transparency of structures and roles important • Use of group meetings beneficial • Access to resources • Offer training and support

  16. Challenges: • Payment and the benefits system • Risk of 'burn-out' for those involved • Ensuring representativeness in terms of groups • Ensuring representativeness in terms of perspectives • Resource implications

  17. References • Arnstein, S. R. (1969) A Ladder of Citizen Participation, Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 216-224) • Branfield F. and Beresford, P. with Eamon J. Andrews, Patricia Chambers, Patsy Staddon, Grace Wise and Bob Williams-Findlay, (2006) Making service user involvement work: Supporting service user networking and knowledge, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

  18. References (2) • Branfield, F. Beresford, M. and Levin, E (2007) Position paper 7: Common aims: a strategy to support service user involvement in social work education , SCIE/Shaping Our Lives National Network • Department of Health, (2002), Requirements for Social Work Education, • Kirby, P., Lanyon, C., Cronin, K. and Sinclair, R. (2003) Building a culture of participation, London: Department for Education and Skills.

  19. References (3) • Levin, E. (2004) Involving Service Users and Carers in Social Work Education, London: SCIE • Turner, M. Shaping Our Lives National User Network, http://www.swap.ac.uk/learning/usersw2.asp), accessed 5/3/2008 • Wright at al, (2006) Practice guide 6: Involving children and young people in developing social care, SCIE

More Related