Joy Fillingham & Hiran Patel Institute of Applied Social Studies University of Birmingham

Not Desperate, but Disparate – developing New Partnerships with Service Users and Carers in Social Work Education and making Involvement Sustainable. Joy Fillingham & Hiran Patel Institute of Applied Social Studies University of Birmingham

Aim To explore some of the practical implications of developing a cohesive strategy for Service User and Carer Involvement.

Contents • History • Initial Processes • Cohesive Strategy – Transparency and Parity • Database • Current Involvement • Keeping Informed • Challenges • Future Plans

History of Involvement within Social Work Programmes • Long term Involvement – (since 1990) • Tended to be ad hoc • When new degree 2004 there was DH requirement for involvement in ALL aspects • Since new degree small group grew organically from people through snowball effect. • One proactive move to main Service User and Carer reference group in Birmingham City Council in 2005. • All above characterised by lots of enthusiasm, good will and attempts to be ‘fair’ but no standard procedures of way of capturing information on interests, skills, etc • Commitment from Dept so used teaching money to fund my post.

Initial Process • Pulling together the strands, identifying what was there • Listening before acting • Liaising with staff, service users, carers and students • Recognising existing strengths and omissions

Cohesive strategy – Transparency and Parity • Consistency amount of payment • Information of what’s available, options • Training • When selecting, clear reasoning behind it • Practical considerations • E.g. additional costs for some users, • Early mornings for some service users and carer

Database • With permission • Self-definition describes in own words • Open questions • Interests • Training undertaken • Length and areas of involvement • Future wishes for involvement • Can cost modules or people (useful for funding bids)

Numbers 38 active another 18 Informed Teaching • Small group • Large group teaching • alone • as a team • alongside academics • with practitioners • Question time panels • Case studies • Show and tell • Admissions • Fitness to Practice • Portfolio Assessment • Group Presentation Evaluations • Change of Programmes Review Process Current Involvement

Keeping informed • Reviews • Newsletters • Emails • Phone calls • Programme change • Variety of formats

Challenges • Benefit system - smaller groups other options may be possible • Vision for broadest range of inclusion - capturing range of experiences • Skills for who / professional-isation? • Expectations • Open to all? • Appropriate Support around health issues

Future Plans • Digital stories • Consultancy • Webct – link to external resources and Access • Targeted PQ Involvement • Identity & voice • Handbook • Addressing Tokenism • Accreditation / Recognition • Mapping forward wider involvement • Ensuring adequate support mechanisms for widening involvement for people with specific needs • Networking involvement throughout the University

Hiran Patel, working with Joy Fillingham Service User and Carer Co-ordinator Social Work Programmes Institute of Applied Social Studies University of Birmingham j.fillingham@bham.ac.uk

Joy Fillingham & Hiran Patel Institute of Applied Social Studies University of Birmingham