Authentic Service U ser (and Carer) involvement in social work education , training, research and practice: Setting an

1. Authentic Service User (and Carer) involvement in social work education , training, research and practice: Setting an Agenda Professor Allister Butler North West University ASASWEI (Cape Town) 26-28 September 2010

2. Overview • Anecdotal Evidence from UK • SUCI – Practice Settings • SUCI – Mental Health Services • SUCI – Research Praxis • SUCI – HEI’s/education and training • SUCI – The way forward for South Africa

3. CONTEXT • Last decade (in UK) SUCI became critical component of social work education and training, research and evidence based practice, practice context, and programme evaluation • Integral part of the GSCC 6 roles of Social Work Practice – similar to 27 Exit Outcomes established by SACSSP • Linked to research funding streams, practice outcomes, programme funding, practice education, HEI training • Pathway from tokenistic involvement to active SUC participation and decision making • South African social work – learn from these transition pathways and examples of good practice

4. SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT • In SA – pockets of good practice re: SUCI • We need to look at rolling it out nationally, develop a streamlined strategy for SUCI, and evaluating its impact on service delivery • Practical Considerations: • Training (for SUCI, educators and practitioners) • Funding streams – SUCI costs money • Insight re: tokenistic response • Power sharing • Ensure it is developed and rolled out nationally in ALL areas of social work – practice, policy making, legislation, curricula, research, and education and training

5. PRACTICE CONTEXT • In UK 2 of 6 identified key social work roles (GSCC) talk directly to SUCI: • Key role 1: Enable individuals, carers, families, groups and communities to identify, clarify, and express their strengths, expectations and limitations – and to make informed decisions about their needs and circumstances • Key role 3: Advocate with, and behalf of individuals, carers, families, groups and communities – and help them to select the best form of representation for decision making forums and be involved in the outcomes from these decision making forums • This mapping exercise is critical- should be a first step in mapping the SACSSP exit outcomes (which ones speak directly to SUCI) – Social Inclusion?

6. PRACTICE: Strengths and Challenges • Enables planning, development and provision of services to make them more effective and responsive to diverse needs • It should be an essential part of legislation and policy making • Theoretical move from paternalism to partnership • Need clarity about aims and scope of SUC participation (Carr, 2004) • Make resources available and consult on the process • Be aware of power dynamics and clarity of extent and potential of decision making power

7. SUCI and Mental Health Services • How do we define service users: • Consumers • Survivors • Providers • All imply different roles and responsibilities of people and relationship between them and mental health services • Conceptualisation of users and providers is reflected in the development of user-led services found in statutory and voluntary sectors across the USA and UK • Why SUC involvement and participation? • Experts about their own lives and their illness • Have different but equally important perspectives about their illness and care needs • May increase existing yet limited knowledge and understanding of mental illness

8. SUCI and Mental Health Services (Barriers) • Despite benefits to SU involvement in MH services it still remains patchy, with an emphasis on consultation rather than influence • Barriers: • Lack of information sharing • Financial and time restraints • Concerns over representation • Resistance to the ideas of users as experts

9. SUCI and Mental Health Services (Examples of Good Practice) • SUC involved in prioritising and conducting research • Involvement in staff selection • Employment and paid mental health workers • Involved in planning and redesigning services • Involved in education and training • Meaningful user involvement cannot be a once – off intervention. It must be a part of the fabric of MH services that effects every aspect of MH service provision (Tait and Lester, 2005)

10. SUCI and Research Praxis • How can people using social care/welfare services become more involved in research? • Need to create a shift in where the control lies • Enables people to have greater equality in the research process • Potential for transfer of knowledge and empowerment is significant • Research is likely to be more meaningful and relevant to service users • Important to assess how this fits in with wider picture of SUCI • New Social Work degree • Clear government directives re: user involvement

11. SUCI and Research Praxis • Practically how can SUC become more involved in research activities: • Commissioned research • Design • Data collection and analysis • Report writing • Dissemination • Karen Poole: The Social Care Perspective and Involvement (UEA, Norwich, UK)

12. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • My own observations in HEI’s: powerful, volatile, impactful, emotional, unpredictable, worthwhile, complex, hard work and time consuming, extraordinary story telling, a very real experience (Butler, 2010) • 2 anecdotal examples: • Young Carers (partnership between CYCP and University of Plymouth, UK) • SUC planning group (Canterbury Christ Church University, UK)

13. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • Involvement of SUC in HEI’s: • Student Selection • Design of degrees/curricula • Teaching and Learning provision • Preparation for Practice learning • Provision of placements (share the workload and headaches) • Learning agreements • Student Assessment (Oral/Viva) • Quality Assurance

14. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • Goals and Outcomes: • Type of knowledge that SUC can impart is identified as a strong lever to improving social services • Goal should be that newly qualified social workers have a thorough understanding of standards of practice, processes and outcomes that SUC desire and need • Thus, from the start of their professional career they will treat SUC as active participants in service delivery rather than as passive participants • Note: This links to my suggestion for a 10 day “Fitness for practice placement in Year 1”

15. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • Getting started: Preparing for SUC participation • Everyone signs up to values and principles of SUCI – as early as possible • Comprehensive strategy from the start – then easier to include those new roles for SUC where progress may be slower or more complicated • Involves a lot of people working in new ways • Resources (people, time, money, proper support) • A budget to pay for SUC time is critical • Actively promoting and sustaining SUC participation is a long term investment

16. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • Barriers to SUCI in HEI’s: • Academics do not attach high enough value to SUC knowledge • Culture in HEI’s need to change • Access requirements are not fully met • Service user organisations lack capacity and infrastructure • Training for SUC and their organisations is lacking • Payment policies and practice need addressing

17. SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s • Ideas for SUCI improvement in HEI’s: • Address issues of equality (in our curricula) • Address issues of access • Develop stronger links with local practice communities • Employ more SUC as staff • Enrol more SUC students • Train staff and SUC • SCIE Guide 4: Involving service users and carers in Social Work Education (March 2004).

18. Where can we start: The way forward • SACSSP and ASASWEI set up a planning group re: SUCI. Critical that this group includes academics, practitioners and government officers • Conduct nationwide research: What is the state of play re: SUCI in South Africa • Identify 3 – 5 practice/academic sites • Link with National/Provincial Dpt’s of Social Development re: developing a strategic plan at all levels of SUCI (education, research, practice, policy etc) • Identify funding sources • HEI’s work in partnership with practice communities re: develop and implement small scale SUCI activities • Ambitious agenda – but let us start somewhere