The literature in this section provides insight into international pedagogical approaches used to integrate experiential knowledge into social work and nursing education, including assessments. The section covers ways of bringing theory and pedagogy into practice, and how lecturers can be supported in working with experiential knowledge to achieve personalised and inclusive education.
Anka, A., Taylor, I. (2016) ‘Assessment as the Site of Power: A Bourdieusian interrogation of service user and carer involvement in the assessments of social work students’, Social Work Education, 35 (2), 172-185, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2015.1129397
Abstract
The centrality of service user and carer involvement in social work education in England is now well established, both in policy and practice. However, research evidence suggests their involvement in student assessments is underdeveloped and under researched. This study focused on the positioning of service users and carers in relation to other stakeholders involved in the assessments of social work students in England. Using narrative research methodology, twenty-one participants, including service users, carers, social work students, social work employers and social work educators, were offered a semi-structured individual interview. Participants’ narratives revealed different power relations among those involved in social work students’ assessments and a lack of confidence among service users and carers in making failed assessment recommendations. The paper concludes by arguing the case for social work educators and service user organisations to provide joint training to support service users and carers in their role as assessors of social work students.
Askheim, O.P., Beresford, P., Heule, C. (2017) ‘Mend the gap- strategies for user involvement in social work education’, Social Work Education, 36 (2), 128-140, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2016.1248930
Abstract
A major strand in social work’s history has been its paternalistic character, partly due to a philanthropic tradition, but also to the tendency to import an individualist expert model into social work practice. As a result, gaps have arisen between expert and experiential knowledge. In this article, so called ‘gap mending strategies’ developed by the international network PowerUs are discussed. PowerUs consists of teachers and researchers from schools of social work and representatives from service user organizations in nine European countries. The gaps as the network identifies them are presented and we share some processes within our practices that mend or maintain gaps between service users and professionals. Two main strategies will be explored in more detail—a strategy that has been developed in the UK of mainstreaming service user participation in all stages of social work education, and a strategy that has been developed in Scandinavia of developing joint courses for social work students and students from service user organizations. A main conclusion is that alliances between educational institutions and service user organizations will be important to get a fuller understanding of what gaps we are facing and how they best could be mended.
Cabiati, E. and Levy, S. (2021) ‘Inspiring Conversations’: A Comparative Analysis of the Involvement of Experts by Experience in Italian and Scottish Social Work Education, The British Journal of Social Work, 51, 2, 487–504, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa163.
Abstract
The involvement of service users and carers, Experts by Experience (EBE), in social work education at the Catholic University of Milan, Italy, and the University of Dundee, Scotland, is rooted and connected epistemologically and pedagogically. Differences emerge in how these roots are manifest in the models of EBE involvement adopted in the two universities. This article explores these similarities and differences through discussion of the different models of EBE involvement in use at the two European universities, and thus provides a comparative European insight into approaches, experiences and impact of EBE involvement in social work education. The authors contextualise the pedagogy and core values underpinning EBE involvement and introduce the concept of ‘inspiring conversations’. The comparative analysis is centred on five areas of EBE involvement in social work education: context and types of involvement; recruitment of EBE; roles and responsibilities of EBE; resource implications; and impact and outcomes of involvement. The article calls for a focus on ‘Coherence’, ‘Prudence’ and ‘Sustainability’ as a foundation for other universities to enhance their social work programmes through cultivating EBE involvement to co-create knowledge to inform future innovative practice.
Driessens, K., McLaughlin, H., van Doorn, L. (2016) ‘The Meaningful Involvement of Service Users in Social Work Education: examples from Belgium and the Netherlands’, Social Work Education, 35 (7), 739-751, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2016.1162289
Abstract
This article links the development of service user involvement championed in the United Kingdom to two examples in Dutch-speaking qualifying social work programmes: one from Belgium and one from the Netherlands. In both projects, a longer lasting cooperation with more marginalised service users was established. The Belgium project highlights social work lecturers and service users living in poverty, working in tandem to deliver a module to social work and socio-educational care work students. The example from the Netherlands involves young people from a homeless shelter as peer-researchers, working together with social work students. Both projects, one focusing on social work education and on social work research, highlight striking similarities in the positives and challenges of working with service users including how this challenges both groups preconceptions of the other, deepens learning but also creates greater potential for confrontations which need to be managed creatively. The article also identifies the pre-requisites for this to be effective including appropriate resourcing, training, facilitative skills and acknowledges that collaborations can be extremely fragile. However, such projects need further investment, experimentation and implementation on an international scale to share learning and promote creative approaches for the development and learning of social work students.
Haycock-Stuart, E., Donaghy, E., Darbyshire, C. (2016) ‘Involving users and carers in the assessment of preregistration nursing students’ clinical nursing practice: a strategy for patient empowerment and quality improvement?’ Journal of Clinical Nursing, 25 (13-14), 2052-2065, https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13279
Abstract
Aims and objectives: To examine (1) nursing lecturers’ and (2) preregistration nursing students’ perspectives of user and carer involvement in the formal assessment of preregistration nursing students’ clinical practice. Background: The involvement of service users and carers in the assessment of clinical practice in nursing education is a recent phenomenon. The Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards in the UK clearly reflect a shift in thinking from paternalistic approaches to person-centred approaches. This shift in thinking includes service user and carer involvement in student nursing assessment and there is evidence that this is being developed in several countries. Design: Located in the interpretive paradigm, data from a two-staged, multicentre qualitative study are presented. Methods: Interpretive analysis of semi-structured, one to one interviews with nursing lecturers (n = 15) and focus groups with nursing students (n = 51) across 11 Higher Educational Institutions. Results: There is a strong commitment for working alongside service users and carers in the education and training of nursing students; however, involving service users and carers in formal practice assessment is identified as more challenging compared with other areas of service user/carer involvement. Service user/carers should provide feedback/review or comment, but not necessarily formal, summative ‘assessment’. Conclusions: The evidence base for involving users and carers in assessment is limited. Involvement of users and carers in providing feedback to nursing students is welcomed. However, concerns exist about the preparedness of users and carers for formal clinical assessment. Relevance to clinical practice: Discussion and clarification with clinical mentors and user and carer groups is necessary to understand if they agree with the policy direction of user and carer involvement in the assessment of nursing students. Quality assurance concerns are raised by students and lecturers when involving user and carer in assessing nursing students’ clinical skills. Mentors are seen as key to this process, but little is known about their perspectives.
Horgan, A., Manning, F., Donovan, M.O., Doody, R., Savage, E., Bradley, S.K., Dorrity, C., O’Sullivan, H., Goodwin, J., Greaney, S., Biering, P., Bjornsson, E., Bocking, J., Russell, S., MacGabhann, L., Griffin, M., van der Vaart, K.J., Allon, J., Granerud, A., Hals, E., Pulli, J., Vatula, A., Ellilä, H., Lahti, M., Happell, B. (2020) ‘Expert by experience involvement in mental health nursing education: The co-production of standards between Experts by Experience and academics in mental health nursing’, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 27 (5), 553-562, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12605
Abstract
What is known on the subject
- Expert by Experience (EBE) involvement in mental health nursing education has demonstrated benefits, including enhancing understanding of holistic and recovery-focused practice and enhanced application of interpersonal skills.
- Structure and support for EBE involvement is lacking; often resulting in inadequate preparation and debriefing and tokenistic involvement.
- Service user involvement in mental health nursing education should be underpinned by lived experience perspectives.
What the paper adds to existing knowledge
- An exploration of EBE involvement in nursing education from the perspective of those with lived experience.
- The development of standards designed to provide structure to better support future EBEs involved in higher education.
- An exemplar for co-production of standards between EBE and nurse academics which has applicability for other contexts.
What are the implications for practice?
- The standards could potentially strengthen EBE involvement in mental health nursing education, enhance their confidence and increase the retention of EBEs by creating an inclusive working culture.
- By increasing support for EBEs, the benefits to mental health nursing practice are likely to be maximized.
McCutcheon, K., Gormley, K. (2014) ‘Service-user involvement in nurse education: partnership or tokenism?’, British Journal of Nursing, 23 (22), 1196-1199, https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2014.23.22.1196
Abstract
Following on from the Keogh Report, the need for a framework of service-user involvement exists not just in the health service, but also in higher education. There are wide variances globally in the levels of service-user interaction and involvement in healthcare education. Health policy internationally has indicated a move towards developing partnerships with service users, but to date this remains elusive, with the majority of user involvement consultative in approach. This article aims to discuss the health policy background and the current approaches taken in the involvement of service users in healthcare education.
Robinson, K., Webber, M. (2013) ‘Models and effectiveness of service user and carer involvement in social work education: a literature review’, British Journal of Social Work, 43 (5), 925-944, https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcs025
Abstract
Service users and carers are required to be involved in all qualifying and post-qualifying social work programmes (PQ) in the UK. However, there is a wide spectrum of opinion amongst stakeholders about what constitutes meaningful involvement in advanced-level PQ programmes (Webber and Robinson, 2011). We reviewed the literature on service user and carer involvement in social work education to identify models and methods that have been used, and the evidence for their effectiveness. Through mapping twenty-nine studies included in the review against a modified version of Kirkpatrick’s (1967) framework for the evaluation of training, we found widespread support amongst service users, carers, students and lecturers for involvement initiatives but little empirical evidence that it improves outcomes for students. Also, no studies evaluated its effect on social work practice or on outcomes for future service users and carers. It is vital that involvement, and indeed every other aspect of training, is evidence-based, particularly in the context of the current reform of UK social work training. Research is urgently required on the effect of service user and carer involvement on outcomes for social workers and the service users and carers they work with.
Skoura-Kirk, E., Backhouse, B., Bennison, G., Cecil, B., Keeler, J., Talbot, D., Watch, L. (2013) ‘Mark my Words! Service user and carer involvement in social work academic assessment’, Social Work Education, 32 (5), 560-575, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2012.690388
Abstract
This paper discusses the involvement of service users in academic assessment as part of a second year module for social work undergraduate students at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK. The three main tasks undertaken in partnership are detailed: designing an assessment form, assessment of student group presentations and assessment of a written reflective essay. The paper starts by identifying key questions raised by the assessor team before providing a critical commentary on the process, and identifying challenges and learning points. The experience emphasises the need for a more critical and searching approach towards service user involvement in social work education in academic assessment. Moreover, the team’s experience suggests that such work is best achieved in the context of collaborative working relationships based on trust, with opportunities for team reflection and supported by training in academic assessment.
Weerman, A., Abma, T. (2019): Social work students learning to use their experiential knowledge of recovery. An existential and emancipatory perspective. Social Work Education 38 (4), 453-469, https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2018.1538335
Abstract
Aims: To understand the features of experiential knowledge with recovery and the process of social work students learning to use their experiential knowledge of recovery from an existential and emancipatory perspective. Methods: A participatory action research design was used in an applied university social work department in the Netherlands to develop a new curriculum for students using their experiential knowledge. Students were invited to disclose and share their personal experiences of recovery in the classroom and practice. Results: Experiential knowledge of recovery can be articulated as knowledge of finding a new balance in dualities of several existential themes. Social work students shared their experiences in a reflexive way and transcended their individual experiences to develop a critical subjectivity. They experienced their learning process as emancipatory and destigmatizing, but shame came up as a recurring theme. Making use of experiential knowledge sometimes conflicted with expectations of the social worker as a detached professional expert. Conclusion: Experiential knowledge of recovery can be articulated as knowledge of living with existential dualities. Profiling oneself as a social worker with existential knowledge of recovery has paradoxical aspects: it may weaken shame and combat stigmatization, but may reinforce stigma as well.