scholarly journals A Mentor’s PATH: Evaluating how service users can be involved as mentors for social work students on observational practice placements

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill MacSporran
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Service User ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The University

This paper will explore the experience of service user involvement in social work education, examining the challenges of involving ‘seldom heard’ service user voices. Over a six month period, a group of four people with learning disabilities were supported and enabled to take on an assessment role as Mentors for four first year BA(Hons) Social Work students at the University of the West of Scotland. The article will focus on an evaluation of this pilot project and will outline the partnership work between the university and placement agency in planning, preparing, and supporting the mentors to carry out their role in supporting students on placement and assessing their communication skills, value base and readiness to practise. Central to the planning process was the use of PATH – a person centred planning tool. The evaluation will detail the crucial role played by the support staff in the placement agency, without whom this project would not have been possible.The evaluation was carried out using a mixed methods approach and embraced the principles and values of participatory action research. The evaluation provides insight into the experiences of the mentors, the students and support staff, and demonstrates that with the right support in place, and with commitment to thorough planning and preparation, seldom heard service users can be meaningfully involved in social work education.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Integration of Human Rights into Social Work Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Paulette Andrea Henry
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The University

<p>The understanding of human rights are important to social work education and practice especially since the global definition of social work highlights the dual role of social work as a practice based profession and academic discipline emphasizing the principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity. Concomitantly, social work education must ensure that students know and understand human rights laws especially since human rights are inherent to all human beings and are often expressed and guaranteed by international law which Governments are expected to uphold. Social workers have a commitment as duty bearers in supporting governments in the upholding of those agreements pertinent to the wellbeing of the people. Using the University of Guyana as a frame of reference this paper examined students’ knowledge on international agreements prior to leaving the University since these laws not only speak to nation states but to universal practices and many social work issues transcend borders. This paper utilized a mixed method approach to ascertain students’ awareness of international human rights laws and their perceptions on the applicability to practice. The findings show that there is limited knowledge amongst social work students on human rights covenants and conventions. This assessment is instructive to social work educators locally and internationally pointing to the need for integration into the curricula. It is imperative that generalist practitioners leave the University with a clear understanding of these laws as many practice issues are transnational. There will be the need for international social work to be a taught course for undergraduates training to become generalist practitioners.</p>

scholarly journals Using creativity, co-production and the common third in a communication skills module to identify and mend gaps between the stakeholders of social work education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Reith-Hall
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Social Pedagogy ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

The involvement of stakeholders – academics, service users and carers, students and practitioners – is thought to improve the quality of social work education, although few approaches and strategies for achieving this have been articulated. Even service-user and carer involvement, which is firmly embedded within social work courses in the UK, would benefit from being better theorised and researched. This paper considers how creativity, co-production and the common third helped social work academics from an English university and service users and carers from a local user-led organisation to design, deliver and evaluate a communication skills module for social work students. In spite of some challenges, effective and supportive relationships have developed, with a range of benefits becoming increasingly apparent. However, the strengths of this partnership highlighted gaps in the relationships with other stakeholders. In a conscious effort to overcome paternalistic traditions of transmission-oriented teaching, some gap-mending strategies were developed to involve students in the module’s design, delivery and evaluation. It is proposed that social pedagogy, with its focus on social inclusion and social justice, might help fulfil a current aim of British higher education, to work with students as partners and increase meaningful involvement and collaboration.

scholarly journals Utilising the ‘common third’ to enhance social work education

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth McCreadie
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
The Common ◽  
Work Education

This article considers the utilisation of the common third to prepare social work students for practice by engaging with education in the broadest sense of the term ( Jackson and Cameron, 2011 ). Quality social work practitioners need fully developed reflective capacities to assist with the complex issues faced by individuals who experience marginalisation, discrimination, and inequality. In order to help develop autonomous and critical thinkers, which is of the utmost importance for social work, this article considers the value of the common third as part of the learning process. The common third, using activities to strengthen relationships, enhances social work practice and this article evaluates a three-day residential experience of outdoor pursuits in partnership with students, service users, practice educators, and teaching staff. This experience has been undertaken for several years at the University of West London, funded by the Education Support Grant from the Department of Health. Until now only anecdotal accounts were available; however, in 2018 staff sought written and verbal feedback from participants to assist in the writing of this article. This is based on the 2018 experience of 45 first-year social work students, six academic staff members, three service users, and two social work practice educators. The findings support the positive anecdotal accounts given to date and highlight the benefits of the common third in social work education.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the involvement of service users in post-qualifying social work education: Expected and unexpected results

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 44-56
Author(s):  
Helen M Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service User ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
East Midlands ◽  
Making A Difference ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The Impact

There is a long policy and tradition of service users being involved in the education of social work students and post-qualifying candidates, and they are recognised as educators in their own right, however there appears to have been limited measurement of the impact of service user educator involvement in post-qualifying education on practice, and ultimately on outcomes for end service users. A collaborative partnership between service user educators, practitioners and academics carried out research in this area in four local authorities in the English East Midlands (Equally Experienced Research Group, 2011); whilst it was found that direct service user educator input had a positive impact on candidates’ practice, some unexpected and somewhat surprising responses arose. Interviews with candidates’ line managers identified that there appeared to be significantly less active evaluation of outcomes for service users than we had assumed would be the case.This paper initially sets the context for considering these responses by outlining the research undertaken, and considering how post-qualifying education as a whole might be evaluated as making a difference to practice. The second part of the paper looks at wider issues of evaluating practice and organisational service delivery. Methods used for measuring service user outcomes will be considered, alongside consideration of the active participation of service users in developing individual practice and agency service provision.

scholarly journals Barefoot Tutors? Navigating the Barriers between student, university and field in social work education

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19
Author(s):  
Gary Clapton ◽  
Ruth Forbes
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Student Integration ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
Integration Of Learning ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The University

Bridging the gap between theory and practice has long been a challenge for social work students. Facilitating this process has also taxed practice teachers and academic tutors. In 2004, the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University undertook a pilot project testing and researching a change in the traditional tutor role with a view to enhancing students’ integration of learning during the practicum. This paper outlines the background to and the activity and findings of the project. Then, drawing upon a discussion of the interface between psychodynamic theories and theories of education, we explore some ideas that have begun to emerge that have the possibility of enhancing the tutor role in student integration of learning.

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