Service User Involvement In Social Work Education

In 2006, Social Work Education produced the first special edition (vol. 25, no. 4) on service user and carer involvement in social work education, with all of the articles coming from the United Kingdom. In 2015, a mixed group of service users and social work academics wondered how, and if, the field had moved on since 2006. This publication confirms that it has. Since 2006, service user and carer involvement in social work education has become embedded internationally – this book contains contributions from Australia, Israel, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden, as well as all four nations of the United Kingdom. Many of the contributions are jointly written with service users and carers, highlighting the innovative practices which challenge social work academics, students, social workers and managers to think how we can all benefit from learning with, and from, service users and carers. This book ably demonstrates that service users and carers can be effectively involved in social work curriculum planning, delivery, assessment and management. This is not to say that these issues are not without their tension, challenges or struggles, but working with these helps to ensure that the social workers and managers of the future can practice more effectively, meeting service user and carer priorities and needs. The chapters in this book were originally published as a double special issue of Social Work Education.

Worldwide, there has been a growth in service user involvement in education and research in recent years. This handbook is the first book which identifies what is happening in different regions of the world to provide different countries and client groups with the opportunity to learn from each other. The book is divided into five sections: Section One examines service user involvement in context exploring theoretical issues which underpin service user involvement. In Section Two we focus on the state of service user involvement in human services education and research across the globe including examples of innovative practice, but also identifying examples of where it is not happening and why. Section Three offers more detailed examination of such involvement in a wide range of professional education learning settings. Section Four focuses on the involvement of service users in research involving a wide range of service user groups and situations. Lastly, Section Five explores future challenges for education and research to ensure involvement remains meaningful. The book includes forty-eight chapters, including seventeen case-studies, from all regions of the world, this is the first book to both highlight the subject’s methodological and theoretical issues and give practical examples in education and research for those wishing to engage in this field. It will be of interest to all service users, scholars and students of social work, nursing, occupational therapy, and other human service subjects.

During recent decades a strong interest has grown in actively involving service users in social work education, research and policy development. Drawing on a major European Social Fund project, this book presents an overview of inspiring collaborative models that have proven their efficacy and sustainability. Contributions from service users, lecturers and researchers from across Europe provide detailed case studies of good practice, exploring the value framework behind the model and considering their added value from a user, teacher and student perspective. The book concludes with a series of reflective chapters, considering key issues and ethical dilemmas.

This is the first text to examine the principal elements of service user involvement and participation across both adult and children's services. A valuable learning resource, it draws together information from research, service users, carers and practitioners across both groups. In addition, it gives an overview of the specific knowledge, attitude and skills that social workers need for training at qualifying level and integrates theory with evidence to inform everyday social work practice. Furthermore, case studies and activities encourage reflection and the application of this knowledge to practice situations.

′Experiencing Social Work provides a refreshing change in the expanse of social work education texts. Its focus on learning from people who had received a good service from social workers drew out many of the foundation blocks of practice that can so easily be minimised in favour of ′deeper academic theories′. In short, it reminded me of my own passion for practice and the privilege it is to be part of the social work profession′ - Kay Wall, Lecturer in Social Work In this book people tell their stories of positive social work and the difference it has made to their lives. The book was inspired by the belief that we can learn more from what goes right than what goes wrong. Follow the stories in each chapter to read about good practice, to reflect on the lessons learned, and to feel uplifted by social work′s potential for positive change and social justice. Other key features include: " Case examples from a wide range of service user groups, including people with mental health problems, disabilities, parenting difficulties, those living in care, those experiencing loss and other life transitions. " Commentaries that unpack the core themes and issues from each example in order to understand the experience and learn from it. " Examples of how social work students have contributed to positive change in the lives of service users. " A strong grounding in the ethical guidelines and skills base required of all social work practice. This important book will be valuable reading for all undergraduate social work students and will also be useful for qualified social workers, service users and carers. Mark Doel is based at the Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University. Lesley Best is based at the School of Health, University of Northampton.

Excellent social work education and training is vital for ensuring best practice, and it is important to understand the key approaches and methods in order to provide the best teaching and ensure effective learning. This volume provides an overview of social work education, including the background and current context. It covers the key debates surrounding social work education, such as the evaluation of social work education, the use of IT, research-mindedness, and the effectiveness of interdisciplinary education. The book also offers guidance on effective teaching and learning approaches tailored to the needs of social work educators, covering teaching within a higher education institution, on student practice placements, and in post-qualifying settings. This will be an indispensable text for educators and trainers in the field of social work.

To become a competent social worker it is essential to know the perspective of the service users. Therefore, service users are more and more included in field research projects and the instruction of social workers to-be. However, they are usually reduced to the role of informants and not actively taking part as co-partners. For the first time, this anthology gives an overview of courses in which service users and students share their experiences and work together on the same level using gapmending methods. The applications and evaluations of these courses in different European countries are discussed in this volume.

First systematic treatment of best-worst scaling, explaining how to implement, analyze, and apply the theory across a range of disciplines.