Understanding service user and carer experiences is at the heart of good practice. We work with Health & Social Sciences programmes across the faculty to identify ways of involving service users in students’ learning and assessment whilst out on placement. Social work students are required to submit a 500 word plan at the start of each placement identifying how they intend to learn from service users and carers whilst on placement and to review this by the end. Other examples include:
- Visiting service user-led organisations and groups
- Interviewing people about what makes a good social worker
- Inviting service users to a supervision session
- Learning skills such as sign language from service users.