Purpose of the Guide

This Guide is a tool to support the effective engagement of people who use services and carers in social work education. It is evidence-based and applicable to educators working in the social care field and beyond including health, early years and childcare. The purpose of the Guide is to progress the involvement of people
who use services and carers in all aspects of social work education by demonstrating the range of opportunities for involvement and explaining the key elements of good practice.

The Guide has a number of key features:

• Identifies good practice
• Encourages consistent involvement
• Offers tools and resources for use in your work
• Highlights the benefits of involvement for staff, students and individuals
• Includes the personal testimonies of those with direct experience of involvement in social work education
• Proposes a model for making engagement work for everyone

The Guide is for:

• Lecturers on Social Work programmes
• Practice learning tutors and mentors
• Service user groups
• Carer groups
• In house trainers
• Assessors and verifiers

As the Guide demonstrates, much information is available about service user and carer involvement in social work education. Some excellent practice is emerging and social work educators can lead the way in terms of citizen involvement in Higher and Further Education. However practice is not consistent and progress slower than many would wish or national requirements demand. People who use services and carers want to see this good practice taken off the shelf and put into practice in west and southeast Scotland and beyond.