Student Selection

Service users and carers can contribute to student selection in a variety of ways. Clarity of expectation will help all those involved to have a good experience.

“We believe that it is important that the people who receive services from social work resources are also stakeholders in how services are delivered. It is therefore fundamental to the selection process for prospective social workers that service users are involved.”

—Training Officer working with Open University in selecting students

Findings from Local Research

Out of three HEIs who took part in the research, one involved services users and carers in the selection of students. One of 12 FEIs involved service users or carers in selection.

Top Tip: Be clear about expectations and provide the information and
support people need to contribute:

• Ensure people feel well informed about the selection criteria
• Ensure people understand the boundaries of their responsibilities in the process
• Be clear about people’s roles
• Allow sufficient time and support for preparation and debrief
• Get the HR Department on board to deal with any barriers in university protocols
• Consider a range of methods of involvement including devising interview questions, reviewing procedures as well as interviewing itself

Messages from Wider Research

Levin (2004, p. 35-6) identifies the following approaches to involvement in student selection used in England in 2003:

• Agreeing questions to be asked based on the skills, knowledge and personal attributes that people wanted in social workers
• Involving people who use services and carers on group interview panels
• Involvement in each individual interview
• Overseeing the process through taking part in admission panels or teams

Good Practice Examples

The Open University (OU) has developed guidance for social services agencies on involving service users and carers in student selection. The OU’s social work programme is work-based and so student selection is devolved to employers. Some people who use services and carers have been involved directly in OU approval panels or other activities to quality assure the involvement of service users and carers in student selection. Agencies approved to select students on behalf of the Open University identified creative responses to the challenges they faced in involvement through the selection process. These include utilising the experience of people using direct payments who have interviewed for their own staff. An example of the information that the Open University provides to potential panel members about their role is included at the end of this section.

At the University of Dundee they have moved to a paper system for selecting students. People who use services and carers have helped design a written task for students and work with academic staff and employer representatives to make selections from the paper applications.

Action

Make a process map of student selection right through from information and publicity about the course to the point where a student is accepted. At what points might there be opportunities to make good use of the experiences of people who use services and carers?

Further Information

Levin, E. (2004) Involving Service Users and Carers in Social Work Education.

The Open University, undated. BA (Hons) Social Work Scotland: Involving Service Users and Carers in the Selection of Students.