People who use services are experts by experience. They value the chance to make a difference by helping student social workers to learn how they should do their job. In this section we describe how this expertise can be recognised and we profile an individual who is already using her experiences for the benefit of others.
“You hope something will stick in their mind and that they’ll always remember this through their working lives.”
“Tell them about how not to do it.”—SUCIG Members
Carers felt that if workers were more understanding and listened more to carers then carers would not have to spend so much energy fighting for services. The service users who were interviewed also felt it was important for students to learn about their experiences. Examples of this included what it is like to live with mental health difficulties, the reasons why someone might get involved in addiction and what it is like to have a learning disability.
Top Tip: Have the courage of your convictions. If you speak from your experience and say what you feel and think you will give students a very valuable opportunity to learn new perspectives.
(Waterson and Morris, 2005)
The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Community Health at Glasgow Caledonian University draws on the expertise of service user and carers in a number of modules. For example, the Module Leader for “Long Term Care Needs of Children, Young People and their Families” invites 3 young people with chronic illness or disability to contribute to the learning of students on the Diploma in Higher Education/Bachelor of Nursing programme. In this two-hour session, the young people share their experiences as service users and students can raise questions. The session is well received by students. Carers of children with learning disability have also contributed to the module in the past. In a module on the promotion of continence for pre and post registration students, there is a patient’s panel with a question and answer session.
Take a look at the way that service users and carers are presented in the programmes you are involved with. Do they have opportunities to demonstrate the range of their life experiences and to share their reflections as well as their stories? If not, suggest you meet with the lecturers to identify other ways in which you could contribute.
Visit the Learning Exchange site to see interviews from the “Forgotten Citizens” Conference in June 2008. Mabel Cooper and David Kinloch speak about their experience of living in long-stay hospitals and what they have achieved in their lives since then.