Some people who use services and carers may feel that assessment is not their job. In fact there are examples of successful involvement in assessment. Marking assignments is only one option. Service users and carers can also help to frame questions or act as subject experts.
“From my experience I don’t feel that anyone should think that he/she isn’t capable of doing this task; every service user and carer’s experience is valuable and input from us can only benefit us, those who are training and those who train.”
—Helen Bradley
All three HEIs stated that service users/and or carers are involved in the assessment of social work students.
Three out of 12 FEIs involve service user and/or carers in the assessment of students.
Top Tip: Involving service users and carers in giving feedback can contribute positively to a student’s reflective learning.
Structured conversations with service users and carers can be used as part of assessment (Doel, Deacon and Sawdon, 2007):
The Higher Education Certificate in Person Centred Approaches developed by the Thistle Foundation on behalf of Altrum with Queen Margaret’s University is based on a belief in the importance of good quality relationships between the person offering, and the person receiving support. People receiving support are engaged as actively as possible when their support worker is undertaking an observed practice assignment with them and careful attention is paid to the ethics of the exercise. Throughout the course the people receiving support can engage with the student’s learning if they choose to do so. Some report with pride on their contribution when the worker qualifies.
At St George’s Medical School in London, members of a drama group take part in an assessment role-play on communication. Medical students are required to pass this in order to qualify.
The Open University has a Practice Assessment Panel. The information they provide to potential members is included at the end of this section. This is followed by Helen Bradley’s account of her experience of taking part in assessment as both a service user and carer.
Consider whether involvement in assessment could be a further stage of engagement for user and carer groups or individuals you may be working with. Start by talking to them about their wishes and concerns and how they might be involved. Are the ways that the criteria they would value can be incorporated into assessment and could they have a role in assessing these?
Ager, W., Gee, M., Ferguson, F. and MacPhail, M. (2004). Integrated Assessment: Involvement of Service User and Carers. IRISS (formerly SIESWE).
Doel M., Deacon L. and Sawdon C. 2007). Curtain down on Act One: practice learning in the first year of the new social work award. Social Work Education, 26 (3):217-232.