Development Co-ordinator Presentation 02 (University of Lincoln SUPA)

In the case of health and social services training, the presence of the service user, carer, patient and parents enhances learning experiences and makes a difference to students' perspectives regarding what is personality based and morally right or wrong.

Service users, carers and parents may be under considerable pressure in their lives to take part. Even if they do take part, they may find educational settings unfamiliar. However, they do not have to be centre-stage, if this makes them feel more comfortable.

But they can be deeply involved in designing and evaluating training. Perhaps after they have been users or (more likely) carers, they can add their client values, beliefs and experiences to provide different perspectives.

But, of course, many people may wish to just forget about and move on from a stressful period in their lives.

If those who get involved are paid or are volunteering more hours than permitted, there can be problems for some regarding benefits and payments.

Nevertheless, some have called this approach New Ways of Working (NWW) and this means not being afraid of the change caused by input from the public. NWW means building collaboration and effective teams drawing on their own competences and capabilities, drawing on service user experience and getting best practice from elsewhere, based on current issues and priorities, to plan learning and development strategies with a holistic system approach.

A danger is a perceived erosion of professional identity but in fact professionals are in a key position to lead and develop new ways of working with (one time) service users, carers, patients and parents. Apparently, in the early days, University of Lincoln staff decided upon the level of general service user involvementClick for relevant University of Lincoln Powerpoint Presentation in the curriculum and did so to varying degrees.

Expanding SUPA & Problems Page 02