Authentic Service User (and Carer) involvement in social work education, training, research and practice: Setting an Agenda Professor Allister Butler North West University ASASWEI (Cape Town) September 2010

Overview  Anecdotal Evidence from UK  SUCI – Practice Settings  SUCI – Mental Health Services  SUCI – Research Praxis  SUCI – HEI’s/education and training  SUCI – The way forward for South Africa

CONTEXT  Last decade (in UK) SUCI became critical component of social work education and training, research and evidence based practice, practice context, and programme evaluation  Integral part of the GSCC 6 roles of Social Work Practice – similar to 27 Exit Outcomes established by SACSSP  Linked to research funding streams, practice outcomes, programme funding, practice education, HEI training  Pathway from tokenistic involvement to active SUC participation and decision making  South African social work – learn from these transition pathways and examples of good practice

SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT  In SA – pockets of good practice re: SUCI  We need to look at rolling it out nationally, develop a streamlined strategy for SUCI, and evaluating its impact on service delivery  Practical Considerations:  Training (for SUCI, educators and practitioners)  Funding streams – SUCI costs money  Insight re: tokenistic response  Power sharing  Ensure it is developed and rolled out nationally in ALL areas of social work – practice, policy making, legislation, curricula, research, and education and training

PRACTICE CONTEXT  In UK 2 of 6 identified key social work roles (GSCC) talk directly to SUCI: Key role 1: Enable individuals, carers, families, groups and communities to identify, clarify, and express their strengths, expectations and limitations – and to make informed decisions about their needs and circumstances Key role 3: Advocate with, and behalf of individuals, carers, families, groups and communities – and help them to select the best form of representation for decision making forums and be involved in the outcomes from these decision making forums  This mapping exercise is critical- should be a first step in mapping the SACSSP exit outcomes (which ones speak directly to SUCI) – Social Inclusion?

PRACTICE: Strengths and Challenges  Enables planning, development and provision of services to make them more effective and responsive to diverse needs  It should be an essential part of legislation and policy making  Theoretical move from paternalism to partnership  Need clarity about aims and scope of SUC participation (Carr, 2004)  Make resources available and consult on the process  Be aware of power dynamics and clarity of extent and potential of decision making power

SUCI and Mental Health Services  How do we define service users: Consumers Survivors Providers  All imply different roles and responsibilities of people and relationship between them and mental health services  Conceptualisation of users and providers is reflected in the development of user-led services found in statutory and voluntary sectors across the USA and UK  Why SUC involvement and participation? Experts about their own lives and their illness Have different but equally important perspectives about their illness and care needs May increase existing yet limited knowledge and understanding of mental illness

SUCI and Mental Health Services (Barriers)  Despite benefits to SU involvement in MH services it still remains patchy, with an emphasis on consultation rather than influence  Barriers: Lack of information sharing Financial and time restraints Concerns over representation Resistance to the ideas of users as experts

SUCI and Mental Health Services (Examples of Good Practice) SUC involved in prioritising and conducting research Involvement in staff selection Employment and paid mental health workers Involved in planning and redesigning services Involved in education and training  Meaningful user involvement cannot be a once – off intervention. It must be a part of the fabric of MH services that effects every aspect of MH service provision (Tait and Lester, 2005)

SUCI and Research Praxis  How can people using social care/welfare services become more involved in research?  Need to create a shift in where the control lies  Enables people to have greater equality in the research process  Potential for transfer of knowledge and empowerment is significant  Research is likely to be more meaningful and relevant to service users  Important to assess how this fits in with wider picture of SUCI New Social Work degree Clear government directives re: user involvement

SUCI and Research Praxis  Practically how can SUC become more involved in research activities: Commissioned research Design Data collection and analysis Report writing Dissemination Karen Poole: The Social Care Perspective and Involvement (UEA, Norwich, UK)

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  My own observations in HEI’s: powerful, volatile, impactful, emotional, unpredictable, worthwhile, complex, hard work and time consuming, extraordinary story telling, a very real experience (Butler, 2010)  2 anecdotal examples: Young Carers (partnership between CYCP and University of Plymouth, UK) SUC planning group (Canterbury Christ Church University, UK)

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  Involvement of SUC in HEI’s: Student Selection Design of degrees/curricula Teaching and Learning provision Preparation for Practice learning Provision of placements (share the workload and headaches) Learning agreements Student Assessment (Oral/Viva) Quality Assurance

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  Goals and Outcomes: Type of knowledge that SUC can impart is identified as a strong lever to improving social services Goal should be that newly qualified social workers have a thorough understanding of standards of practice, processes and outcomes that SUC desire and need Thus, from the start of their professional career they will treat SUC as active participants in service delivery rather than as passive participants Note: This links to my suggestion for a 10 day “Fitness for practice placement in Year 1”

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  Getting started: Preparing for SUC participation Everyone signs up to values and principles of SUCI – as early as possible Comprehensive strategy from the start – then easier to include those new roles for SUC where progress may be slower or more complicated Involves a lot of people working in new ways Resources (people, time, money, proper support) A budget to pay for SUC time is critical Actively promoting and sustaining SUC participation is a long term investment

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  Barriers to SUCI in HEI’s: Academics do not attach high enough value to SUC knowledge Culture in HEI’s need to change Access requirements are not fully met Service user organisations lack capacity and infrastructure Training for SUC and their organisations is lacking Payment policies and practice need addressing

SUCI: SW Education and Training/HEI’s  Ideas for SUCI improvement in HEI’s: Address issues of equality (in our curricula) Address issues of access Develop stronger links with local practice communities Employ more SUC as staff Enrol more SUC students Train staff and SUC SCIE Guide 4: Involving service users and carers in Social Work Education (March 2004).

Where can we start: The way forward  SACSSP and ASASWEI set up a planning group re: SUCI. Critical that this group includes academics, practitioners and government officers  Conduct nationwide research: What is the state of play re: SUCI in South Africa  Identify 3 – 5 practice/academic sites  Link with National/Provincial Dpt’s of Social Development re: developing a strategic plan at all levels of SUCI (education, research, practice, policy etc)  Identify funding sources  HEI’s work in partnership with practice communities re: develop and implement small scale SUCI activities  Ambitious agenda – but let us start somewhere