Co-Producing a Shared Stories Narrative Model for Social Work Education with Experts by Experience

Abstract

Service user and carer involvement in social work education is a mandatory requirement in the UK. The role of service users, carers and survivors in Northern Ireland is fundamental to shaping social work students understanding of the unique life histories and experiences of others and acknowledging service user perspectives through the lens of experts by experience. This paper outlines the organic approach the authors adopted in developing and co-producing the Shared Stories Narrative Model for supporting service users, carers and survivors to participate in the direct teaching within the undergraduate social work degree at a university in Northern Ireland. The model is the product of extensive engagement with a group of young people who have experience of social work involvement. The model will be explained and applied to a case example. Reflections from the young people (experts by experience) and social work students are included. This paper seeks to demonstrate how the Shared Stories Narrative Model can be considered an effective framework for supporting meaningful service user involvement in social work education.

Keywords:

• social work education
• storytelling
• co-production
• experts by experience
• service user perspectives
• preparing for first placement
• practice education
• narrative model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Denise MacDermott

Denise MacDermott, is the Chair of the Practice Assessment Panel for social work at Ulster University. Her research interests include service user, carer and survivors involvement in social work education, digital storytelling and flipped learning pedagogies. Denise contributes to both undergraduate and post graduate teaching in social work at Ulster. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Caoimhe Harkin-MacDermott

Caoimhe Harkin-MacDermott, has been a qualified social worker for 14 years. Caoimhe has extensive experience working with children and families in both the statutory and voluntary sector/non-government sectors. Caoimhe has worked as a statutory social worker in both Northern Ireland and Scotland specialising in working with Looked After Children and Care Leavers. In 2008, she took up the post of advocacy worker with Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC) across Northern Ireland. This role involved representing the rights of children within the care system in Northern Ireland. Her current post is Practice Learning Centre Manager with Bryson Care providing social work placements and professional supervision to students in Northern Ireland. Email: [email protected]