Involving People with Lived Experiences in Role-Play Assessment in Social Work Education in England: Implications for Practice

Abstract

The involvement of people with lived-experience in social work education in England is mandated by the social work regulator. Our colleagues from the ‘SUCI Group—Supporting Social Work Education with Lived Experience’, increasingly contribute to assessment processes in our social work programmes, as well as to other aspects of the curriculum. For some years our SUCI colleagues, as they are known, have supported the assessment process in the preparation-to-practice module delivered at our university through the medium of live role-plays; now, due to changes in delivery brought about by Covid-19, these assessments are conducted virtually as part of the summative procedures. In this article we highlight the need to implement a robust assessment to confirm students possess sufficient practice skills to progress to their initial placement. We explore how we manage this activity through a simulated role-play to ensure a safe experience for both students and our SUCI colleagues. We conclude by affirming that receiving feedback from people with lived-experience should be normalised for social workers throughout their professional development.

Social work education; expertise-by-experience; role-play assessment; service participant involvement; inclusion

Disclosure Statement

There are no conflicts of interest experienced in writing or publishing this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanna Fox

Joanna Fox is the academic lead for the SUCI Group in social work at Anglia Ruskin University. Joanna is a registered social worker, academic and expert-by-experience. Her main research interests include the recovery approach, carers issues and user-led narratives in mental health. Correspondence to: Joanna Fox, School of Education and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. Email: [email protected]

Joanna Dean

Joanna Dean (BSc, MBA Dip, PG Cert, HEA Fellow) is the SUCI Coordinator for the Anglia Ruskin University Social Work Team. In the role since 2012, Jo has worked closely with our SUCI colleagues to co-develop and facilitate their highly successful involvement in the design, delivery and assessment of the preparation-to-practice module.

Deborah Amas

Deborah Amas is a senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University with over 40 years’ experience in social work practice, practice education and academia. She has worked closely with the SUCI Group at the university from 2007. She is the current lead for the preparation-to-practice module.