Involving Looked After Young Involving Looked After Young People in the Design and Delivery People in the Design and Delivery

of the Social Work Curriculumof the Social Work Curriculum

• Presented by: Presented by: Shereese RichardsShereese Richards

Rachel BurrowsRachel BurrowsGary HickmanGary Hickman

Andy AiersAndy Aiers

Module Co-ordinators for ‘Working with Children and Module Co-ordinators for ‘Working with Children and Families Pathway’Families Pathway’MA & BA Social Work ProgrammesMA & BA Social Work ProgrammesInstitute of Applied Social StudiesInstitute of Applied Social StudiesUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of Birmingham

JSWEC JSWEC 1010thth July 2008 July 2008

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

Why did we do this?Why did we do this?

The Design PhaseThe Design Phase

The Delivery PhaseThe Delivery Phase

Evaluation and Future Learning Evaluation and Future Learning

What do you think were What do you think were some of the issues that some of the issues that faced Rachel and faced Rachel and Shereese in working at Shereese in working at the university and with the university and with tutors?tutors?

Why did the programme decided Why did the programme decided to involve young people? to involve young people? • TraditionTradition

• GSCC thinking GSCC thinking

• ““Social work (education) needs to engage with, and Social work (education) needs to engage with, and learn from service users themselves in ways that learn from service users themselves in ways that allow partnerships to form and new knowledge allow partnerships to form and new knowledge bases and curricula to develop “ (GSCC, 2002).bases and curricula to develop “ (GSCC, 2002).

• Past involvement Past involvement

• ““Children and young people need to participate in Children and young people need to participate in students’ teaching and learning in more planned students’ teaching and learning in more planned and consistent ways” (Community Care 30.08.07)and consistent ways” (Community Care 30.08.07)

Design Phase:Design Phase:Access and Engagement with Access and Engagement with

Young PeopleYoung People

• ““Shaping Our Lives”Shaping Our Lives”

• Informal and Formal ContactsInformal and Formal Contacts

• Shereese’s and Rachel’s experienceShereese’s and Rachel’s experience

• (Should we include this? 5.06.08)(Should we include this? 5.06.08)

Working Together Working Together

• First Steps First Steps

““What do you think were some of What do you think were some of the issues that faced Shereese and the issues that faced Shereese and Rachel in working at the university Rachel in working at the university and with us as tutors?”and with us as tutors?”

• Audience responseAudience response

• S response to issuesS response to issues

• G&A input (possiblyG&A input (possibly))

Working TogetherWorking Together

• IssuesIssues

-- Developing Relationships & Developing Relationships & Expectations Expectations

-- Duty of CareDuty of Care

-- Roles and Power DynamicsRoles and Power Dynamics

-- TimeTime

-- MoneyMoney

Discuss in groups:Discuss in groups:

Broadly, what structure Broadly, what structure and content do you have and content do you have for your Children and for your Children and Families Pathway?Families Pathway?

Source: Levin, E. (2004) Involving Service Users and Source: Levin, E. (2004) Involving Service Users and Carers in Social Work Education, SCIECarers in Social Work Education, SCIE

““Actively promoting and sustaining Actively promoting and sustaining participation is a participation is a processprocess and not and not a a one-off one-off event. It takes time to event. It takes time to build up and develop purposive build up and develop purposive relationships and to give relationships and to give

attention to the practicalities.”attention to the practicalities.”

The Delivery Phase - The Delivery Phase - Experience of teaching and Experience of teaching and learning learning

• Teaching ContextTeaching Context

• Young people’s experienceYoung people’s experience

• Tutors’ experienceTutors’ experience

Does anyone here have Does anyone here have experience of involving young experience of involving young people in your teaching?people in your teaching?

Please can you share your Please can you share your experience with the workshop?experience with the workshop?

What have we learned What have we learned from this experience?from this experience?

What have we learned?What have we learned?

• Time commitment – Time commitment –

walking not runningwalking not running

• Building trustBuilding trust

• RecognitionRecognition

• Impact on tutors’ behaviour and teachingImpact on tutors’ behaviour and teaching

• Other lives and impact on the ivory towerOther lives and impact on the ivory tower

• Reflection time Reflection time

• Sustainability and the future?Sustainability and the future?

Having heard from us –Having heard from us –

Is this a model you would Is this a model you would want to adopt ?want to adopt ?

If so, how would you do If so, how would you do this?this?

If not, why not?If not, why not?

Future LearningFuture Learning

What was the students’ What was the students’ experience?experience?

• Evaluation process Evaluation process

• Letters to:Letters to:- module co-ordinators- module co-ordinators

- - next year’s studentsnext year’s students

Quotes from students’ Quotes from students’ lettersletters

•““Let us not forget the peer Let us not forget the peer educators too, Shereese and educators too, Shereese and Rachel, who have stories that will Rachel, who have stories that will dissolve your heartstrings and dissolve your heartstrings and wry humour that will lift your wry humour that will lift your spirits.”spirits.”

Students’ viewsStudents’ views• ““Dear Rachel, Shereese, Gary and Andy, Dear Rachel, Shereese, Gary and Andy,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the enjoyable and informative children you for the enjoyable and informative children and families teaching sessions …. The most and families teaching sessions …. The most important part of the teaching for all of us important part of the teaching for all of us however, were the personal accounts from however, were the personal accounts from Shereese and Rachel. Shereese and Rachel.

• Having Shereese and Rachel as part ofHaving Shereese and Rachel as part ofthe children and families teaching groupthe children and families teaching grouphas encouraged us to continue in children has encouraged us to continue in children and families social work, and has inspired and families social work, and has inspired us to improve our practice”.us to improve our practice”.

Students’ viewsStudents’ views

• ““Shereese and Rachel have given us Shereese and Rachel have given us a benchmark of best practice to work a benchmark of best practice to work towards and hopefully one that we towards and hopefully one that we will strive to achieve.”will strive to achieve.”

Students’ viewsStudents’ views

• ““Highlights were the Looked After Highlights were the Looked After seminars with Andy, Shereese, Rachel seminars with Andy, Shereese, Rachel and the Child Protection sessions with and the Child Protection sessions with Gary…. The Looked After sessions Gary…. The Looked After sessions were brilliant and it was a privilege to were brilliant and it was a privilege to be able to hear from Shereese and be able to hear from Shereese and Rachel about their experiences which Rachel about their experiences which will stay with us all for a long time.”will stay with us all for a long time.”

Students’ viewsStudents’ views

•““If you are given the opportunity If you are given the opportunity to have Shereese and Rachel in to have Shereese and Rachel in your lectures, listen to what they your lectures, listen to what they tell you. Reflect on what they tell you. Reflect on what they say, they are our past and our say, they are our past and our future.”future.”

Whole systems approach to Whole systems approach to participation strategyparticipation strategy

•CultureCulture

•StructureStructure

•PracticePractice

•ReviewReview