Involving service users in the classroom with social work students

The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss issues related to the requirement by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and the Scottish Government that service users and carers are partners and stakeholders in social work education. This requirement is one of several that are used by the SSSC in the approval of Scottish Universities to deliver social work courses. This paper explains the developmental process of involving service users and carers as partners in the planning of social work courses at the Robert Gordon University (RGU), Aberdeen. This is illustrated with reference to a group made up of young people (‘The Voice of Reason’) and also in relation to a group made up of adult service users (the Service User Panel). This short paper suggests there are benefits for student learning if we invite service users and carers to become partners in the teaching/learning process. There are also benefits for teaching staff and indeed for the University itself as a public institution on the basis that an ongoing relationship allows for good partnership working. This enables the University and its staff to be viewed positively and from that vantage point further developments are more likely. At the same time this paper has discussed the need to avoid tokenistic moves through ensuring a sound organisational commitment is made to providing effective support and putting in place enabling structures and processes. Lastly it discusses the broader implications for partnership working in relation to the education and training of students for professional practice. The suggestion is made that such a teaching and learning approach equips the students with good partnership skills and attitudes that will help to inform their practice post-qualification. Interest is expressed in the experiences of other professions who have adopted similar approaches to incorporating service users into students' learning experiences.