‘We’re here tae make a difference’ – Involving a group of young people with experiences of care in the teaching of social work students

Description

The group ‘A voice of reason’, which is comprised of young people with experiences of being in care, worked together with 60 first year social work students in a 3 hour session structured around two group exercises. The first exercise was about meeting and greeting, emphasising the importance of first impressions. The second exercise focussed on the qualities which make up the ideal social worker. This involved drawing around a person on a large sheet of paper and placing the ‘good’ qualities inside the body and the negative characteristics outside. The discussion generated during this process gives the student an insight into the lived experience of the young people.