Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. It’s more like learning together, being on an equal footing, using our collective mind (Comment by service user, 2009) The (abridged) story of service user and carer involvement in professional programmes at a distance learning university is presented here to illustrate the complexity of issues of identity and the context of the power relationships in which they are enacted. This paper will explore issues of identity in service user and carer involvement through reflection on roles, relationships and communication between service users, carers, tutors and academic managers as they have evolved during a five year period of joint work. Early work focused on initial engagement and setting the framework and tone of involvement. The second phase involved a task-centred approach, concentrating on specific tasks in the development and implementation of the honours social work degree, an on-going project. Service user and carer roles across the social work programme are identified and explored. Relationships are described as ‘co-learners’ in a process of development and discovery. A third stage sees the extension of the group to include colleagues from the wider Health and Social Care Faculty and the development of an on-line interactive website - a wiki- in combination with local face to face networks of service users and carers. This is an attempt to reach out to geographically dispersed populations and to make connections with under-represented groups. There will be an analysis of roles, relationships and communication strategies to extend the reach of service user and carer involvement. By illustration there will be a demonstration of the wiki and presentation of ‘job’ descriptions contained therein to identify opportunities for involvement and two-way influence, followed by discussion of issues of identity, inter-professional involvement and the benefits and limitations of on-line communication.

Paper presented at 2009 JSWEC Conference. There are increasing signs of a deepened and broadened interest in how the integration of learning can be enhanced. Our exploration of the integration of learning began five years ago and has previously published on how academic contact with social work students during placements can bridge the gap between theory and practice. We have continued our work on the place and role of academics in the enhancement of student learning (e.g. the tutor - student relationship) and have now gone on to seek the views of finishing students as to the most helpful people, moments and processes in the enhancement of their learning. We will present preliminary results and observations from a two-year study during which the views of two similar cohorts of students were sought. The first results provide something of a wake-up call for academics with the message being that: If social work ‘can’t go on doing more of the same’ (Changing Lives, 21st Century Review of Social Work 2006) then social work educationalists also can’t continue to act as though it were the 19th century. The belief that transmission of information equals student learning needs to go the same way as Gowns and Latin. The findings from our research will be interesting for training officers, trainers and practice teachers and constitute something of urgency for lecturers and tutors.

The social work degree: preparing to succeed is for prospective and current social work students to help them to be successful on their degree. The advice has been written by students on social work courses, so it offers insider tips! Published June 2007