Changing identities changing contexts: the roles and identities of expert patients, service users and volunteer school governors

Higgs, Alison; McCormick, Mick and Sieminski, Sandy (2015). Changing identities changing contexts: the roles and identities of expert patients, service users and volunteer school governors. In: JSWEC Joint Social Work Education and Research Conference 2015: Social work education and research across boundaries, 15-17 Jul 2015, Open University, Milton Keynes.

URL: http://jswec.net/2015/sessions/changing-identities...

Abstract

We aim to introduce a social work narrative into a wider project to contribute new understandings of the ways in which publics are employed as non-specialists in areas in which they are expected to use their lay knowledge in a professional manner. Our research focusing on the role of service users and carers in social work education will form part of a collaborative project with a colleagues from the Department of Social Policy and Criminology), who have carried out research focusing on the role of school governors. It will also relate to the research undertaken by our visiting fellow from the Université de Montréal which focuses on re-positioning patients as partners in the improvement of the quality of the care delivered by health organizations. Following an exploratory workshop held in December 2014, we have identified four main themes which we wish to explore further: What kinds of factors motivate involvement: social justice/campaigning; desire to educate and share personal stories; personal development. The impact of induction/training on perceptions of identity. What do service users and carers feel their contribution has been? What constrains impact? We wish use the workshop to offer a brief presentation of our work so far and then to engage participants in workshop activities considering and refining the four themes which we can then take forward as a series of semi-structured interviews with social work service users and carers across the UK.

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