Making Connections The story of Service User and Carer Involvement in the Open University in Scotland- An inter-professional experience Reflections by Mo McPhail and Keir Hardie

Our aims.. To chart the development of service user involvement in Health and Social Care at the Open University in Scotland To illustrate and consider stages of developments in service user involvement - from a service user and an academic manager viewpoint To reflect upon service user involvement as a focus for inter-professional work

Our journey so far…. Phase 1 Government funded project Phase 2 Development and management of the social work degree Phase 3 Broadening out to Health and Social Care - Developing the wiki - Networks across Scotland

Service User Involvement as… Phase 1 – SIESWE project: -Project management members -Interviewer -Conference speaker -Co-author of book -Presenter at JSWEC and OU post grad conference -Setting up Scottish Voices

Service User Involvement as… Phase 2 – in social work degree: -Participant in initial consultative workshops -Participants in design of degree, selection criteria, questions and in system for approval of sponsors to select students

Service User Involvement as… -Co-editor on booklet on student selection, and leaflet -Contributor to development of practice learning arrangements and in practice -Assuring Quality of student’s Practice Learning

Service User Involvement as… Phase 2 – in social work degree: -Interviewees for audio visual and learning material for practice learning courses -Developmental tester for Introduction to Health ands Social Care -Management committee members

Service User Involvement as… -Contributors to Practice Assessment Panel -Speaker at UK and Scottish launch of degree - Workshop leaders in stakeholder events

Service User Involvement as… Phase 3 – in wider health and social care team -Author of chapter -Co-developer of the wiki - and co-tutorwiki -of wiki learning -Co-developer of wider involvement strategy – job descriptions, payment strategy

Service User Involvement as… -Building networks ;Glasgow network meeting, -Developments in North and South -Representing Scottish OU service user involvement in UK wide workshop

Power and participation Curran (1997) – visible and non visible power relations in decision-making processes, ideas and language, power and knowledge Braye (2000) – professional power – multiple sources

Power and participation Carr (2004, 2007) Power issues underlie the majority of identified difficulties with effective service use led change. The message is that any service user participation requires continual awareness of the context of power relations in which it is being conducted. Taylor et al (2006) Partnership is about managing power; it requires constant attention and is always work in progress

Definitions and discourse service user as……. -client, consumer, citizen ( Banks, 2001, 2006) -‘client to consumer’ (Harris, 2003) -deserving v undeserving ( Beresford, 2001) -‘critical friend’ (Smith,2004)

Definitions and discourse -professional service users v trade union model -(Stevens and Tanner, 2006) -friend, foe or fetish (Singh 2006) -‘allies with attitude’ (Sadd and Baldwin, 2006

Our experience As co-learners: Recognition of distinctive contributions and joint learning Sincerity – wanting it to work – struggling together Common understanding and willingness to listen and learn from our development

Our experience Being mindful of similarities and differences – and crucially of use of personal and professional power Building trust through joint risk-taking

Journey into the unknown… Can we ever go back? Is service user/carer involvement just a fad or a gesture? Professional service user issue and network building Resource implications? As an important driver for inter- professional working?

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