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We’re front line people, we’ve been in the system and we know more details about
them and we can refer them maybe a bit. I come to a university you know it’s a name
drop isn’t it you know, so it’s good to be involved and get back into society in any
shape or form you know. Well I’ve done the role-play for the BA students Readiness for
Practice and I’ve done a couple of scenarios. We’re supposed to get them to sort of tease
out the questions out of us and to see how their assessment and interview skills are.
They do pretty well, most of them. It’s good, it’s healthy. I like it a lot. I hope
I make a difference. I was so pleased to have been asked to get
involved because of all my experience over 15 years as a carer, I’ve got so much to
contribute. It’s my way of actually helping to turn out better Social Workers in the future.
Yes, yes. I think it’s a two way thing because I’ve gained from it, in fact it’s been
a life saver for me. Because I was a carer for a long long time and when my husband died
my life could have been very difficult had I not had other things to participate in.
Yes, it’s been a godsend to me as well because I’ve been a service user for quite a long
time and and I find that working with students I think when you get academics, practitioners,
students, carers and service users together it’s got to be a good, positive result and
it’s proved to be. Well certainly the students, it’s so nice
when you see them perhaps for the second time and they recognise you from the first time
round and we know from evaluation they really value our input and it’s empowered me because
it’s given me a whole new career you know, things I never thought I’d ever do.
It’s also - every one of them says it’s real and I think this is the problem it’s
making their life in the university real as well.
But between us we’ve got so much experience to contribute because we’re all coming from
different directions. Definitely. I think it’s a learning curve
as well for us and for them you know. I mean we’re all on a survivors’ journey so you
know I think this is an excellent opportunity to survive and to practice that survival.
What I love about the university is that they are learning as well. It’s an all round
overall thing. But it’s lovely the way they keep involving
us more and more. I mean I just started off coming to do interviews for people to come
on the course you know now I’m involved in teaching and role-play and really it’s
just developed because they appreciate us so much.
Exactly, I would like to say personally a big thank you to this university for the opportunity.
I think it’s pioneered this work and we’re really really grateful. As my colleagues have
said, there’s a positive feedback and there’s a positive outcome to everything that we’ve
done and that we are doing for everybody. And we love doing it!
Yes