Innovative, Service User led approaches to teaching and learning through inter-disciplinary workshops in health and social care

Abstract

This paper will explore how the Inter-Disciplinary Teaching and Learning of Health and Social Care Students at the University of Huddersfield is being enhanced through Service User involvement in workshops. Staff at the University of Huddersfield are always striving to improve the student experience. The workshops entitled ‘Mental Health: It’s Everyone’s Business’ had several objectives: • Innovative Teaching and Learning Experience • Inter-Disciplinary Learning for a wide range of Health and Social Care students including social work, adult nursing, midwifery, mental health and occupational therapy. • Workshops based upon ‘real’ narratives delivered by Service Users. The co-authors obtained funding for a one day workshop based in the School of Human and Health Sciences. The workshops were: Workshop A: An excerpt from the TV dramatization of Stuart: A Life Backwards (the biography of a homeless man who exhibits behaviours symptomatic of mental illness) 96 Workshop B: A social enterprise theatre group performs a scenario concerning an adult with depression, featuring responses from family, friends and employer. Workshop C: An interactive case study led by a service user and based on her experience of mania following childbirth. Her patient journey is narrated and ‘paused’ at key moments. The workshop will explain how the day was conceptualised and organised. The workshop will be participatory with two ‘mini’ workshops. The first will be an extract from ‘Stuart’ with facilitated discussions. The second will be a compacted version of Workshop C with the service user. The workshop will also discuss the very positive feedback received at these events. Finally, development in Inter-Disciplinary Teaching and Learning in the School will be discussed along with how the plans are being sustained in the school with the next group of Service Users Workshops entitled, ‘Mothers in Prison’