Our Projects > Teaching Partnership Experts by Experience

Bringing valuable lived experience perspectives to inform the recruitment, education and training of social workers.

Commissioned since 2018 by the South Coast Regional Centre for Social Work Education (SCRC) Teaching Partnership, Recovery Partners co-ordinates a network of up twenty people with current or recent social work involvement in their lives. This work is usually funded by East Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council, sometimes by the Department for Education.

People with Children’s Services involvement and people with Adult Social Care and Health involvement are recruited, trained and supported to undertake a range of involvement opportunities with social work education teams across the localities, and often with the Universities of Sussex and Brighton.

Examples of involvement

Involvement ranges from sharing personal stories with student social workers, moderation of newly-qualified social worker portfolios, workshops and talks at conferences, through to co-production of training courses and most recently, co-production of a new evaluation framework for families based on experiences of the relationship-based practice model of social work. Local parents with child protection services experience have recently taken part in peer consultation to inform future service development, and are involved with Sussex University in developing pathways and opportunities for parent researchers to work alongside academics.

Get in touch with us if you want to find out more

People with social work involvement (current or within 2 years) are welcome to get in touch for an informal chat if they are interested in joining the Experts by Experience network.

We provide induction training and ongoing support to become involved, and people are encouraged to join a supportive network of Experts by Experience who meet every 6-8 weeks. Reward and Recognition expense payments are made, to recognise the contribution people make to social work education and training.

Contact Tracy on t.hind@recovery-partners.org.uk to find out more.