Promoting social justice and democratisation: Preparing social work students for interprofessional practice

<b>Background and purpose: </b>This presentation will share learning arising from a doctoral study. This qualitative study explored the views of undergraduate social work student views of how they were prepared for practice in an inter-professional setting. The participants were based in a UK university and in their final year of study together with a longitudinal viewpoint of newly qualified social workers reflecting on their learning.<br></br> <br></br> <b>Methods:</b> This empirical research took place between 2018 to 2022. It aimed to gain an understanding of a key context of social work practice and gain insight into how students felt they were prepared. A literature review identified the research gaps and noted social work student voices are missing from the literature, in favour of the qualified professional voice.<br></br> <br></br> The presentation connects social work research directly to practice and seeks to include the student and newly qualified social workers voice authentically. This is achieved through semi-structured interviews incorporating a visual methodology (Rose, 2012). Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2022) is used to examine the data. The participants were reflective of their experiences and helped to co-create knowledge to inform the experience of future students. They demonstrated an understanding of the potential radical role their practice based on social justice and ethical principles can have. The participants were sensitive to the bridge that they offered between the increasing policy paradigm in the individualism of services against questioning this dynamic and seeking to advocate and help the people they work with to make different connections for their care. The student has a complex task to integrate micro practice, such as learning and demonstrating assessed competence with macro practices such as organisational, physical, social and economic contexts impacting on the people using the services they work with.<br></br> <br></br> The study was impacted by Covid-19. The experience of the participants was a levelling experience for many where the usual boundaries of professionalism were disrupted. The impact of ill health, caring responsibilities and restrictions were a common denominator for all. The narratives of the participants recorded these experiences as an added value to the study, co-creating insight and knowledge into this subject area, in a particular moment in time.<br></br> <br></br> <b>Findings:</b> There are significant implications from this research for social work practice and education. Inter-professional practice is the area of work that is shared across all services and for each stage of the life cycle. Social work education should teach this area of knowledge and skill in this way that will empower the student. It will also help them make connections for the person with lived experience and promote deliberate engagement to support the individual but potentially initiate wider change<br></br> <br></br> <b>Conclusions and implications:</b> Making inter-professional practice a conscious way of learning will promote the ethical practice of social justice. This has the potential to place the social worker as pivotal in facilitating care arrangements and enables engagement of people with lived experiences as equals in their care.