Involving Service Users in Social Work Education, Research and Policy: A Comparative European Analysis - Paperback

by Kristel Driessens (Editor), Vicky Lyssens-Danneboom (Editor)

During recent decades a strong interest has grown in actively involving service users in social work education, research and policy development. Drawing on a major European Social Fund project, this book presents an overview of inspiring collaborative models that have proven their efficacy and sustainability. Contributions from service users, lecturers and researchers from across Europe provide detailed case studies of good practice, exploring the value framework behind the model and considering their added value from a user, teacher and student perspective. The book concludes with a series of reflective chapters, considering key issues and ethical dilemmas.

Author Biography

Kristel Driessens is Professor of Social Work at the University of Antwerp and Head of the Centre of Expertise Strength-based Social Work at the Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences. She is coordinator of Bind-Kracht, a collaboration between service users living in poverty, lecturers and researchers, providing educational programmes for social workers. Vicky Lyssens-Danneboom is Senior Researcher in Qualitative Social Work Research at the Centre of Expertise Strength-based Social Work and Lecturer in the social work and socio-educational care work programmes at the Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences.