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This paper by Jayne Breeze et al, describes the process underpinning the design and delivery of a post basic module degree at the University of Sheffield and focuses on working with mental health service users and carers. The module was a collaboration between service users, carers and academics whose aim was to work in partnership. Partnership cannot be achieved without a shift in the balance of power. This paper argues that issues relating to: remuneration, roles, representativeness and control need to be addressed before partnership can be realised
In 2004 the Department of Mental Health and Learning Disability at the University of Sheffield included, for the first time, a module entitled 'Working with service users and significant others' within its post basic provision. The module formed part of the 'BMedSci Mental Health Practice' degree but could be accessed by all post basic students, Delivery of the module was the result of the collaboration between service users, carers and academics. The following paper describes the process of this collaboration and identifies ways of working that enables shifts in the balance of power.
The importance of involving service users and carers in all aspects of health care has been firmly ensconced in health policy since the 1990s. Recent legislation has confirmed this principle. see, for example, Patient and Public Involvement in the New NHS (DOH 1999); The Expert Patient (DOH 2001) and the different National Service Frameworks. This has resulted in the development of structures for service user and carer involvement within services, research and education. In nurse education there is a requirement for educational institutions to involve service users and carers when designing and delivering training programmes (ENB, 1996).
In response to policy requirements for healthcare education, educational institutions and workforce confederations have been developing guidelines for involving service users and carers in education and training. The Northern Centre for Mental Health, funded by NIMHE (National Institute for Mental Health England), produced a tool to help workforce development confederations to audit user and carer involvement in higher education and inform the commissioning of post-qualification mental health education programmes (NCMH 2003). An integral part of the tool is the adaptation of the 'ladder of participation' offered by Goss and Miller (1995). This : comprises five levels...