Engaging Social Workers in an Interprofessional Masters Programme for Practitioners Working with the Survivors of Violence: Issues and Challenges
This presentation describes the establishment of an interprofessional programme for practitioners working with survivors of intentional and unintentional violence. The results of an action research project with social work managers and practitioners to increase the involvement of social work in this programme will be described and the challenges in gaining post qualifying social work accreditation.
Many of the clients of adult social work have been subject to violence, abuse or trauma at some point in their lives. Although anti-oppressive practice including feminist approaches form a recognised part of the British social work curriculum, theoretical and practical approaches to working with survivors of violence are not located centrally within the new social work degree or post qualifying social work training. This echoes the lack of focus within mainstream social work settings on work with adult survivors of violence.( Wise, 1995) This has particular implications for work with women. Work is now underway to strengthen understanding of social models of distress and the implications of trauma. (SPN 2002) In 2000 City University established an interprofessional Masters programme from within a school of nursing. The aim of the two year part time programme was to bring together experienced practitioners from different disciplines working with the survivors of violence.
This presentation will discuss methods used to develop the curriculum interprofessionally with nursing, the police and domestic violence organisations;teaching methods used including the use of enquiry based learning, expert panels and the experiential focus of the course. The relationship of feminist approaches to the programme will be discussed and the impact that was reported on practitioners' practice. Take up amongst social workers was low, the methods employed to change this will be discussed.
Refs.
SPN (1995) Start making Sense: Developing social models to understand and work with mental distress, published by TOPSS England, Albion Court, 5 Albion Place, Leeds LS1 6LP
Wise, S. ( 1995) 'Feminist ethics in practice' in Richard Hugman and David Smith (eds) Ethical Issues in Social Work, London, Routledge.