Interprofessional education for social workers

Background In the UK the discipline of social work is actively involved in “Interprofessional Education” (IPE), which has been defined as occurring “when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to... [ view full abstract ]

Background
In the UK the discipline of social work is actively involved in “Interprofessional Education” (IPE), which has been defined as occurring “when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care" (Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education), the aspiration to improve outcomes is also explicitly articulated in the broadly similar World Health Organisation definition. This paper reports the findings from a large scale national (2014/15) study of IPE in the UK, which has been commissioned by the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC). This body registers social workers and validates professional education in social work.
Methods
Data has been collected through: a) a systematic literature review to EPPI-Centre standards; (2010); b) an online survey of all HCPC (accredited organisations (n=250); c) telephone interviews with 20 key selected individuals; d) case studies in five geographically dispersed regions. Analysis has been conducted using SPSS and NVivo, both to gain an improved understanding of the extent and nature of IPE in the education and training, and also to identify and analyse different types of IPE activities. Further the study has explored the nature of evidence about the impact of IPE.
Findings
As part of the research a taxonomy of forms of IPE has been developed the rationale behind this taxonomy will be presented. Findings about the impact of IPE on the student experience and competence will be presented. Implications for the development and improvement of professional education in social work will be explored.
This study has been given ethical approval.
References
EPPI-Centre (2010). EPPI-Centre Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews. London, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.