Service users and carers are frequently described as robust, effective and insightful, but there are some occasions when support is needed. People may find that their health condition deteriorates or re-living a traumatic time for the benefit of students may be an emotionally costly experience. Jobseeking or other ambitions may bear fruit and people leave to pursue their dreams, while other members of the family may need extra care.
Others may simply find that the opportunity for involvement places them in an unfamiliar, challenging situation, where they are nervous or uncertain that their skills will be sufficient for the task. Those who have lived a socially isolated life before getting involved may feel intimidated by the intelligence of the students, the seniority of the staff or the size of the group.
University staff who lead on service user and carer involvement provide some support in these circumstances, but it may be worth considering peer mentor approaches, by which an experienced service user or carer is linked with a novice and coaches them, listens to their concerns, or works alongside them as they gain experience. These arrangements may be particularly valuable where some service users and carers live a long way away from the University buildings or where there is an intention to reduce reliance on paid staff and promote co-ownership of the project.
Alongside these support needs, service users and carers can reasonably expect feedback on their performance against a clear understanding of the role (see the webpage on role). As Bill Hybels says, 'it is a cruel and unusual punishment to give someone a job and not tell them how they are doing'. Sometimes the inexperienced person finds that having an audience is an intoxicating experience, and needs help to use their newfound power effectively. Most often, people simply need to be appreciated.
Service users and carers who are Inexperienced in delivering teaching may need particular encouragement and feedback, and staff should resist the temptation to ignore poor performance or manage it by simply not booking a return visit from the person, but they have a duty to provide feedback to all and an opportunity to develop.
The third component here is to consider developmental opportunities. Service users and carers need to hear about opportunities to contribute, to take up new activities, perhaps moving from teaching to join a curriculum planning group or to take up a role in relation to research. A newsletter or email distribution list may form a platform for ensuring that everyone hears about these opportunities and has a chance to indicate a wish to participate. Whilst some people will be quite happy contributing at the same level, there should be a clear progression route and range of opportunities for people who wish to enlarge their experience, Some people would like to receive a certificate, reference or testimonial of their achievements to add to a personal portfolio, or be able to present at a conference.
Providing training and support to service users and carers will equip them for supporting the task of nurse education. See the Training webpage. Meanwhile, if the university is also lowering barriers to employment for people who have good qualifications and a relevant lived experience, then these two paths will meet one another, and service users and carers who wish to do so will be able to become students and employees.
Where service users and carers are coming in to the university as casual staff, then the quality assurance process is largely achieved by offering repeat business to those who excel and not to those who do not.