SCOURFIELD Critical Reflection.pdf (86.75 kB)
A critical reflection on the involvement of 'experts by experience' in inspections
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 13:27 authored by Peter ScourfieldRecent research conducted in the UK for the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) suggested that there was no evidence to indicate that the involvement of service users and lay assessors in service inspections improved the quality of inspections. However, recently, CSCI has initiated a project to involve ‘experts by experience’ in their service inspections. Here, the term ‘expert by experience’ has been adopted to describe users of social care services. However, the appropriateness of this usage has not been without some challenge and various conceptual difficulties have been raised in how the term is used. Reflecting on reports published by CSCI, this paper considers whether the choice of the word ‘expert’ in this context is really appropriate and also whether, although well intentioned, the involvement of ‘experts by experience’ is too confused in its rationale to actually empower the people using the services being inspected. The paper concludes by suggesting that the current inspection body—the Care Quality Commission—would do well to review both the terminological and conceptual confusion in respect of this practice.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
40Issue number
6Page range
1890-1907Publication title
British Journal of Social WorkISSN
1468-263XExternal DOI
Publisher
Oxford University PressFile version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng
Official URL
Legacy posted date
2010-11-03Legacy creation date
2019-12-05Legacy Faculty/School/Department
ARCHIVED Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education (until September 2018)Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedLicence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC