King's College London

People with intellectual disabilities are recruited as experts by experience in social care, so that their experience can inform and shape services. This is widely recognized as good practice and in some cases is legally required- for example, for Oliver McGowan Training. The ‘expert-by-experience’ label highlights the central role of knowledge and learning. Organisations can learn from the experiences of people who use their services, while people with intellectual disabilities can develop skills and knowledge as partners in social care provision. Although these roles are increasingly common, there is little evidence about how they are implemented or what changes they bring.

This project examines how expert-by-experience roles work in practice, for the people recruited and for other the staff. Using policy documents, video observations and first-person accounts, the research will provide a detailed picture of expert-by-experience work. It will focus on learning – by the people recruited and by the staff who work with them - and how this shapes outcomes. By doing so, the project aims to inform thinking about how social care works with people with intellectual disabilities and what can be achieved by doing so.