7. Appendix 2 Evaluation Feedback from Dublin IP INTENSIVE PROGRAMME IN DUBLIN (Activities C1 and C3 within the Project), 26th October – 30th October 2021

7.4. How did the learning from this programme impact you in relation to your thoughts about professional practice?

CZ1 Better search and finding of opportunities for participatory approaches.

CZ2 In my course I’d like to keep the service-research-teaching triad when it comes to participatory approaches. The dangers of applying participation in a mode of “discipline and punish” must be taken into account.

CZ3 I was excited and after a week positively motivated (by you to work?) with you to work. Among other thing I decided to work more on my English so that I could better present my ideas and thoughts.

CZ4 I see how much complex knowledge a social worker needs to have to be able to modify his approach towards clients based on clients’ needs. It is a very difficult work and it takes a lot to do it right. For sure many nurses have a lot to learn from social workers considering their empathy and approach.

CZ5 Again, I have to emphasize the quality and scope of individual lectures, which shows that the preparation of this program must have been quite demanding and the organizers had a lot of work with it. I am glad that I had the opportunity to get to know how the approach to the profession works in other countries and also that I had the opportunity to meet many interesting and inspiring people from practice. Among other things, I take away from this meeting in the future that even though the services are set up differently in each country, the social perception of participants from different parts of the world is very similar and the goals of our work are all perceived similarly.

BG1 It stressed the importance of democratic professionalism

BG2 Participation is not the responsibility of the ‘client’, but also of the professional. Important to search for frameworks such as the ‘critical’, ‘reflexive’, ‘democratic’ professional to think through what kind of professionalism is necessary.

BG3 It strengthens the finding that professional practice is intrinsically complex and uncertain in nature.

BG4 It helped me realise how important it is to constantly reflect on our own frame of reference and behaviour.

CZ6 It is, above all, about people. If there is a good team, creativity can flourish and good ideas brought to life. People are often not born (or raised) with pro-participative skills, but these skills can be cultivated. I learned that having a person in the team that would take care of the personal and professional growth (like Patrick) can be extremely helpful.

CZ7 It has inspired me to be more creative in professional practice.

PT1 I am beginning to develop a much more differentiated understanding of participation through a heightened awareness of the risks of “tokenism” creeping in inadvertently (participants are always “selected” and hence reflect an “expert bias” – they can never be “representative” in the fullest sense)

PT2&3 During this week, we learned a lot, we retained positive information so that we can use it in our work as social workers. For good professional performance, we should not limit ourselves only to fulfilling functions, we should have respect for others, discipline in what we do, cooperate and communicate more with other institutions and other professionals, appeal to the participation of users.

IE1 It validated my decision to use a critical participatory action research approach to my PhD study. It reiterated the importance of empowering service users to research their own situations and in doing so, to have an emancipatory effect on their lives.

FI1 I’m focusing more on client participation related issues when I’m doing my every day work as a social worker. I’m also interested in continuing this subject as I plan my dissertation.

FI2 I think my answer in the second question also applies here.