Participation is a highly discussed concept and value for social work organizations. It is seen as an important aspect of ensuring needs-based services. 'Service user involvement', such as working with peer support specialists, follows the idea that people with lived experience can contribute to services with specialized knowledge.

During the IUW we will explore the possibilities of working with peer experts to create better services and transform the logic of institutionalized support to meet the needs of vulnerable individuals in society. We will discuss the role of peers in social work practice and share experiences with peer education, peer-led services and/or the involvement from peers in social work education. We will challenge the concept of participation from different perspectives. Driven by the question “How can social work be supported by the knowledge of lived experience to rethink its own professional standards and values?”

Learning outcomes / expectations

• Participants get an overview of peer supported services in Austria and other European countries
• Participants get to know important concepts such as Empowerment, Participation and Need-based Approach in Social Work
• Participants take part in excursions to social work organizations in Austria and reflect their experiences in their home country,
• Participants exchange their social policy knowledge and explore good practice examples all over Europe.

The virtual part will take place on March 17, 2025 from 16:30 – 19:00 (CET, Vienna) via MS Teams. The access link will be sent to participants by e-mail.

The on-site week will take place from Monday, 31 March until Friday, April 4, 2025. Please organize your arrival so that you are in St. Pölten by 9 a.m. on Monday at the latest and leave on Friday in the afternoon at the earliest.

This BIP is one of the 4 International University Weeks 2025 of the SocNet98 – A European Network of Social Work Universites.

BIP Partners

• City University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Bremen, Germany
• College of Polytechnics Jihlava, Czech Republic
• Constantine The Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovak Republic
• Ernst-Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena, Germany
• Hanze University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
• HUMAK University of Applied Sciences, Finland
• PXL University College of Applied Sciences and Arts, Belgium
• UCL University College, Denmark
• Leuven UCLL, Belgium
• University of Applied Sciences Emden, Germany
• University of Girona, Spain
• University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
• University Toulouse 2 Jean-Jaures, France
• University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Austria