SHARED LEARNING FOR DOCTORS AND SOCIAL-WORKERS - EVALUATION OF A PROGRAM

This paper reports a shared learning programme for final year social w ork and medical students which was designed in the light of social psy chological studies of intergroup behaviour (the Contact Hypothesis). K ey features included institutional support for the programme and oppor tunities to work as equals in pairs and small groups on shared tasks i n a co-operative atmosphere. Topics included alcohol abuse, dealing wi th psychiatric emergencies, deliberate self-harm and community service s for people with learning disabilities. A comprehensive evaluation of the effects of the programme on one cohort of 85 participants reveale d that overall attitudes towards the other profession had improved and that each saw the other as more professionally competent at the end o f the programme. Participants reported increased knowledge of the atti tudes, skills, roles and duties of the other profession and of how to work together more effectively.