Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) is a partnership project that aims to prepare the next generation of social workers through research training and mentorship initiatives to improve the integration of research and practice in field education. In 2021-2022, the TFEL team conducted online focus group discussion sessions (FGDs) to explore the involvement of service users in social work field education in Canada. Seven FGDs were held online, with two to five participants in each group. The online FGDs were recorded and later transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Participants were selected after responding to recruitment posters, and messages were shared on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) inviting service users to participate in the study. Sixty people expressed interest in participating, and twenty-two participants attended the FGD sessions.

The findings from the FGD sessions revealed five main themes: 1) service users’ lived experience informing practicum students, 2) practical suggestions for involving service users, 3) identified gaps in the skills and attributes of social workers 4) service users’ experiences with professional social workers, and 5) considerations for involving service users in field education.