Health and social care students learn from Experts by Experience | News

October 2026

Experts by Experience help bring health and social care learning to life

By Claire Huggins

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Read time: approx 7 mins

University College Birmingham is placing lived experience at the heart of its health and social care education, working with Experts by Experience to co-produce inclusive, practical learning that prepares students for professional practice and brings learning to life.

Following the arrival of the University’s first social work apprentices, the wider health and social care team is shining a light on how students across its provision learn with, and from, people who have first-hand experience of health and social care services.

Experts by Experience, known as EbEs, are embedded alongside academic colleagues at University College Birmingham (UCB) to help shape the education of future health and social care professionals. Their contribution extends beyond consultation: EbEs help develop teaching content, take part in delivery and assessment, and provide feedback that informs how learning activities evolve.

The partnership has now helped the team test and refine an innovative health and social care escape room. Designed by lecturer Adeena Khatton Ellahi, the activity gives students an interactive setting in which to develop communication, teamwork, problem-solving, observation and critical-thinking skills.

“The escape room format was developed to provide learners with a safe, engaging environment in which to develop critical thinking, teamwork and communication skills,” explained Adeena Khatton Ellahi, Health and Social Care lecturer and creator of the activity.

“It helps them bridge the gap between theory and real-world scenarios in a fun and meaningful way.”

The escape room had previously been used with prospective students at University Open Days. Inviting EbEs to experience it first-hand created an opportunity to assess its authenticity, relevance and inclusivity before its continued use with students.

EbEs lived experience helps shape student learning

Genuine co-production means moving beyond consultation

At UCB, co-production means academic knowledge and lived experience informing one another. The health and social care team has worked closely with EbEs over the past two years to develop a more inclusive curriculum and ensure that the perspectives of people who receive care and support are represented in students’ learning.

This includes the ‘Advocacy, Coproduction and Empowerment’ module, which EbEs have helped to design, deliver and assess. The escape room is a further example of that approach, with participants not simply taking part in an activity but helping to improve it for future students.

“Practical, fun and engaging activities such as these greatly enhance the experience of students on our programme by bringing theory to life,” Zoe Hodgson, Health and Social Care Programme Lead, explained.

“They encourage active participation and collaboration, build confidence in applying knowledge to real-world health and social care contexts, and make learning more memorable and enjoyable.”

Ellie Horton, Experts by Experience Department Lead, added: “Our health and social care team is deeply committed to ensuring the involvement of Experts by Experience is meaningful and extends beyond tokenism.

“Piloting the escape room gave us another opportunity to extend that co-produced work. It helps ensure our programmes remain inclusive, authentic and reflective of real-world health and social care contexts, which will greatly benefit our students.”

Learning from lived experience

Feedback from the EbEs highlighted the value of bringing lived and learned experience together. Participants described the escape room as an engaging way to encourage teamwork and collaboration, while also enabling EbEs and academic colleagues to work on an ‘equal footing’.

The activity asked participants to consider what a person’s surroundings and personal effects might reveal about their life. This created opportunities to practise observation, professional curiosity and person-centred thinking, while recognising that people are individuals rather than cases or diagnoses.

“The escape room was really interactive and fun, and a great way to bond. It also proved how much you can find out about a person from their environment and personal effects,” said Sally Parker, an Expert by Experience.

“Involving us in activities marries the lived and learned aspects of health and social care at UCB. Students can develop professional curiosity and learn to see us as people, not as a case or diagnosis.”

"Our Experts by Experience are an integral part of our team, and their contributions are invaluable in helping us shape and continually improve our programmes. This is a wonderful example of genuine co-production in action."

Dr Gemma Hunt Head of Department for Social Work

Activities are designed to promote understanding and person-centred practice

Preparing students for health and social care practice

Other feedback identified confidence, initiative, adaptability, trust, communication and teamwork as skills students could develop through the activity. EbEs also suggested that the escape room could support student induction and, in future, potentially be developed into a multidisciplinary team scenario.

“We can provide real-life perspectives that students cannot learn from textbooks alone,” explained Reshma Patel, an Expert by Experience.

“This helps make activities relevant to the needs of people who access services.”

They went on to highlight how their involvement can help academic colleagues design activities that promote empowerment, empathy, understanding and person-centred practice, while also encouraging students to challenge stereotypes and assumptions.

The group also emphasised that meaningful involvement depends on EbEs helping to shape learning, rather than being invited only to participate in a finished activity. One participant described feedback as “a gift”, with fresh perspectives and diversity of thought helping to identify new ideas and opportunities to strengthen teaching.

Ceri Davies, who recently joined UCB’s Experts by Experience team, described the approach as “the best co-production model I’ve ever seen”.

EbEs are an integral part of the health and social care team

Inclusive health and social care education at UCB

The work demonstrates how UCB’s approach reaches beyond its social work provision. Across health and social care, students are given opportunities to connect theory with realistic situations, learn directly from people with lived experience and develop the professional skills needed to work thoughtfully with individuals, families, communities and multidisciplinary teams.

“I am incredibly proud of Zoe, Ellie, Adeena and the wider team for their commitment to creating such an inclusive and engaging learning experience,” said Dr Gemma Hunt, Head of Social Work and Health Care Apprenticeships.

Gemma continues: “Our Experts by Experience are an integral part of our team, and their contributions are invaluable in helping us shape and continually improve our programmes. This is a wonderful example of genuine co-production in action, bringing together the expertise of our academic colleagues and the lived experiences of people who use health and social care services to create meaningful learning opportunities for our students.”

The escape room will continue to be refined using the feedback received, providing another practical example of how students at UCB can learn through active participation, reflection and partnership.

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