The UWE Hub Group

The Hub Group is a group of people with lived experience of disability, learning disability, metal health and family caring who contribute to professional education and research at the University of the West of England in health and social work programmes.

The Hub Group members of the Disability Rights and Robotics; Co-production futures project bring their lived experience of disability, mental health and family caring to inform research priorities around disability rights and robotics for user centred design. Their leadership role and expertise also contributes to the social scientists' and robotics technologists learning to develop accessible co-production research approaches and public engagement and impact opportunities in this cross disciplinary project.


What is the UWE Hub Group?

To learn more about the work of the UWE Bristol Social Work HUB Group and to hear directly from members please watch the videos included below. Our co-research team members Karon, Jackie, Patricia and Sheena are all members of the UWE Bristol Social Work HUB group.

Film 1 - Public Involvement in Social Work – why it matters

Service users and carers joined the Hub group to share their expertise from lived experience with social work students. This film explains why public involvement in the programme matters to them.

Film 2 - 'What and How?'

Film 2 explains what Hub group members contribute to the social work programme including teaching, admissions, drop-in for students, curriculum design and validation. Beyond the programme members also contribute to conferences, networks and newsletters.

Film 3 - 'Supported learning and trailblazing!'

This film shows how the Hub group model and promote supported learning and are supported by the university. It also shows how their contribution trailblazes innovation into to future practice.

Contributions to the Disability Rights and Robotics Project by members of the HUB Group are supported by the UWE Faculty of Environment and Technology (FET) Enterprise Funding

The Social Science in the City Disability Rights and Robotics: Co-Producing Futures Event for Disability History Month on the 10th December 2020 was co-designed and co-produced by our entire team and included the work of our co-researchers Karon, Patricia, Jackie and Sheena from the HUB Group, their time has been funded by the FET Enterprise Funding.