Service User Ambassadors lead learning at Sheffield Hallam University

When it comes to training the next generation of Nurses and Social Workers, there’s no substitute for hearing directly from the people who receive care every day.

On 22 January 2026, three of our Service User Ambassadors joined nursing colleagues to take part in the University’s ‘Simulated Practice Learning’ day for first-year Learning Disability Nursing and Social Work students.

Learning directly from lived experience

Ambassadors - Adam, Alex, and Leanne - led a dedicated session where they shared their personal stories and experiences of living in care.

They spoke openly about what good support looks like, what makes a difference day to day, and how Nurses and Social Workers can have a lasting impact on someone’s life.

For the students, this was a chance to move beyond theory and hear first-hand what person-centred care really means.

For our residents, it was an opportunity to shape future practice, challenge assumptions, and ensure the voices of people who draw on care are heard early in professionals’ careers.

The conversations were honest, thoughtful, and impactful - helping students better understand social care, and the role they can play in supporting people to live fulfilled lives.

Putting learning into practice

Alongside the Ambassador-led session, the day included a number of practical learning activities to give students wider context.

• Simulation scenarios focused on supporting an admission into social care, including gathering information from an individual and their family in a person-centred way, with coaching from two of our Clinical Nurse Managers.

• A Q&A session about social care and our organisation, giving students a clearer picture of what a career in social care nursing can look like.

Challenging perceptions of social care

Throughout the day, our team asked students some challenging but important questions about their perceptions of social care, whether they’d considered working in the sector, and what comes to mind when they think about nursing outside of acute settings.

These conversations helped to break down stereotypes, highlight the complexity and skill involved in social care nursing, and show the meaningful impact nurses can have on people’s lives.

Supporting the future workforce

Working in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, we’re proud to support the development of future Nurses and Social Workers - not just through placements, but by actively contributing to education.

Most importantly, we’re proud of our Service User Ambassadors for leading the way.

Their insight, confidence, and willingness to share their experiences made this a powerful learning opportunity and a reminder of why lived experience must sit at the heart of care.

Supporting the future of social care nursing starts with listening - and this day showed just how much students can learn when they do.

Read more about student nurse placements at Exemplar Health Care