How does lived experience of incarceration impact upon the helping process in social work practice? : A scoping review

Whilst the value of lived experience in the helping process is recognised in a range of settings including mental health, disability and substance addiction, the understanding of therole of lived experience of incarceration in the helping process is less developed. This is relevant to the question of gatekeeping into the social work profession. A heightened focus on risk has resulted in limited opportunity for those with a history of incarceration from studying and practising social work. Little is known about how a lived experience of incarceration influences the helping relationship, and in turn we know very little about the implications for service users of having reduced access to social workers who have experienced imprisonment. To better understand the current state of knowledge regarding the role of lived experience of incarceration in the helping process, a scoping review of the literature was undertaken. A thematic analysis of sixty-one articles published before 2019 was undertaken and consensus was achieved on four themes: stigma and discrimination; trust and authenticity; role modelling and hope; and, power and agency. The findings include recommendations for more nuanced policy regarding the restriction of those with a lived experience of incarceration entering the social work profession.