> About

About PIER

The PIER partnership is a collaboration between people with lived experience, academics and students at Bournemouth University.

The PIER timeline Who we are Our Goal, Values & Approach Education Research Collaborations Meet the team

Timeline

PIER through the years

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

2005
The Pilot

Bournemouth University piloted the Getting Involved Skills for Care course, led by Teresa Kippax (BCP) and Angela Paget, to prepare people with lived experience for involvement in the social work degree. From this course came the first 8 PIER members; one of whom is still with us! (Pam Henderson). All PIER involvement at this time was in undergraduate and post qualifying social work.
2007
Opportunities for Involvement

Designed and delivered by Gill Thomas and Angela Paget, expanded accessibility and added five new PIER members, with Gill Thomas overseeing involvement.
2008
Party Conferences

Angela presented at the Lib Dem and Conservative party conferences. Rosie Read becomes Academic Lead.
2009
SWEP Conference

Presentation at SWEP conference 'Developing service user & carer participation.
2010
PIER membership reaches 15
2011
Post Creation

2 posts were created to facilitate involvement across the Faculty. (Angela and Peter given permanent contracts). First publication: They've got it! Social work students' understanding of service user and carer perspectives. The Journal of Practice and Learning. Learning from the lived experience unit introduced into BA (Hons) social work.
2012
Presented at the 'Authenticity to Action' conference in Preston
2013
Award Winning

BU PIER awarded the Health Education England Wessex award for 'Hearing the patient voice in education and training.
2014
Louise Worswick becomes Academic Lead
2015
Award Winning

Won an award at the Health Education Wessex Shine Awards ceremony.
2016
Award Winning

BU PIER awarded the Health Education England Wessex award for 'Hearing the patient voice in education and training' First Dorset Mela event - celebrating culture, music and community.
2017
Name change and feature on BBC South Today

Daily Echo Proud to Care Awards - special recognition award for the work done with older male carers CSUP (Carer & Service User Partnership) changed name to BU PIER (Public Involvement in Education & Research Partnership. Chief Cook and Bottle washer older carers film and research features on BBC South Today.
2018
PIER members reach 100!

Book chapter published on using simulation for assessment and workplace preparation (Hughes & Warren). Paper with 3 PIER member co-authors 'Service user engagement in healthcare education as a mechanism for values-based recruitment 'Public involvement in health and social sciences research: A concept analysis' published (Hughes and Duffy). Visit by Prof Tadakazu Kumagai and Dr Tim Cleminson from Kawasaki University, Japan. Our concept analysis of public involvement in research published in Health Expectation. PIER members reach 100!
2019
Collaboration with VOICE global begins
2020
Public Involvement in Education and Research Strategy 2020-2025
2021
Awarding winning

Vice-Chancellor's Staff Awards 2021 Winners in 2 categories: Excellence Award (Social Work) and Inclusivity Award (PIER Partnership) Bournemouth Gateway Building opened.
2022
Social Exclusion in the UK: The lived Experience

Dr Kate Jupp joins the team and job title changes from Coordinators to PIER Officers. Ist cohort of 20 credit Master's Unit - Public Involvement in Research PIER members co-author chapters in Social Exclusion in the UK: The lived Experience.
2024
Course delivery

First 'Having a voice' in research course co-designed and delivered by PIER members for PIER members. PIER members contribute to book chapter in Social Work Practice with Adults: voices of service users, carers, practitioners and educators.
2025
PIER Membership reaches 76!

Mel presents at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Health roundtable on shifting care into communities at the House of Commons. Comensus (Community Engagement and Service User Support) group visits from the University of Central Lancashire. Current PIER Membership - 76!

Who we are

Grown to over 80 individual members and 60+ community collaborations

Bournemouth University PIER (Public Involvement in Education and Research) is an award-winning partnership which connects people with lived and living experiences of health and social care with academics, researchers, educators, students and practitioners to improve regional and national health and social care outcomes in the UK.

Established in 2005 with eight members in social work education, the PIER partnership has grown to over 80 individual members and actively collaborations with over 60 community partners in education and research.

Meet the team

Our Goal, Values & Approach

Bringing unique insight to improve outcomes for all

The PIER partnership is a collaboration between people with lived experience, academics and students at Bournemouth University. As experts by experience, we bring unique perspectives, knowledge and insight to health and social science education, research and practice, leading to improved outcomes for all involved.

Our Goal

For those who are most affected by health and social inequalities to lead the way in shaping responses and improving outcomes.

Our Shared Values

The BU PIER partnership is underpinned by our shared values and goals of humanised and relationship based models of collaboration. Our work is based on respect and meaningful engagement where everyone involved feels valued and respected.

Our Approach

To involve people with lived experience as consultants; reviewers; researchers; facilitators and assessors due to the expertise they have and the perspectives they can share.

To develop inclusive models of collaboration in education, research and practice which are based on parity of involvement; giving people a voice; and enabling a wide range of people to participate in ways which work best for them.

To broaden the range of voices collaborating in research, education and practice; in particular, marginalised and seldom heard groups.

Education

Coordinating over 100 educational activities a year

PIER typically coordinates over 100 educational activities a year for regulated professional programmes within BU’s Faculty of Health, Environment and Medical Science including social work, adult, mental health and child nursing, midwifery, operating department practice, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, paramedic science and physician associates and multiple Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units.

Our involvement in education

Research

Involving people with lived experience in research

We have significantly expanded our collaborations with and support for researchers across Bournemouth University and our region and support over 70 people a year with lived experience to be involved in research as co-applicants, co-researchers, or as part of lived experience advisory groups.

Our involvement in research

Collaborations

Reaching diverse populations for the most inclusive research outcomes

In addition to individual members with lived experience, we collaborate with a network of trusted community partners involving them in both education and research, enabling us to reach more diverse populations, including those from marginalised groups. In 2026, we actively collaborated with 66 voluntary and community sector organisations in education and research activity with the goal of increasing research inclusion: ensuring that research findings apply to all by increasing the diversity of those involved.

The PIER team have a number of externally facing roles including leading on Research Inclusion for ARC (Applied Research Collaboration) Wessex.

Our Members & Community