Abstract

Interdisciplinary collaboration with authentic voices transcends traditional boundaries and power dynamics which can prevent shared decision making (Joseph-Williams, Edwards and Elwyn, 2014). This submission presents an innovative model for community collaboration through Congress Days, which bring together students from different courses, to engage with community-led learning experiences. Our model demonstrates how Interprofessional Learning can be sustainably embedded across curricula through strategic leadership, shared resources, and pedagogical innovation.

Our Congress Days focus on community engagement, where local services and groups deliver workshops co-facilitated by individuals with lived experience. These sessions provide authentic insights into service provision and user perspectives, creating a foundation for empathy and understanding beyond disciplinary boundaries.

Building on this our Communication Congress Day where workshops take a case-based learning approach, students work in cross-disciplinary teams to address real-world scenarios designed by community partners and those who access their groups. Themes include physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental health conditions, with groups such as Spring into Action and the MS Society. Community partners deliver the workshop, students collaboratively explore solutions, share ideas, and reflect on diverse approaches. This experiential model raises the profile of local organisations and the University equipping students with transferable skills (Lunn, Urmston, Seymour and Manfrin 2020). They are learning with from and about (CAIPE, 2025) each other’s professions, while developing their understanding of third sector groups and holistic care. Interprofessional education sessions are designed to support heutagogical learning (Gillaspy and Vasilica, 2021). Students feedback their plans to the groups who offer lived insight and practical feedback, whilst gaining ideas for development.