Empowerment of users of social care services has become a key issue in much current social work and social policy literature. However, many of these texts have defined participation narrowly, and consequently user involvement has been restricted to influencing the decisions of front-line workers, with little participation in policy making at senior management level. This book explores strategies for effectively involving users in the planning, delivery and evaluation of services. How the key concepts of empowerment, participation and user involvement have been applied in important areas such as mental health, child care services and social welfare is discussed, and the outcomes for users considered. The book draws on extensive research and case studies, and also considers the methodology and ethical dilemmas of carrying out research.

User Involvement and Participation in Social Care is an authoritative, thought-provoking overview of the current situation in social care delivery and presents a convincing argument for greater direct involvement of users at every level of policy making. It will be an invaluable resource for practitioners and researchers involved in social and health care delivery at all levels.

About the Author
Chris Dearden is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. She has undertaken extensive research on young carers, and is currently engaged in research on children's perspectives on poverty.

Reviews
This volume tackles a daunting challenge: to explain how research in social care, a specialist domain of academic institutions, can become participative by drawing users into the process. In this it succeeds and the promise in the editors' short introduction largely realized - to explore various 'methodologies that engage participants and promote a sense of mutality in the research process. -- International Social Worker
An excellent resource book for those wanting to undertake evaluations, research, and health and social care practice, which seek to encourage participation, involvement, and partnership with, and emancipation and empowerment of, users of health and welfare services. -- Age and Ageing
These are honest accounts of processes, outcomes and the roles played by other stakeholders (including funders) in promoting or resisting user involvement. They draw on an unusually wide range of experience across health and social care, involving disabled people, older people, female offenders, and people with sickle cell or thalassaemia, among others. -- Communtiy Care
This is an interesting book, which examines different ways of including service users and their families, friends or carers in social care research. The opening and closing chapters discuss the wider debates about involvement and participation. The majority of the chapters give examples from a variety of different settings. This variety is a key strength, as children and families, older people, disabled people, patients of primary care, female offenders and carers (including young carers) are variously involved or participate in research. [I]t will be very useful for studetns, teachers, and researchers across the field of social care. -- Open Mind



Book Information
ISBN 9781853027772
Author Liz Ross
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publisher Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Weight(grams) 400g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 154mm * 14mm