Empowerment of users of social care services has become a key issue in much current social work and social policy literature. But many of these texts have focused on themes such as consumerism and citizens' rights, settings in which user involvement is restricted to influencing 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, childcare services and criminal justice 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.

Researching for Participation and Involvement in Social Care Delivery 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 involved in social and health care delivery at all levels.