Engaging Communities and Service Users

"This book offers a significant contribution to our critical understanding of community engagement and the challenge of developing new democratic ways of working with people and communities." - Terry Barber, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Social Work and Community Education, University of Dundee, UK "This is a user-friendly and engaging text which brings together the key policy strands and theoretical discussions relating to user involvement in an accessible manner." Lisa Goodson, Lecturer in the School of Social Policy, Institute of Applied Social Studies, University of Birmingham and author of Community Research for Participation: from Theory to Method, Policy Press "This is an accessible and well-crafted book that is relevant as an applied text for under-graduate and post-graduate students in the health, welfare and social care fields." - Debby Lynch, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Work and Human Services, University of Queensland, Australia "The book works well as a 'how to' guide to engaging in participatory practice for undergraduate students and professionals across social work and health care." - Catherine Forde, Lecturer in Applied Social Studies, University College Cork, Ireland

This book explores structures, processes, theories and practices of engagement and participation with communities, groups and individuals in a diverse range of UK and international settings.

Across the range of social care, health and welfare professions, it is essential that students and practitioners engage meaningfully with the communities and service users they work with. This book offers a timely and practical guide to the methods and skills related to forming and developing such partnerships.

Helping both aspiring and experienced practitioners to empower communities and service users, this book:

- Explores how the developing roles of communities and service users influence policy, services and practice

- Highlights the different ethical, power and boundary tensions when working with communities and service users and suggests ways to overcome them

- Provides examples, case studies, activities and useful resources which help illustrate ways and methods of empowering people and enabling their voices to be heard

An accessible and wide-ranging book, Engaging Communities and Service Users is a must have text for students and practitioners in social care, health and welfare.