Service User Involvement: Reaching the Hard to Reach in Supported Housing

Involving service users in both day-to-day and long-term strategic planning is known to empower clients and result in improved services, yet there is a lack of practical guidance on how this can be achieved. Drawing on original research, this book offers imaginative and effective strategies for consulting with service users who have been historically difficult to engage with, including homeless people, care leavers, ex-offenders, travellers, women escaping domestic violence and black and minority ethnic groups. The authors explore traditional consultation methods such as meetings and questionnaires, as well as informal and creative activities such as writing, art, photography and video work as ways of gathering clients' views. They make practical suggestions as to how organizational structures and individual attitudes can be changed to overcome the barriers to successful consultation.Including many real-life examples of good practice, the book is a step-by-step guide to creating a complete service user involvement strategy and also contains exercises for managers to use with their teams. It is an essential resource for social workers, housing officers and other professionals working with disadvantaged and marginalised groups in supported housing.

Helen Brafield is an independent consultant and trainer working with organisations in the voluntary sector. She worked for 20 years in the not-for-profit sector, managing and developing staff and services predominantly for homeless people.

Terry Eckersley has worked at YMCA for 11 years and is currently CEO of Woking YMCA, UK.