Social Care, Service Users and User Involvement

Peter Beresford is Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Centre for Citizen Participation at Brunel University, UK, Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University, a long term user of mental health services and Chair of Shaping Our Lives, the national service user led organisation and network. He is a writer, researcher, educator and campaigner with a long-standing involvement in issues of participation and empowerment. Sarah Carr is a Senior Research Analyst at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), an Honorary Fellow at the Faculty of Health, Staffordshire University, a Visiting Fellow of the Centre for Government and Charity Management, Faculty of Business, London South Bank University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She is a trustee of NDTi, the LGB&T Consortium of Voluntary and Community Organisations and of the National Survivor and User Network (NSUN). Sarah is a long-term user of mental health services and has written on her own experiences as well as general mental health practice and policy, LGB welfare and equality issues, service user empowerment and participation.