Written by a collection of experts in the field, this important new text provides a critical and constructive analysis of the ways in which service users and carers engage with health and social care services. Covering topics such as the importance of terminology, wellbeing and resilience and the notion of tokenism, and enhanced by a wealth of first-hand experiences and creative work by a range of service users and carers, the text examines how different forms of collaboration, participation and involvement (or lack of it) have contributed, and continue to contribute, to service development and the expansion of participant movements. With a strong focus on retrospective as well as prospective analysis, it encourages the reader to learn from both historical and current developments in service user and carer involvement in order to anticipate and inform future directions.This engaging and inspiring text is key reading for students on undergraduate and postgraduate social work programmes, as well as practitioners looking for a fresh new perspective.

1. Introduction Setting the Scene 2. Service User and Carer Involvement: Forwards, Backwards and Places in Between 3. Bleeding Boundaries - homogeneity and heterogeneity in user involvement 4. Building Voices Challenging Stereotypes and Constructing Identity 5. Visibility and Invisibility in Service User and Carer Involvement 6. Exploring Resilience and wellbeing: crossing the boundaries between' Service User' and Practitioner in mental health 7. Creativity in professional education and practice learning from survivors 8. International Agendas: Mirrors and Mirages 9. Future Dilemmas and Directions.