Collaborative research: Service users, practitioners and academics working together

2008 Conference

The focus of Standards We Expect research and development project is the barriers to person centred support and ways in which they may be overcome. The project’s lead organisation is Shaping Our Lives, the national service user network. The three year project supported the development of person-centred solutions in eight partner services across England and Scotland. It was a two and a half year project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The research project specifically focused on the views and experiences of service users and face to face workers, two groups who continue to be marginalised in research as well as service managers. It has been committed to involving as wide a constituency as possible in the development, design, process and evaluation of the project; as it depended on the ownership of all stakeholders, particularly service users and practitioners, drawing on their knowledge, views and experience.

In this presentation we will focus on our methods and approach to inclusive research with a serious commitment to race equality. We will explore how the partnership of service users, practitioners and academics have worked together on this collaborative project and draw out the lessons that can be learnt for further collaborative and inclusive working. It provides the knowledge base for improvement as well as a force for change.