All Shaping Our Lives publications are developed by service users.
Click here to view the newsletter as a text only word file. (This format is most suitable for people who use screen readers.)
Click here for a page where you can download previous newsletters.
This unique book is about the experiences of people with learning difficulties, how they are treated and what needs to change. It is based on research controlled by people with learning difficulties. It tells us how they did the research, what they found out and what needs to be done. Copies are available for £6.50 plus £1.50 p&p from the Shaping Our Lives office. Just click the ‘Buy Now’ button below.
| or click here to download a free PDF copy of ‘We are not stupid’. If you can afford to buy a copy we do appreciate it as we do not have project funding to cover the costs of this publication. |
A report from the Standards We Expect project, which Shaping Our Lives worked on with De Montfort University, Brunel University and Values Into Action.
This information pack was developed for service users who took part in The Standards We Expect project. However, we think it could also be useful to other service uses by providing some information and ideas about person centred support.
Click here to download a copy (word document) or get in touch with Shaping Our Lives to ask for a printed copy.
This report outlines the key themes from a seminar organised by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, The General Social Care Council, Shaping Our Lives, Skills for Care and the Social Care Institute for Excellence. The term ‘benefit barriers to involvement’ is used to describe the ways in which the current benefit system discourages or prevents people in receipt of benefits from getting involved.
You can order a free, printed copy from the Shaping Our Lives office.
Click here to download a PDF copy of Benefit Barriers to Involvement.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the easy read version of Benefit Barriers to Involvement.
Click here to download an rtf copy of Benefit Barriers to Involvement.
Click here to download an rtf large print summary of Benefit Barriers to Involvement.
(Peter Beresford, The Guardian, 29 August 2007)
An article by Shaping Our Lives Chair, Peter Beresford, about payments for user involvement and barriers caused by the benefit system.
We would like to know about your experiences as a service user or service provider on this issue, both positive and negative. Please email: jenny@shapingourlives.org.uk. All responses will be treated confidentially.
Full length version of Shaping Our Lives newsletter article by Fran Branfield. This will be posted here shortly. The text is being finalised.
Report of regional consultations with service users to develop a strategy to support the participation of service users in social work education.
You can order a printed copy from the Shaping Our Lives office.
This paper outlines a project commissioned by the Department of Health which focused on participation in the undergraduate and postgraduate social work degree. Focusing on how service user and care organisations can develop their involvement in the undergraduate and post graduate social work degree and drawing on successes of the first two years, the paper then goes on to identify existing barriers to successful partnership and possible ways forward.
This project was a joint venture between Shaping Our Lives, Department of Health and SCIE.
You can order a copy from SCIE (www.scie.org.uk) or
Shaping Our Lives, in association with other service user organisations, are putting together a report which is based on what many service users have said and written about social work over the years. We hope that this will also influence the current review in a helpful way and ensure that more service user voices are heard.
You can order a copy from the Shaping Our Lives office or
(Fran Branfield and Peter Beresford, published by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2006)
(Michael Turner and Peter Beresford, Shaping Our Lives and the Centre for Citizen Participation, Brunel University 2005) Full Report: Number of pages 137; file size 1209K. Commissioned by INVOLVE.
Click here for a copy of the full User Controlled Research report. (PDF file)
Click here for a copy of the summary User Controlled Research report. (PDF file)
Click here for a copy of the summary User Controlled Research report in large print. (20pt) (PDF file)
(Michael Turner and Peter Beresford, Shaping Our Lives and the Social Care Institute for Excellence, The Policy Press 2005)
Click here for a copy of the Contributing on Equal Terms report. (PDF file)
Click here to see an article in Society Guardian by Peter Beresford on the report.
Click here for the report that was put together by Shaping Our Lives after we had talked to more than 60 service users to find out what they thought of this government Green Paper on adult social care.
The adult social care Green Paper reflects service user views – up to a point. The watch words of the Government's Green Paper on adult social care appear to be: independence, well-being and choice. It shows ministers have listened to service users, who have emphasised how important these values are. It is not clear, however, whether the Government is really committed to backing up these positive words with resources.
Please email Shaping Our Lives if you would like a copy.
(by Shaping Our Lives in association with local groups, published by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2003)
(by Shaping Our Lives, published by Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2003)
