Reflections on a Model of Empowered User Involvement

Using her experience in working with a local authority and a large voluntary sector provider, the author describes a model which provides effective and challenging user involvement which is also empowering for service users to participate in. Long‐term financial resources are seen as essential to develop user‐controlled organisations, and it is argued that they should be based on the social model of disability. Capacity‐building techniques such as information provision, training and meeting together are seen as enabling users to gain skill and confidence.