Working together for change: involving clients, families, and staff in planning improvements in mental handicap services

SUMMARY: A method of improving services for mentally handicapped people was developed which involved collaboration between families and staff. The method identified areas of service deficiency, introduced practical steps to improve the service, and monitored the effectiveness of the new procedures. This article briefly describes the use of this method in one mental handicap service and suggests that it could be more generally used within other services.