“Experts by Experience”: The Involvement of Service Users and Families in Designing and Implementing Innovations in Family Justice

Abstract

Drawing on international research, policy, and practice, this article explores what is meant by service user involvement, how it has developed, and how it has been implemented across different areas of practice. Using examples from across the health and social care fields, it reflects on how the learning from other areas of practice in which service user involvement has been successful may be applied to the family justice field. The arguments presented highlight the value of taking a bottom‐up approach in designing and implementing innovations in family justice, which would embrace the views of family members, including children, as ‘service users.’ It is important, however, to balance both the challenges and the opportunities offered by involving those who are ‘experts by experience’ in the family justice processes, in order to lead to improved services and experiences.

Professionals’ views on children’s service user involvement

“…This is important, as knowledge is central to collective participation. The involvement of children as experts by experience is justified by their everyday knowledge on how given services meet or fail to meet their needs (Misca et al, 2019;Pö sö , 2018).…”

“…Although the involvement of service users is increasingly accepted, at least as an ideal and aim, insufficient research exists on the power imbalance between different actors (Kierkegaard, 2020;Misca et al, 2019), while even more questions remain in relation to children's involvement. In their analysis of the family justice context, Misca et al (2019) problematise the concept expert by experience, which they see as referring to a partnership or relationship of equals.…”

“…Although the involvement of service users is increasingly accepted, at least as an ideal and aim, insufficient research exists on the power imbalance between different actors (Kierkegaard, 2020;Misca et al, 2019), while even more questions remain in relation to children's involvement. In their analysis of the family justice context, Misca et al (2019) problematise the concept expert by experience, which they see as referring to a partnership or relationship of equals. In their view, we need more research-based knowledge on the power relationships informing service user involvement and to take a critical stance towards protectionist frameworks that can suppress children's views (also Walker and Misca, 2019, 378).…”