ABSTRACT
The chapter explores the ways in which spaces have therapeutic potential; the contested meaning of space; and suggests that spatial practices can reinforce power differences between carers and those they manage and care for. It provides a case study which illustrates how a transformational model of leadership which recognises the importance of the care environment can empower both staff and service users. The suggestion that the built environment shapes people’s capacity to work effectively, learn, heal, rest and engage in healthful activities is gaining increasing importance in the literature on health and social science. An aversion to taking risks and an overemphasis on efficiency and safety may deprive staff and service users of an important role in decision making and the possibilities of transforming the caring environment to make it more therapeutic.
