ABSTRACT
The opportunities to design completely new human service systems are few and far between. Failure to identify such priorities can often lead to crisis oriented service design which may not always be in the interest of service consumers, and can also lead to a lack of success, often quickly followed by disillusionment on the part of the change agent. Managers of services appear to make frequent decisions regarding developments in service provision in isolation from either those who receive the service or those directly providing the service. The researchers were approached by the manager of the Mental Handicap Unit who said he was interested in improving the way in which services were provided to the clients of this bungalow. The researchers interviewed the clients' families and the staff before and after the intervention phases of the study using a structured interview format.
