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No abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/ authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The aim is to examine the current state of black and minority ethnic (BME) service user involvement in mental health policy making and commissioning of services, identifying barriers to participation, and potential strategies to enhance BME involvement and ensure more culturally sensitive services.Design/methodology/approach -The paper provides an overview of the Dancing To Our Own Tunes report and more recent review which assess progress towards achieving improved BME mental health service user involvement.Findings -There are a number of barriers affecting the relationships between statutory bodies and user involvement initiatives. These include a lack of BME representation on groups that influence mental health policy and commissioning, along with spending cuts that disproportionately impact on BME mental health service users.Research limitations/implications -The original report was based upon a consultation with a relatively small number of participants.Practical implications -Increasing the involvement of diverse service users in policy making and in the design and delivery of mental health services will lead to better quality, more effective and efficient services.Originality/value -The area of BME service user involvement in the design and delivery of mental health services has hitherto received little attention in the literature.