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This paper draws on data from an on-going ESRC project on choice of higher education. It focuses primarily on the experiences of non-traditional applicants to higher education. Although these students are not typical of the entire university entry cohort, their narratives raise important issues in relation to race, class and higher education choice processes. These `success stories' reveal important causes for concern as well as reasons for celebration. In particular, their experiences of the choice process are qualitatively different from those of their more privileged middle-class counterparts, highlighting key class and racial differences and inequalities.

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The thrust of this paper is to argue that Habermasian theory can provide useful insight and understanding to inform participatory research in the area of forensic mental health care. Habermasian theory about communication, participation, and democracy is used to explore retrospectively the relatively free discussions that took place within a user-led research project evaluating forensic mental health care. We (the academics within the research project team) first describe the stages of the research project, outlining how it opened up space for discussion about service users' experiences of the forensic mental health care they had received. Habermas's distinction between 'strategic action' (orientated towards getting things done) and 'communicative action' (interaction orientated towards freely agreeing consensual understanding) is then explored in a re-analysis of users' accounts of the interactions they recalled having with service providers. We then offer an account of interactions between service user researchers presenting their work at academic forums and their audiences of service providers. In particular, we look at the communication that occurred and, again using Habermasian theory, consider the issues that arose about open discussion and similarities and differences between therapy and participatory research.

This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link City Research OnlineReynolds, L. M., Jones, J. C., Davies, J., Freeth, D. & Heyman, B. (2014). Playing the game:service users' management of risk status in a UK medium secure forensic mental health service.Health, Risk and Society, 16(3), pp. 199-209. doi: 10.1080/13698575.2014.911820 City Research Online Online is checked for eligibility for copyright before being made available in the live archive. URLs from City Research Online may be freely distributed and linked to from other web pages. Versions of researchThe version in City Research Online may differ from the final published version. Users are advised to check the Permanent City Research Online URL above for the status of the paper. EnquiriesIf you have any enquiries about any aspect of City Research Online, or if you wish to make contact with the author(s) of this paper, please email the team at publications@city.ac.uk. AbstractIn this article we examine how forensic mental health service users actively attempt to manage their risk status through playing the game of containing frustration and demonstrating compliance. The article draws on an observational study (2006 to 2009) which explored the practices of risk assessment and management within one inner city forensic mental health medium secure service in the UK. We used a grounded theory approach to explore service users and providers experiences of risk assessment and management. We interviewed forensic mental health service users and providers. We also collected data using participant and non-participant observation. Since access to forensic mental health services is tightly controlled, there are participant observation studies undertaken in these settings.We found that service users attempted to understand the system of assessment and sought to affect and reduce their risk status by engaging in overt, compliant behaviours. We argue that in doing so service users are active agents in the process of risk management. However, we indicate that there are adverse effects of this approach to risk management as the risk assessment process is subverted by the restriction of the flow of information, and service users are left with frustrations that they must contain and manage.4