Hugh McLaughlin is Professor of Social Work at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. His research interests include keeping service user involvement in social work education and research honest, critical professional practice and the co-creation of learning organisations. He is editor-in-chief of Social Work Education: The International Journal.

Joseph Duffy is a Lecturer in Social Work at Queen's University, Belfast, UK. He is particularly interested in the development of innovative approaches to advancing user- and carer-based knowledge in helping students understand challenging curriculum topics such as the impact of conflict, social work values and international social work.

Brendan McKeever is an independent user researcher and comes from a user background. He has been involved in user involvement issues for over 20 years and has written extensively on issues impacting families of disabled children.

June Sadd is an independent survivor consultant in research, training, education and user involvement/co-production. She works with many social work programmes in England, and with national organisations such as the Social Care Institute for Excellence and Mind, using long-term personal experience as a survivor, and 23 years of work experience in health and social care as a survivor activist.