Celia Davies

Involving citizens in policy decision-making processes - deliberative democracy - has been a central goal of the Labour government since it came to power in 1997. But what happens when members of the public are drawn into unfamiliar debate, with unfamiliar others, in the unfamiliar world of policy making at national level? This book sets out to understand the contribution that citizens can realistically be expected to make. Drawing on the lessons from an ethnographic study of a public involvement initiative in the health service - the Citizens Council of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) - the book explores the practical realities behind the much-quoted faith in 'deliberation' that underpins so many models of public involvement and presents the analysis of sixty four hours of video and audiotape capturing a warts-and-all picture of deliberation in action. It sets deliberative participatory initiatives within a broad inter-disciplinary context and challenges politicians, policy-makers and academics to develop more realistic approaches to democratic innovation. "Citizens at the centre" will be of interest to academics and students in social policy, sociology, politics, health, social care, economics, and public administration and management. It will also be valuable to anyone involved in the policy making process, not only in the UK, but also in Europe, the USA and other countries where deliberative democracy is being implemented or discussed.

Interpreting Professional Self-Regulation analyses the contribution made by the UKCC to the development of the nursing profession in this country over the last 30 years. It details the key issues the council grappled with during this time and provides in-depth analyses of the complexity of these issues. There is a general consensus that the current view of nursing's regulatory body will culminate in a major shake up of the way the nursing profession is governed and in which the UKCC will be radically transformed. This publication of the history of the UKCC will mark the close of a very significant period in nursing's history and the opening of wider debates about ensuring the safety of the public through regulation of health professionals. This is an important text for all those who teach on professional and policy issues in nursing, giving them a factual background that has never been brought together before, enabling them to bring discussion of post-registration education, discipline and other professional matters more firmly into the curriculum.