Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to address the reality that sexual violence on in‐patient mental health wards in the British National Health Service may well be a common problem (Care Quality Commission, 2018). Sitting behind that are a number of factors including limited training for staff and the fact that the experience reflects social taboos and causes embarrassment which means it is often not talked about. This paper argues that a partnership approach involving users and providers of services working together has much to offer. In particular we argue that talking with and learning from each other’s experiences can open up new possibilities for change.