Developing mental health team effectiveness requires that we explore both how people work together and the context of the team itself. This text, by an acknowledged authority in the field, examines the historical, social policy, political and organisational context alongside the design and the management of team processes. Recognising the central importance both of the relationship between users and staff, and the mental health of team members, the author considers teams as part of a continuous quality improvement process aimed at achieving better outcomes for users.