Acknowledgements

I would like to express my special thanks to all the respondents who agreed to be interviewed for this project, without whom it would not have taken place. I would also like to thank the manager and staff at the Assist Team who afforded me both their time and help in this research. I acknowledge the kind and friendly advice, support, help and encouragement given to me by Julia Waldman, University of Southampton. I am grateful to my friend Roger Andrew for his clear thinking and his constant willingness to supply me with constructive criticism, encouragement and support. I cannot thank him enough. I would like to thank my family for their tireless support and endless patience. And finally a special mention, to my grandson Boris Clark, for his timely birth in 2003 which gave me the added impetus and inspiration to complete this project. I, the undersigned, confirm that the attached work is all my own work. Reference to, quotation from, and discussion of the work of any person has been correctl