This is the development of an ongoing project adapting research tools for social workers in assessing characteristics of prospective carers in the adoption/fostering field. DfES has approved the training and a voluntary adoption organisation (Parents for Children) have sponsored the developmental work on the tool. We hope to link with a national training network to roll out the training nationally. The listening event introduced the measure to 20 members of the training network, all potential new trainers. The income from the courses (after expenses) will go to WestFocus. A related project concerns the evaluation of The Attachment Project being run by Surrey Social Services in adoption. The project aims to use the ASI instrument and will Iook at whether it improves choice of appropriate carers for adoption. It will also look more widely at attachment theory as a basis for selecting relevant interventions for children with problems in relating. This is a continuation of ongoing work, but the latest commission of £15K is bad ed as RHUL and WestFocus.

Director: Toni Bifulco

The evaluation of project in Hillingdon aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship amongst socially excluded groups. This will feed into Entrepreneurship Programmes and ive the possibility of applying programme to other areas in West Focus.

Director: Nelarine Cornelius

Training sessions for business start up and mentoring relationships developed through networking activities. Potential to develop the programme to accommodate different needs, e.g. cooperatives for non-English speaking single mothers. Developing knowledge networks and a business planning initiative. Interacting with a number of businesses. The programme can be applied to other WestFocus areas.

Director: Nelarine Cornelius

Develop business knowledge within groups to support members. Create networks within and across communities and agencies to generate better understanding of services and resources that can be made available to potential entrepreneurs. Capacities building to help support agencies better understand the needs of specific communities and support and resources that need to be made available. Programme can be applied to other WestFocus areas.

Director: Nick Slope

Identify training needs of voluntary organisations. Developing the exchange of knowledge intra-groups into a sustainable network. Reinforcing links newer and more established agencies Reinforcing and building on the social enterprise networks across different voluntary groups. The programme can be applied to other WestFocus areas.

Director: Nick Slope

Commissioned by Battersea Sure Start to research `hard to reach families', where parents have attended Sure Start once and not returned, or not attended at all. The aim is to enable Sure Start Battersea to understand issues around non-attendance and to better meet the needs of `hard-to-reach' families. Contact has been made with potential respondents and interviewing is currently in progress.

Director: Stephen Driver

This project with Merton Council and other partners is supporting the introduction of new assistive technology in sheltered housing in the London Borough of Merton with the objective of enabling older people live more independent lives in the community.

Director: Stephen Driver

This project is helping to improve the provision of support on work, training and general advice services to socially excluded groups in Roehampton.

Director: Stephen Driver

Currently under discussion is development of a training package for users of mental health services to enable them to participate in the mental health policy making process.

Director: Stephen Driver