Sheila has worked in management, learning, development and research for 25 years, and since 1987 has worked independently in organisational consulting, primarily in the public and not-for-profit sectors. She focuses on:

o management & leadership development strategy and practice

o approaches to achieving quality services

o working with diversity/equality issues in practice

o applying `whole systems' methodologies through facilitation of events and support processes

o learning design and support

o trainer development

o research & policy development

She has developed and led a variety of management programmes delivered through partnership between universities, local authority employers and (since 1997) NHS organisations. Her interests include: developing a responsive and focused public sector; issues of management and leadership; facilitating whole system working and collaboration; issues of diversity, identity and inequalities; action research and inquiry as an approach to changing practice. Recent projects include:

· supporting local councillors in mentoring their peers (part of national scheme via IDeA)

· developing health inequalities strategy in Nottingham

· user involvement in mental health service development and strategy

· `swampy ground' a research project on local partnership working across health and social care - see www.swampyground.org

· developing and running multi-professional work-based learning programmes for health and social care managers

· researching and developing a local community cohesion strategy

· supporting local councils in implementing overview and scrutiny of health (national adviser scheme)

· supporting the development of a new centre for the study of policy into practice in health and social care at Thames Valley University