ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at some of the dilemmas which may arise for workers as they try to interpret their day-to-day work with self help groups in the light of these accepted norms. It draws upon a research study of the Nottingham Self Help Team. The dilemmas faced by the Team were, of course, prompted by unique local circumstances and yet, at another level, they illustrate tensions which may be encountered within any local support centre. A responsive orientation is convenient as well as appropriate for most local self help support centres. Observation of work within a local support centre suggests that while there may be a strong general commitment to an enabling and equitable approach towards groups, a process of rationing none the less exists. Workers' personal values, commitments and assessments may be significant elements in the rationing process.
