ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the issues concerning staff development in its widest sense in relation to assistants' needs, entitlements and responsibilities. In the conclusion to the last chapter the links were made between the team development of assistants, leading to increased self-esteem and the capacity to problem-solve, and staff development. Indeed, the team meetings that the schools and services have either refined or established for their assistants are mainly used for the purposes of staff development within the school or service. The issues in the last chapter and this exploring the links between team and staff development were discussed at a conceptual level in Chapter 5.
