ABSTRACT
The Children Act 1989 envisaged not only partnership with parents, but also, much more developed and co-ordinated inter-agency working. With respect to residential provision for children and young people, the significant concern must be that despite many recommendations to the contrary, it remains a 'last resort'. Throughout the 1990s, a steady stream of serious concerns have continued to emerge about services for children and young people. The implementation of the Children Act 1989 has been a source of concern on a number of levels, both from theoretical perspective and with respect to some of the practical aspects of the legislation. Data from the Association of Metropolitan Authorities indicates that in-patient health provision too, has made up for the overall shortfall in local authority and special school residential places. The imbalance between local authority provision for child protection work and for family support is another serious concern which has emerged following the implementation of the 1989 Children Act.
