ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the key aspects of professionalism. It considers whether residential staff can be considered to be professionals. The chapter also considers how residential workers are seen today in the circles of influence within which they operate. It evaluates what all this may mean in terms of the challenge that faces the field of those interested in and involved in work with young people. The chapter discusses the issue of professionalism with a few people from the general public. These people were deliberately chosen because they were not connected with social care and residential care. The idea was to find out how the general public defined 'a professional'. A range of answers were received, most of which were surprisingly consistent. The answers were tabulated, and it was found that they naturally broke down into four clear categories: learning, attitude, responsibility and autonomy, and public image.
