ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on residential work, but much of its content is also applicable to day care. About 66 per cent of children in residential care are considered to be suffering from behavioural difficulties, and about 33 per cent to have experienced sexual abuse. It is an unfortunate fact that many of the most vulnerable clients are cared for in residential settings by inexperienced or untrained staff. Historically the residential sector has been accorded a low priority, with staff receiving low pay, poor conditions of service and inadequate training. Recommendations include proposals for work-based training, and the development of a climate which allows for creative use of doubt or error as a training and learning resource. The atmosphere of a residential home or hostel will depend on a combination of factors - staff, residents and physical conditions. In local authority social services departments the emergency service has a role in helping to reduce the risk of violence in residential units.
