ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a secure children's home, Hillside in Neath in South Wales. It explains the nature of this service and the perspectives of three of the senior staff who work at the home: the clinical psychologist, the manager, and the education manager. The young people who are referred to Hillside have an extremely varied profile. Except for a few young people referred as part of sentencing for crimes committed, nearly all the young people have attachment disorders in common. They come from backgrounds of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and serious substance use in the family and, as a result, have poor social functioning in society and difficulties with boundaries. On admission the clinical staff complete a Summary of Needs and Responses which is a precis of the young person's history, their needs and relevant medical history, and risks the young person poses.
