ABSTRACT
In the United Kingdom (UK), residential child and youth care work is the poor relation of a developing social work profession, the legitimacy of which is subject to ongoing challenge. The lack of priority given to residential work is reflected in recent controversy associated with the widespread abuse of young people placed away from home. The chapter attempts to assess the extent to which professionalization can address the manifest failure of the public care system in the UK. In order to assess the extent to which professionalization can help to ameliorate the failings of the residential child and youth care system in the UK, it is necessary to further explore the possible reasons underlying the failure of the care system. Additional measures are necessary in relation to reinforcing children's rights, tackling the adverse impact of bureaucracy, addressing important issues relating to masculinity and the threat posed by paedophile activity.
