ABSTRACT
The most predominant theme emerging from the sections of the interviews which explored plans for the future and new working practices emerging in residential establishments, was the emphasis the majority of respondents reported that they were putting, or planning to put, on all admissions being planned. Plans to develop residential programmes more oriented towards crisis interventions and behavioural and cognitive behavioural treatments, rather than individual psychotherapeutic approaches, were mentioned by six interviewees. Interviewees from the therapeutic communities/children's homes and the special schools also mentioned an intention to be increasingly vigilant and to screen out referrals inappropriately displaced from other areas. The problems experienced by the interviewees from the units which required the children and young people to spend some time during each year away from the placement, had led to an array of ideas and changes. An internal subdividing into sub groups was reported by a number of the heads of the therapeutic communities/children's homes and the schools.
