This work explores the challenges and dilemmas - long-standing and newly emerging - which faced residential establishments for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties during 1990 to 1995, and reflects on developments since then. The author seeks to break new ground in exploring the perspectives of professionals providing residential services and in its strong multidisciplinary base, with research data drawn from providers based in health, education and care establishments. This approach also allows analysis of the complex dynamics which exist between these different groups of professionals, and between purchasers and providers of children's services. Significant changes in the residential sector are discussed and the book concludes that shortages in community-based resources are adversely affecting these specialist establishments in a wide variety of ways.