Written by experienced practitioners & academics this is a core text about the practice of residential child care. It takes as its starting point the fact that residential child care involves workers & children sharing a common lifespace in which the quality of interpersonal relationships is key. Each chapter highlights relevant policy guidance & is developed around a practice scenario discussing key knowledge skills & values relating to its theme. This highly practical book should therefore be of value to a range of students at different academic levels from VQ to Masters & to practitioners & managers in residential child care. The book draws on ideas from child & youth care & social pedagogic traditions & will appeal to a North American child & youth care audience while also providing a valuable addition to the emerging literature around social pedagogy in the UK.