Staff looking after children in local authority residential units: the interface with child mental health professionals.

Seventy-two members of staff working in children's residential units in a Local Authority were surveyed, to elicit their experiences and evaluations of working with child mental health professionals. Whilst the majority of staff held few or no formal educational qualifications, they emerged as an experienced group, with a level of confidence in their knowledge and skill base. Support was identified as coming predominantly from within units themselves; relatively few staff had direct contact with child psychiatrists or psychologists, although many children received a service. Staff in general felt that child mental health services were not helpful to them in terms of their work with young people. However, the majority of staff indicated a need for greater direct involvement across a range of child behavioural and emotional problems. The findings are discussed in terms of the changing population of "looked after" children and the recommendations of the Warner Report.