Boundaries and the exploration of self are conceptualized within the agency-structure problem first articulated in social theory during the 1970s. Constructing boundaries as a professional issue within the discipline has to take account the agency embedded within boundaries. Multiple boundary dilemmas are discussed within the framework of the…

This article explores the themes and issues related to child and youth care approaches to management. The profession is significantly underrepresented at the management level. To some extent, this reflects the challenges of being recognized in the broader human services sector as a profession, but perhaps more so, it reflects an underdevelopment…

This article explores the role of language and forms of communication in professional child and youth care practice. It is argued that all the professional issues of child and youth care practice are significantly impacted by language and the manner in which practitioners use language and a variety of communication forms to articulate their work.…

This article explores the current status of professional development within the child and youth care field. Pre-service, in-service and professional development activities and systems are critically examined in residential and nonresidential contexts, and barriers to more effective training within the field are identified. While there has been…

This article explores the professional issues of relationships within child and youth care practice. The concept of "relationship-based practice" is examined from conceptual, linguistic and power-based perspectives. It is argued that the power base of relationships amongst practitioners manifests itself along five specific contexts: institutional…

Child and youth care practice unfolds within the context of the community. It is therefore essential that practitioners develop reflective skills not only in relation to their clients and the organizational context in which they are employed, but also in relation to their presence within a community and the community's perception of the…