This article discusses the findings of a study which aimed to gain an insight into the views
of young people in secure accommodation and their residential workers about the quality
of relationships and, in particular, to explore the role of the key worker. Five themes
were identified in the research: participation in the matching process between young
people and residential workers; the level of consistency in the relationship between key
worker and young person; the scope of the key worker role in secure care; the frequency
and purpose of key time; and the barriers to achieving key time. The findings are located
in the broader literature about the importance of relationships in social work and
residential child care.