Residential Homes do not have to be so bad; they can be-- and occasionally are--the very best places for people to live. There have been many occasions in the last thirty years when residential care has seemed to be on the brink of a breakthrough--when we could have converted the service into something to be universally proud of. Managing Residential Care analyzes what is wrong and proposes how residential care can be managed well. It covers the economic and political contexts of residential care, the practicalities of managing care, and the role of outside organizations, including inspection, local authorities, charities, private care companies and housing associations. Extended examples, throughout the text, demonstrate both how managers can succeed and how the powerful forces of mismanagement obstruct them.