Abstract Attachment theory features throughout policy and research for young people in residential care. However, there is limited empirical understanding of how this translates into practice. This research aimed to construct an explanatory theory of how residential staff make sense of, and use, attachment theory in practice. It also aimed to identify whether any components of attachment theory are particularly salient to staff and to what extent their conceptualizations draw upon contemporary attachment theory. Constructivist grounded theory was used in the form of 20 interviews with staff, through an iterative process of data collection and analysis, theoretical sampling, and member reflections. Results indicate staff focus upon a natural process of building relationships, often without a coherent narrative to describe attachment theory to practice links. This natural process is challenged by tensions within the residential system. Findings are contextualized within existing research and future recommendations are outlined.

中文翻译：

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住宿儿童保育人员样本如何在实践中概念化和使用依恋理论

摘要 依恋理论贯穿于寄宿照料年轻人的政策和研究中。然而，对于这如何转化为实践的经验理解有限。本研究旨在构建一个解释理论，说明住宿员工如何在实践中理解和使用依恋理论。它还旨在确定依恋理论的任何组成部分是否对员工特别重要，以及他们的概念在多大程度上借鉴了当代依恋理论。通过数据收集和分析、理论抽样和成员反思的迭代过程，以对员工的 20 次访谈的形式使用了建构主义扎根理论。结果表明员工专注于建立关系的自然过程，通常没有连贯的叙述来描述依恋理论与实践的联系。这一自然过程受到住宅系统内部紧张局势的挑战。结果与现有研究相关，并概述了未来的建议。