Social work is a multi-faceted, ever-changing profession that has had many purposes and identities over the years. It is imperative that vocation constantly evolves in response to the social climate and new ways of identifying and treating those in need of support. Social workers may be required to take on the role of advisor, advocate, social worker, partner, risk and needs assessor and, sometimes (as government seeks to guide social work increasingly more towards the health and education sectors), a servant of the State. The profession is significantly subject to societal changes, thus requiring social workers to have a duty to be abreast of the latest developments to understand how and why people get to the point of requiring social work intervention, and how best to prevent and respond. There are many ways in which research has significantly influenced practice across all sectors, but arguably it is in the context of looked after children that it has had the most effect. The Who Cares Trust recently published statistics showing that "27% of the adult prison population has been detained and almost 40% of prisoners under the age of 21 were detained as children." This compares to just 2% of the general population who spend time in prison during their lifetime. (Anon., nd)One of the main pieces of research used to explain the deviant behavior of people who have been in care is attachment theory. Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby in 1951 for the World Health Organization and initially titled “Maternal Deprivation” (Bretherton, 1992). Bowlby defines attachment as "a deep and lasting emotional bond that connects one person to another across time...... middle of paper ...... more responsible than other professionals, and especially true because they always come into contact with them. people's lives in times of crisis. Some people have a lifelong relationship with social workers, and there is not always a cure for when that association ends. (Trinder, 2000) As police adapt to the social climate, teachers try new learning methods, and medical professionals use new medications, social workers must also adapt and evolve with their time. Everything was once an experiment, and there can be no progress if social workers are not willing to change their mindset and practice based on new evidence and research. Having an inquiry mindset and being able to question yourself and the things you are taught is an integral part of being a good social worker, able to enable and protect the service users they work for in a constantly evolving and developing society..