These include residential units run by Ealing Council, the independent sector or health services, as well as hospices. It also includes special schools that offer overnight stays to their students as part of their 24-hour curriculum.

Residential services may offer overnight care, day care and outreach support to families.

Residential services cater primarily for children who are more difficult to place in family based settings. This may include children who require moving and handling, children who require invasive clinical procedures and those with severely challenging behaviour. Some older children may also need a setting with other young people to a family-based short break.