For a long period of time, both media and authorities have criticized the youth care provided by the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care (Statens institutionsstyrelse, SiS). The criticism has primarily been directed at the lack of security, the low level of education among staff, and the substandard care at SiS facilities. The purpose of this thesis was to examine treatment assistants’ perspectives on their professional roles, as well as their views on the current situation at SiS facilities in relation to the criticism directed at SiS. The study used a qualitative method, where five respondents with previous and current experience working at SiS facilities were interviewed. The study applied thematic content analysis to analyze the collected data, resulting in three main themes: Care or containment, work environment, and competence and approach. The results were analyzed using three theories: Goffman’s theory of Total Institutions, Lipsky’s theory of Street-Level Bureaucrats with a focus on discretion, and Benner’s theory of competence development. The findings highlight that the staff agrees with the criticism directed at SiS facilities. They believe that the facilities face significant issues with the work environment, that the care provided is substandard and more resembles containment, and that the staff lacks proper interaction skills and has low education levels at SiS facilities. The study's final conclusion is that there is a sense of hopelessness among the staff due to the current deficiencies in SiS operations, and that substantial changes are needed.