This reflective piece was written in response to Best's article, published in Pastoral in Education in September 2014, on Michael Marland's seminal text "Pastoral Care." It uses examples from previously published work carried out by the author, to explore some of the key concepts and ideas explored within the book and their relevance in understanding recent changes to the structure, organisation, priorities and delivery of pastoral care within secondary education. Consideration is given to why the focus for pastoral care provision is sometimes placed on meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and needy young people. The argument is made that Marland's work has the potential to generate focused and critical reflection on recent changes in policy and practice.