The most striking finding was the high level of confrontation and the low level of listening shown by social workers. Their scores were clearly very low, with ‘obstructing’ and ‘imposing own agenda’ being the most common responses. Responses showed little evidence of attempting to take seriously or empathize with the parent’s point of view. In addition, the types of responses generated in this report are almost uniformly capable of being categorized as ‘roadblocks to listening’ in counseling theory and research. The results paint a picture that is so consistent that it appears likely to be a systemic issue. Research exploring how social workers talk to parents about child welfare concerns and beginning to describe what works appears to be an essential basis for evidence informed practice. Working with parents in relation to child welfare concerns is challenging. Social workers are expected to combine working in partnership with ensuring that the focus remains on the child’s needs and protection. This study explored the responses of 40 social workers from 7 London local authorities to 9 vignettes. Responses were taped and rated. Tables, references