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Gareth Roach and Robert Sanders describe a study of the obstacles to the implementation of plans for children in a South Wales local authority. The files of 20 children, selected sequentially, were examined using a content analysis methodology. Ten were children in need of protection living at home with their families and ten were looked after children. Information was extracted from child protection plans, core group meetings, care plans and care plan reviews, along with important contextual information. Implementation was assessed by identifying and monitoring the progress of delayed tasks through the different stages of the child's planning and reviewing process. This provided a detailed understanding of the decision-making processes and the reason(s) for tasks becoming delayed. The results indicated that most cases experienced some delay. The main obstacles to plan implementation centred on the quality of the plans and reviews, a lack of interagency co-ordination in the provision of external services and the non-compliance of parents and carers. To address these problems and reduce the likelihood of delay, the authors suggest that social workers should incorporate micro-planning techniques into practice, attempt to engage parents and carers fully, and improve recording procedures.