With the overarching aim of raising ‘the standard of social work consistent with Puao-te-Ata-tu’, this report presents three parallel research projects that assess how well social workers were providing culturally appropriate services to Māori, Pākehā and Pacific Island clients. Importance is placed on allowing clients to be heard in the research. The appendices provide the research questions applied in each part of the projects. The research groups noted are: Waaka Consultants (Maori), Grey Matter (Pakeha) and Taiki Enterprises (Pacific Island). The report summarises that Māori clients were most often referred to Pākehā social workers, and that social workers of the same ethnicity of clients could provide better services to clients. Clients also felt that specialised social workers would better serve their needs. There was also ‘anger, scepticism and confusion among community organisations’ due to confusion ‘about the role, tasks and responsibilities of social workers’ and department resources available. Both clients and community organisations called for a shift in the ways managers and senior supervisors supported social service providers who had to be ‘committed to working with whanau, hapu, iwi and the wider community and a commitment to Pauo-te-ata-tu’.