So, you have received a call from the social worker and they want to come out to see you - 'have a chat', they may say. You are hit with a flurry of emotions - hope, anxiety, dread, maybe indignation, sometimes anger, shock, disbelief. This is what it will feel like for most people; for a minority, however, it will be a mix of the opposite emotions - relief, hope, vindication, joy. This is because the social worker, like the police, is a very useful tool but one that is very much a double-edged sword, and like the police, they mostly appear when something has gone wrong - this time in the family. This book has been written by an experienced social worker to support you with questions you may have about the social work process, what you should know, and what you should do to minimise the damaging impact of any intervention. It guides you through the social worker's thinking and manual and, ultimately, how you can use this knowledge to beat them back from your door and life.