Jo Brand and Alan Davies star as stressed social workers struggling to keep control of their private lives and chaotic office.
Nitin, the ex-copper with no personal allegiances or friends, is tasked with grassing on the rest of the social work team at Elm Heath Children's Services.
An unexpected outbreak of punctuality surprises the cluster teams at Elm Heath, Rose uncovers an embarrassing truth whilst investigating an improper teacher-pupil relationship, and Nitin wins the job of cleaning Elm Heath council's most toxic kitchen. Meanwhile, Al quietly comes to the rescue of his clients with learning difficulties and a new baby.
Everyone is entirely unaware that one of them is about to be taken hostage by a violent man with two children in care, a personal grudge against Rose, and a full bladder.
Rose's mum has dementia. There's no way of looking after her unless Rose can pass her off as work experience and craftily get her assessed by the Elderly Care team upstairs.
Nitin is getting a haircut, because Nat's fixed him up with a date and Nitin badly 'wants some'. Meanwhile, PC Harris calls an Emergency Strategy Meeting at Children's Services.
It's judgement day at Elm Heath Childrens Services and Denise wants outstanding cases closed, or heads will roll. And then there's the regular prank call about the abandoned baby!
The threat of violence is never far away as the Elm Heath team once again face up to a series of problems that our increasingly complex society just expects them to sort out without any fuss or acknowledgement.
Al gets a surprise visit from Sean, a boy with a transitioning parent and a troubled past. Ever-competitive Nitin can't get over Martin being Mimi's mentor. Denise's brother Dennis visits and takes a shine to Rose, much to Denise's fury. At the supermarket, Nitin bumps into Zak, the litigious snob whose wife has now left him - drunk in charge of the baby. And Ingrid is excited about her 14-year-old foster son; it's not a problem that he stubbed out his cigarette in his 'welcome' cake.
Nitin arrives early and gets a fright by Nat who's slept at the office, and Denise freezes on live TV when a case of historic abuse is mentioned.
Rumours are flying about Denise's personal life, and Nat's dislike of Mimi means she suspects her of being behind the missing files.
It's an awkward start to the day when Rose and Dennis wake up in bed in Denise's house. Nat tries to land a birth partner with the offer of free crisps and water. Al gets lumbered with Mimi when he visits an ex-client who has been skipping classes. Rose rolls in to find Martin has dispatched Nitin to deal with her clients, a pair of drug-addicted parents, where he makes an unsettling discovery. Zak makes an unwelcome return with wife Sophie who is horrified when the true nature of his problems are revealed with characteristic bluntness by Nitin.
Rose is smitten with Dennis, but it's hard dating the boss's brother, and Lee is making a last ditch attempt to win her back. Nitin steps up to guide Nat through her pregnancy, while Martin faces insinuations about his unorthodox living arrangement with Mimi. The stray files make a surprise return, but for one member of the team it would be better if they had stayed missing. Rose gets the creeps while visiting some home-schooled children and Al decides to forsake the life of a social worker for a new start in Scotland.
