Advocacy
Support to help you understand your rights, communicate your needs, and be treated fairly.
Example: “My advocate helped me ask for accommodations in a meeting.”
Social Workers Glossary (A–Z)
Calm, plain-language definitions for case work, advocacy, community support, safety planning, referrals, and navigating services.
Gentle note: Some terms relate to safety, crisis, or harm. Definitions here are educational and non-graphic.
If you feel activated, pause, take a breath, and return when you’re ready.
Showing all terms
Quick overview
These tables help explain common roles and “pathway words” you’ll see in services and paperwork.
Common roles and what they do
| Role (common name) | What they usually help with | What you can ask them |
|---|---|---|
| Social Worker | Accessing supports, advocacy, housing pathways, safety planning, family supports, systems navigation. | “What support am I eligible for?” “Can you help me make a plan?” “Can you explain my options?” |
| Case Manager / Navigator | Coordinating services, referrals, follow-ups, funding applications, community links. | “What are the next steps?” “Who do I contact?” “What can I access right now?” |
| Support Worker | Day-to-day practical support (home/community), routines, appointments, skill-building. | “Can we set goals?” “Can you help with appointments?” “What support hours are available?” |
| Advocate | Helps you understand rights, communicate needs, and be heard in systems. | “Can you come with me?” “Can you help me write this?” “What are my rights?” |
Common pathway words
| Word | What it means (plain language) |
|---|---|
| Referral | A request sent to another service to ask them to see/support you. |
| Triage | Sorting people by urgency so the most urgent needs get help first. |
| Assessment | Gathering information to understand needs and plan support. |
| Eligibility | Whether you meet the criteria for a service or funding. |
| Care plan | A written plan of goals, supports, and who does what. |
| Informed consent | You agree after it’s explained clearly and you understand options. |
| Discharge | Leaving a service (because needs changed or another service takes over). |
Helpful sentence: “Can you write that down for me?” or “Can you explain that in plain language?”
Letter A
Assessment
A structured way to understand needs, risks, strengths, and what supports could help.
Example: “The assessment helps decide what support hours I qualify for.”
Access Plan
A plan that lists barriers and the supports needed to access daily life, services, or education/work.
Example: “My access plan includes transport support and quiet waiting options.”
Letter B
Barrier
Anything that makes access harder (cost, transport, communication, sensory load, paperwork).
Example: “Long forms are a barrier for me, so I need support filling them out.”
Brief Intervention
Short-term support focused on a specific need (safety, housing step, urgent wellbeing plan).
Example: “We did a brief intervention to stabilise things this week.”
Letter C
Case Plan
A written plan outlining goals, supports, responsibilities, and timeframes.
Example: “My case plan lists housing, wellbeing, and income steps.”
Confidentiality
Keeping your information private, except in specific situations (like serious safety risk).
Example: “They explained confidentiality and when they must share info.”
Consent
Permission for something to happen (sharing info, contacting services, making referrals).
Example: “They asked for consent before sending a referral.”
Crisis Plan
A plan for what helps during a crisis: warning signs, supports, and who to contact.
Example: “My crisis plan lists grounding tools and emergency contacts.”
Letter D
Duty of Care
A responsibility to act safely and appropriately to reduce harm and support wellbeing.
Example: “Duty of care means they must respond if someone is unsafe.”
Disclosure
Sharing personal information (health, disability, safety history) to get support.
Example: “I disclosed my needs so the service could offer accommodations.”
Letter E
Eligibility
Whether you meet a service’s rules/criteria to receive support or funding.
Example: “We checked eligibility for housing support.”
Empowerment
Support that increases your choice, control, confidence, and self-advocacy.
Example: “The goal is empowerment, not taking over.”
Letter F
Family Violence Safety (non-graphic)
Planning and supports for safety when someone is controlling, threatening, or harmful.
Example: “We talked about safe contacts and private communication.”
Funding
Money allocated to support needs (equipment, services, transport, home support).
Example: “They explained what funding could cover.”
Letter G
Goals
Outcomes you want to work toward (housing stability, wellbeing, routines, safety).
Example: “We set small goals for the next two weeks.”
Guardianship (general)
A legal arrangement where someone is responsible for decisions for another person (varies by country).
Example: “They explained decision supports and legal options.”
Letter H
Housing Pathway
The steps to move from current housing to safer/more stable housing (applications, referrals, supports).
Example: “My housing pathway includes temporary options and long-term applications.”
Harm Minimisation
Reducing risk and harm when an issue can’t be fully removed immediately.
Example: “We used harm minimisation while waiting for longer-term support.”
Letter I
Informed Consent
Agreeing after you understand what’s happening, risks, benefits, and alternatives.
Example: “They checked I understood before I signed.”
Intake
The first step where a service gathers basic info and decides what happens next.
Example: “Intake asked about safety, needs, and communication preferences.”
Letter J
Jurisdiction
The area where a service or law applies (region, city, district, country).
Example: “They referred me to the right team for my jurisdiction.”
Letter K
Key Worker
A main contact person who helps coordinate and check in across supports.
Example: “My key worker helps me track referrals and next steps.”
Letter L
Lived Experience
Knowledge gained by living through something (disability, trauma, mental health, systems).
Example: “Peer support comes from lived experience.”
Linking In
Connecting you with services, community supports, or practical resources.
Example: “They linked me in with a local support group.”
Letter M
Mandatory Reporting (varies by country)
Rules requiring professionals to report certain serious safety concerns (often child safety).
Example: “They explained what they must report and what stays private.”
Multi-agency Meeting
Different services meet together to coordinate support (with consent where required).
Example: “A multi-agency meeting reduced duplicated paperwork.”
Letter N
Needs Assessment
A process to understand what supports are needed and what can help day-to-day.
Example: “The needs assessment focused on routines, safety, and access.”
Navigation
Help finding the right services, understanding steps, and keeping track of paperwork.
Example: “Service navigation helped me figure out who to call first.”
Letter O
Outcome
A change you want to see (stability, safety, independence, wellbeing, access).
Example: “The outcome is safer housing and consistent supports.”
Ongoing Support
Support that continues over time rather than short-term assistance.
Example: “I moved from crisis support to ongoing support.”
Letter P
Privacy
How your information is stored, used, and shared (and your rights around that).
Example: “I asked who would see my information.”
Protective Factors
Things that increase safety and wellbeing (supportive people, stable routines, safe housing).
Example: “Protective factors include my support network and coping skills.”
Plan (Support / Safety / Care)
A written guide for what helps, who does what, and what to do if things change.
Example: “My plan lists warning signs and next steps.”
Letter Q
Quality of Life
Overall wellbeing—safety, connection, access, purpose, comfort, and support.
Example: “Supports should improve quality of life, not just manage crises.”
Letter R
Referral
A request sent to another service to ask them to support you.
Example: “My social worker sent a referral to housing support.”
Risk Assessment
Looking at what could increase harm and what reduces harm—so the plan is safer.
Example: “We assessed risk and added extra supports.”
Rights
Protections and entitlements under law and service policy (dignity, access, safety, privacy).
Example: “I have the right to ask questions and understand my options.”
Letter S
Safeguarding
Actions taken to reduce harm and protect people from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
Example: “Safeguarding includes safer processes and reporting pathways.”
Safety Plan
A plan to increase safety: warning signs, safe places, contact options, steps to reduce risk.
Example: “My safety plan includes code words and exit steps.”
Strengths-based Support
Focusing on what you can do and what supports your growth, not only challenges.
Example: “We built supports around my strengths and routines.”
Systems Navigation
Help working through complex systems (health, housing, education, welfare).
Example: “They helped me understand which system does what.”
Letter T
Triage
Deciding urgency and what needs action first.
Example: “Triage meant I got a quicker appointment because it was urgent.”
Trauma-informed Practice
Working in ways that reduce harm, increase safety, and respect lived experience.
Example: “They asked about triggers and preferred communication.”
Transition Plan
A plan for changing services or life stages (school to work, hospital to home, moving regions).
Example: “My transition plan includes supports during the change.”
Letter U
Upskilling
Building skills for daily life—communication, routines, budgeting, advocacy.
Example: “We focused on upskilling for appointments and forms.”
Urgent Support
Help needed quickly due to immediate risk, crisis, or safety concerns.
Example: “Urgent support put safety steps in place today.”
Letter V
Validation
Being heard and believed—acknowledging feelings and experience without judgement.
Example: “Validation helped me feel safe enough to explain my needs.”
Vicarious Trauma
Emotional impact from hearing about or supporting others’ trauma (common in caring roles).
Example: “Supervision helps reduce vicarious trauma.”
Letter W
Wellbeing Plan
A plan for ongoing support: routines, coping tools, connections, warning signs, and actions.
Example: “My wellbeing plan includes sleep, food, and low-sensory breaks.”
Wraparound Support
Support that considers the whole person and coordinates across areas of life.
Example: “Wraparound support included health, housing, and community.”
Letter X
X-Factor (Unexpected Barrier)
An unexpected issue that affects access (paperwork delay, transport breakdown, sudden stress).
Example: “The x-factor was a sudden housing change, so we updated the plan.”
Letter Y
Youth Services
Supports designed for young people (age ranges vary), often focused on wellbeing and transition support.
Example: “Youth services helped with school support and counselling referrals.”
Letter Z
Zero Tolerance (Policy term)
A policy that certain behaviours (threats, violence, harassment) are not accepted in a service setting.
Example: “They explained their zero tolerance policy for staff and client safety.”