Social care glossary
The social care sector is filled with lots of jargon. We’ve created this handy glossary packed with common social care key terms that you and the person receiving care may need to understand.
A
Defibrillation and Airway Management
Defibrillation and Airway Management is dedicated training which uses defibrillators and airway management techniques to stabilise individuals during emergencies.
B
C
Duty of Care
A legal and professional obligation to provide a reasonable standard of care to patients, avoiding acts or omissions that could foreseeably cause harm.
D
Joint Decision-Making
Decisions about patient diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care are often made collaboratively, considering all professional viewpoints.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Ensuring care is provided in a non-discriminatory manner, respecting the diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and needs of all patients and colleagues.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
A psychotherapy used to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
Dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing.
Duty of Care
A legal and professional obligation to provide a reasonable standard of care to patients, avoiding acts or omissions that could foreseeably cause harm.
DOLs (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards)
Legal safeguards to ensure people in care homes or hospitals are not being deprived of their liberty unlawfully.
Documentation and Record Keeping
Accurate, timely, and comprehensive recording of all aspects of patient care, observations, interventions, and communications, adhering to NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) guidelines and local policies.
Diverse Expertise
Team members bring their unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives related to their specific profession (e.g., Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Dietitians, Psychologists).
Diabetes Management
How to support patients with diabetes, including blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration, recognition and management of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, and diabetic foot care.
Delegation
The act of assigning tasks to other members of the healthcare team. Registered Nurses must understand the principles of safe and effective delegation, ensuring tasks are assigned to individuals with the appropriate skills and competence.
Defibrillation and Airway Management
Defibrillation and Airway Management is dedicated training which uses defibrillators and airway management techniques to stabilise individuals during emergencies.
De-escalation
Techniques used to reduce agitation and aggression in patients, ensuring the safety of the patient, staff, and others.
E
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Ensuring care is provided in a non-discriminatory manner, respecting the diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and needs of all patients and colleagues.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
A psychotherapy used to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
Diverse Expertise
Team members bring their unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives related to their specific profession (e.g., Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Pharmacists, Dietitians, Psychologists).
F
G
H
I
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Ensuring care is provided in a non-discriminatory manner, respecting the diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and needs of all patients and colleagues.
J
Joint Decision-Making
Decisions about patient diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care are often made collaboratively, considering all professional viewpoints.
L
M
N
O
P
R
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
A psychotherapy used to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories.
Documentation and Record Keeping
Accurate, timely, and comprehensive recording of all aspects of patient care, observations, interventions, and communications, adhering to NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) guidelines and local policies.