Jargon Buster - People Category

A way of referring to a person that a social worker is supporting.

A social worker might talk about “my allocated cases”, and a team manager or team leader might talk about allocating cases to workers in their team.

Categories

• People

A person who is aged 18 or over and who supports a child, or an adult who is perceived to be vulnerable, who is suspected of a criminal offence. An appropriate adult can be a family member, social worker or another responsible adult who does not work for the police. They are there to make sure that people are treated fairly, with respect for their rights and entitlements, and are able to take part in conversations and decisions.

Categories

• People

Someone who can help a person to be involved in conversations and decisions.

The individual will not be appropriate if
– they are already paid to support the person (for example, the person’s doctor or social worker)
– the person does not wish to be supported by them
– they are not in a position to support and represent the person, for example because they live too far away, or they also find it difficult to understand, retain or use information.

Under the Care Act 2014, councils have a duty to involve independent advocates to support people who would otherwise find it very difficult to be fully involved in conversations and decisions, and where there is no one else appropriate to advocate for the person.

May also be referred to as a ‘suitable person’.

Categories

• Decision-making
• People

Related Jargon

• Independent advocacy

A person who is allowed to request a direct payment from a local council on behalf of someone who requires care and support and has been assessed as lacking capacity to request the direct payment themselves.

The local council must be satisfied that the authorised person will act in the adult’s best interests, that they are capable of managing the direct payment, and that this is an appropriate way to meet the adult’s needs.

Categories

• Decision-making
• People
• Self-directed support and personal budgets

Related Jargon

• Best interests
• Capacity
• Direct payments
• Nominated person

Someone who supports or speaks up for a particular thing, such as dementia, or for a specific group of people, such as children or older people. A champion may be someone who works in social care or someone who draws on care and support.

Categories

• People
• Workforce

A volunteer from a person’s local community who can work with them if they require some help with making their needs and wishes known and with making decisions. The advocate can help them get what they are entitled to, find out what their options are, make choices and take part in their community.

Categories

• Decision-making
• People

A person who relies on support from another person, like a child or a relative.

Categories

• People

People living with a long-term health condition who are able to take more control over their health by understanding and managing their conditions, leading to an improved quality of life.

Categories

• Health and health care
• People

Someone who is held in a mental health ward in hospital and is not allowed to leave – by law – for their own safety or the safety of others. This is sometimes described as being ‘sectioned’.

Categories

• Mental health
• People

Related Jargon

• Informal patient
• Mental Health Act 1983
• Sectioning

Under section 7 of the Mental Health Act 1983, people aged 16 and over with mental health challenges can be given a guardian to help them, if two doctors say this is needed to protect the person or other people.

A guardian could be the person’s local council, or someone else that the local council approves.

A guardian has legal powers to tell a person
– where they must live
– to attend appointments, work, training or education at agreed time and places
– to let a doctor or other named person see them.

Categories

• Mental health
• People

Someone who supports a person to understand and remember information, make decisions and communicate their wishes and feelings. They will also speak up for a person if the person needs them to. Independent advocates cannot be family members, friends or neighbours.

Under the Care Act 2014, councils have a duty to involve independent advocates to support people who would otherwise find it very difficult to be fully involved in conversations and decisions, and where there is no one else appropriate to advocate for the person.

Categories

• Decision-making
• People
• Workforce

Someone who is in a mental health ward in hospital who is there by choice and can leave if they wish. This is different to a formal patient, who does not have the freedom to leave.

Categories

• Hospital
• Mental health
• People

Related Jargon

• Informal patient

A legal term that is used in the Mental Health Act 1983 to refer to a single member of a person’s family who is given certain rights and responsibilities if they are kept in hospital (also known as being ‘sectioned’). It is not the same as ‘next of kin’ and may not necessarily be the person who has power of attorney (where this is in place). The law decides who a person’s nearest relative is, and although the person cannot choose who this is, it can sometimes be changed.

A person’s nearest relative can ask for a Mental Health Act assessment to decide if the person should be kept in hospital. They can also apply to discharge a person from the Mental Health Act.

Categories

• Law and legislation
• Mental health
• People

A person’s closest relative by marriage or blood. A person’s next of kin does not have any automatic legal rights to make decisions for the person. Next of kin is not the same as power of attorney. If a person wants to give someone the power to make decisions on their behalf and manage their financial affairs, the person needs to give the other person ‘power of attorney’.

Categories

• People

Related Jargon

• Power of attorney

Someone who agrees to manage a direct payment on behalf of the person who requires care and support.

Local councils should make sure the nominated person is involved in care planning (as long as the person who requires care and support agrees to this), and make sure they have information and advice about using and managing the direct payment.

The nominated person has a legal requirement as the direct payment recipient to act in the best interests of the person requiring care and support.

Categories

• People
• Self-directed support and personal budgets

Related Jargon

• Direct payments

Usually used to refer to people who are aged 65 and over.

Categories

• People

Someone who can help a person to be involved in conversations and decisions.

The individual will not be appropriate if
– they are already paid to support the person (for example, the person’s doctor or social worker)
– the person does not wish to be supported by them
– they are not in a position to support and represent the person, for example because they live too far away, or they also find it difficult to understand, retain or use information.

Under the Care Act 2014, councils have a duty to involve independent advocates to support people who would otherwise find it very difficult to be fully involved in conversations and decisions, and where there is no one else appropriate to advocate for the person.

May also be referred to as an ‘appropriate adult’ or an ‘appropriate individual’.

Categories

• Decision-making
• People

People who draw on care and support from another person or service.

Categories

• People